Search Results for 'Trinidad'

[Lindylou]

#31932

Topic: Transport for large family from Havana to Trinidad in forum General |

Our family of 7 adults wants to book a private transfer ( hopefully with a stop at Playa Larga on the way down and Cienfeugos on the way back). We will be there in the middle of June.

Is it best to book this before we arrive in Cuba ( can you suggest some people to book with?) 0r should we wait until we get there?

We are staying in Trinidad for 3 nights so we would not need the driver to stay.

Thank you for your help

[Christi]

#28574 In reply to: Horse riding |

You make sense. I was concerned about paying this way and thought it a bit strange but the group I’m traveling with thought it was fine. We were given their name by Viahero. They are supposed to help us make sure we are following all the rules. Apparently they should remove Trinidad Travels off their list of recommended companies.

[Mario]

#28571 In reply to: Horse riding |

Hi, thank you for posting this. The standard rate for horse back tours in Cuba is 5cuc per hour, per person. You paid a bit more than that for your Trinidad tours (10 euros per person, per hour). Also, looking at the info for Trinidad tours, you had to make payment to their bank processor in Italy. Honestly, this is a bit more complex than it should be. It is this way because of the economic embargo against Cuba (PayPal is banned on the island and using it to pay for any Cuban related items will result in your account being banned automatically and could result in a fine of over $10 000).

Paying in Euros to a bank in Italy means that your money does not go directly to Cubans… It goes to some bank account in Italy. While some money gets to Cuba, to pay for the service, there is somebody else in Italy collecting a very large commission. I think it is far better to pay the Cubans directly, in Cash. Also, it would have cost far less to pay in cash.

Also, important to note that bad weather events and trip delays are common in Cuba. If you pay for your services all in advance then it is more difficult to change your trip plans. What if there is a storm on the day you wanted to go for a horseback ride? You lose your payment in most cases. In my opinion, it is always best to pay cash at the moment you want a service, rather than paying in advance. The farmers with horses in Cuba absolutely do not have websites or offer online payments. They live on cash payments. Paying in Cash directly benefits them and you can be sure there are no middlemen collecting commissions and potentially exploiting the poor farmers. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s a problem in Cuba.

[Christi]

#28563 In reply to: Horse riding |

We are going to Cuba in 5 day. Just want to let you know we were able to book horse tours in Trinidad with Trinidad Travels for 10Euro pp per hour. It might be a bit expensive but we were able to pay in full online. Which means carrying a little less cash. We also booked a tour in Vinales on line with Riding Vinales for $5 pp per hour.

[Mario]

#27888 In reply to: Horse riding |

The horses are all in great condition. Vinales and Trinidad are tourist towns and the locals make lots of money from offering horse tours. They feed the horses well and take great care of them because they support the whole family.

The only way to book the horse tours is once you are in Vinales or Trinidad. You just have to ask your landlord and she will take care of the calling the horse guys to bring you on the tour. This cannot be arranged online. Maybe some websites offer this service but they will charge you much much more. A typical horse tour will cost you about 7cuc per hour, per horse. I have seen some people online charging $30 per hour, which is crazy.

Once you are in Trinidad or Vinales, simply tell your landlord to arrange a horse tour and she will take care of it, no problem.

Also, along the main streets in these towns, you will see farmers with horses and they will be asking you if you want a tour. It’s very easy. There are hundreds of horses.

[silhuat]

#27854

Topic: Horse riding in forum General |

Hi,  we`ll visit Cuba in April and are looking for some ecursions.   We would like to go on a horse riding  tour near Trinidad or Vinales. Do you have any tips or contacts? I often read about horses in bad conditions – this is the last thing we want.  So we ned a guide who loves his horses :o). Of corse we would like to visit a litte cicar factory, too.   Many thanks

 

[Mario]

#26341 In reply to: 14 days travelling around family of 3 |

Hi Ana,

Actually, the booking of the casas and organizing of the trip is very easy for us to do. We communicate with the landlords directly and book your trips with the taxi drivers. I will also give you the contact info of my assistant in Cuba so that if there are any issues, you can reach her directly. She speaks perfect English and lives in Havana. This way you also have a trusted contact in Cuba in case you need anything.

Despite our best laid plans, sometimes there are minor problems which happen, for example a taxi comes late or if there is a storm you might have some delays. These are normal and I am just telling you ahead of time. But there are never any serious issues.

The first step in the process is to find the casa that you would like in Havana. Since you are 2 adults and 1 child, I would suggest a casa with 2 beds in the same room. In my opinion, Vedado is the best neighborhood for a casa because the homes are in better condition than in the rest of Havana and the area is quiet and safe. You can easily travel by taxi or walk to Old Havana or any place else in the city. So, here are some suggestions for casas in Vedado. I am suggesting rooms where there are 2 beds in 1 room, so that you can be near your young son.

1. https://bestcubaguide.com/portfolio-items/casa-particular-abraham-independent-vedado-apartment/
2. https://bestcubaguide.com/portfolio-items/casa-particular-anmar-independent-apartment/
3. https://bestcubaguide.com/portfolio-items/casa-particular-ernesto-independent-apartment-vedado/
4. https://bestcubaguide.com/portfolio-items/casa-particular-lisett-5-bedrooms-vedado/

Once we have the Havana casa, we can get the other casas in the other cities.

For the taxis, we can organize everything. The taxi prices are here: https://bestcubaguide.com/city-city-taxi-transfers-cuba/

The airport pickup would cost 25cuc. 

The taxi from Havana to Vinales is 90cuc

The taxi from Vinales to Trinidad is 250cuc

The taxi from Trinidad to Varadero is 150cuc

The taxi from Varadero to Havana is 95cuc

The taxi transfer back to the airport at the end of your trip would be 25cuc

The total taxi cost would be 635cuc which works out to about 490 GBP

For alternative transport, you have 2 options.

1. You can book taxi rides while you are in Cuba. So you can approach drivers on the street and ask them the price to take you to these different towns. You can usually get a deal. The cars in Cuba fit 7 passengers and the driver might charge 30 to 40cuc per passenger. You will be riding with other people in the car, but the overall price will be cheaper. For the trip from Vinales to Trinidad, you would likely save 100$. For the other trips, you would not save much, since you are 3 people. I cannot organize these group travels. You would have to do it while in Cuba.
2. The other option is to take the Viazul bus, which is the Cuban national bus service. You would have to book your tickets as soon as possible, since this bus fills up fast. The bus trips will cost about half as much as the taxi. But the trips also take longer because the bus makes many stops. You can check out this link for more info http://www.viazul.com/

For the casas and the taxis, you would pay the drivers and landlords in cash when you arrive. We take no money for our services. Everything goes directly to the service providers.

If you want to start the process, please send me an email at my personal email address  rizzi@videotron.ca . It is better if we communicate about the details privately, rather than on this forum. And my assistant can take care of all the details for you and we will answer any other questions you might have.

take care,

Mario

[Mario]

#26308 In reply to: 14 days travelling around family of 3 |

Hi Ana,

For flights, you should check Google Flights for deals. It is very easy to browse. Click on the following links to see flights from London to Havana for March 29 to April 12, 2018.

https://www.google.com/flights/#search;f=LHR,LGW,STN,LCY,LTN,SEN,QQS;t=HAV;d=2018-03-29;r=2018-04-12

You will have no trouble traveling with an 8 year old. My daughter is 6 years old and I have traveled to Cuba with her many times. It should be pretty easy for you.

My recommendation is to not rent a vehicle. It will be cheaper for you to simply use taxis to get around Cuba. A vehicle will easily cost you about $120 per day. For that same price you can hire a taxi and driver to drive you hundreds of kilometers to a new city to explore.

My recommendation for an itinerary would be this:

Land in Havana March 29.

1. Spend 4 nights in Havana (29, 30, 31, 1). Explore the city. There is a lot to do and you have lots of time to plan out the things you would like to visit. We have a good choice of casas to rent in Havana, just click here: https://bestcubaguide.com/casas-particulares-in-el-vedado-havana-cuba/
2. Go to Vinales for 3 nights (April 2, 3, 4). You can take a horseback ride around the valley and enjoy the small town lifestyle. There is a beach you can visit nearby. It’s a beautiful place. Here are some casas https://bestcubaguide.com/casas-particulares-in-vinales-cuba/
3. Go to Trinidad for 3 nights (April 5, 6, 7). Check out the Trinidad travel guide to see what a wonderful place it is (https://bestcubaguide.com/trinidad-cuba-free-online-guidebook/) For casa bookings, look here: https://bestcubaguide.com/casas-particulares-in-trinidad-cuba/
4. The beach for your last 4 days: The best beach in Cuba is in Varadero. But it is filled with tourists and has many hotels with pools. You could rent a casa, which would be about 1 block from the beach. I can take care of this rental for you, or you can see places online. Varadero is the main tourist town in Cuba. But the beach is excellent. If you want a more private beach, you can go to a beach like Playa Larga. The beach is much smaller, but there are no resorts, only small rental casas along the beach. But this beach is far from everything. The town is tiny and there are very few restaurants or bars. You might get bored… But it is a nice place. While more tourists are starting to visit Playa Larga, it is still not very touristy. More info can be found here: http://www.cubacasas.net/cities/playa_giron/
5. For your last night, you would return back to Havana and prepare for your departure.

How does this sound? You would be visiting 4 different places and you would get a good sense of Cuba. This is a common route for people wanting to see a lot of Cuba and meet Cubans from all over the western part of the island.

tell me what you think or just ask if you have more questions.

Mario

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Mario.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Mario.

[Mario]

#26072 In reply to: Guidebook |

Hi, the 2016 version should serve you fine. The updates for 2017 were not dramatic. Minor things like schedules. But there is the new Trinidad guide. I am not sure if that was in the 2016 book. Please give me your email address (you can contact me directly at my email rizzi@videotron.ca) and I will send you the 2017 version for free, in pdf format.

thanks,

Mario

[Mario]

#24636 In reply to: Info on visiting Havana for 7-8 days |

Hi Nicholas,

I did a quick search through our emails and I see that you are already in contact with Claudia regarding the casa booking. Both casas that she told you were available are great casas. Sky Views is a cool place because you are on the 18th floor and the view is amazing. Alejandro and Sandra is a beautiful and spacious place but on the ground level. It really depends on what kind of an atmosphere you prefer. Both are very solid choices.

I also noticed that you asked how the trip would be different if you booked a week later. If you arrive on the 20th or 21st, Cuba will be busier. You are booking way ahead of time so most places are still vacant for those days, but around Christmas, Havana and Cuba in general will be packed with tourists. December is the highest travel month of the year and Christmas is crazy for tourism in Cuba. Just keep that in mind. Restaurant and taxi prices are all highest at Christmas. And due to the amount of tourists, reservations for taxis and restaurants are harder to get. Personally, I try to avoid Cuba at Christmas. It is fun to see the city full of people, but the tourist infrastructure in Cuba is weak and when it gets overloaded it becomes a mess. That’s my opinion. Try to go a week before Christmas. If you have to go at Christmas, then let’s try to plan as much as we can ahead of time, but know that due to the Christmas chaos in Cuba, plans will likely have some last minute changes.

Overall, I think your schedule is very normal and should not be stressful or tight. 4 to 5 nights in Havana and 2 nights in Trinidad is the basic trip that most people do and in my opinion is the best. In my opinion, Santa Clara is not a very inspiring city, so going there just for the last bit to catch your flight gives you just enough time to see the town quickly maybe and then head to the airport. Definitely the most popular and best places are Havana and Trinidad, and you will be spending good time there. You might even consider spending an extra night in Trinidad so you can explore more of the surrounding area. If you are into nature, then this would be interesting. You can take a horse ride around the valleys and mountains and also there is the Topes de Collantes mountain range where you can go for a day excursion and see the mountains, rivers and swim in natural lagoons. If nature is not so important, then definitely hit Havana and then take 2 nights in Trinidad to explore the old town and the surrounding areas (sugar mill valley and the tobacco farms).

I hope this helps and just write me if you need more info about specific things.

Mario

 

[Nicholas]

#24627

Topic: Info on visiting Havana for 7-8 days in forum General |

Hi. I briefly perused your book and I would like some advice from you. We are planning of visiting Havana (and Trinidad, perhaps) for 7-8 days, starting Dec 14,2017 or thereabout.  We are 3 adults, one couple and a friend. The plan is to arrive in Havana, staying there most of the time, going to Trinidad for the last two nights, leaving from there for Santa Clara early the last day, and departing from there (back to Toronto, Canada) late the same day. How is this schedule? Is it tight? Is it worth visiting Trinidad? The friend will be visiting from Europe and, most likely, it is her only chance to see as much of Cuba as possible; beaches are of no particular interest.

I have already contacted 3-4 (Havana) CPs through your site, but as I just did that, I do not expect to get any response for a while. Any recommendation for a good 2-bedroom, private CP in Havana(Vedado) and Trinidad?

Any other information or help will be most welcome.

Thank you.

[Mario]

#24577 In reply to: 7 to 10 day trip help needed |

Hi, the best thing about Cuba is that your money goes a long way. Not as far as it used to but still much further than in almost any other country.

My best advice is take it very casual. Cuba is not the kind of place where you have to plan your trip way ahead of time or in detail. If you do plan, there is a good chance that the nice plans you make will come undone on the first days anyway, so don’t plan much. Book a place to stay while in Havana. Maybe book a place in Trinidad too, but as far as making detailed plans of things to see and all that, keep it casual. Make a list of 20 things and be happy if you see 10 in detail. Don’t rush around. In Cuba if you are on a tight schedule it will be hell.

I have a list of rental apartments in Havana. All the rental properties are good. We can help you book any place you like: https://bestcubaguide.com/casas-particulares-in-el-vedado-havana-cuba/

Here is a list of properties in Trinidad: https://bestcubaguide.com/casas-particulares-in-trinidad-cuba/

Here is a pretty good guide to Trinidad. It has many things to see and do: https://bestcubaguide.com/trinidad-cuba-free-online-guidebook/

Here is an article on how to get from Havana to Trinidad. If you are not on a tight budget, I would choose the taxi option as it is fastest and most comfortable. The bust take long and you end up wasting a day. https://bestcubaguide.com/going-from-havana-to-trinidad-a-great-adventure-excursion/

Here are some guides to the neighborhoods in Havana. You can check them all out: https://bestcubaguide.com/free-havana-neighborhood-guides/

—

For Havana, the most fun things to do are walking around the city and meeting locals. Once you arrive in the city, just walk everywhere, explore. Eat at restaurants and drink at bars or cafes. Some are good. Some will be bad; it’s all part of the experience. In Old Havana there are a dozen museums per block. You don’t need a guide or a plan. Just wander around and check out the ones that interest you. There will be a thousand other tourists around so you will never feel alone. If you run out of idea, I posted some fun things here: https://bestcubaguide.com/top-10-best-things-to-do-in-havana/

Old Havana is only about 1km square and you can see it all in a day. But spend more time and walk around and you will have more fun.

For Trinidad, the main town is tiny too. You just walk around and you can see everything in a day. The beach is close (Playa Ancon) You can take a taxi there for about 15$. Spend the day and enjoy the calm area. Taxis are cheap in Cuba and your really should use them. Tourism is the main economy of the island and taxis are the best way for locals to make money. Trinidad has many nice sights to see around the town. Any taxi driver will take you around to 3 or 4 place for like 20$. You organize this when you arrive in Trinidad, not before.  Just get there and ask any driver to take you on a tour and negotiate the price and go. It’s very easy and there are a thousand desperate drivers hanging around all over town.

As for getting to Cuba from New York, JetBlue has daily flights. It’s super easy. Just book a flight like any other flight. Check on Google Flights for your dates and just book. https://www.google.com/flights/

The regulations to get to Cuba from the USA will apply to you but do not worry about them. You will need a tourist visa which your air carrier will provide (you buy it at the airport before your flight) and then you will be asked to fill out a form stating why you are going to Cuba. Just check off the category “support of the Cuban people” and you are all set to go. You don’t need to keep track of your trip or do anything else. The USA government does not care and the Cuban government only wants your tourist dollars. Just enjoy your trip!

If you have more questions, just ask me,

thanks,

Mario

 

[rexcat]

#24575

Topic: 7 to 10 day trip help needed in forum General |

Hi I just found this blog so sorry if i am repeating questions. I have looked at many organised tours and i am not against the idea of doing one except i dont like sitting in a bus for hours travelling.

The most interesting to us is seeing architecture and culture. Of course the music. We are mature aged. We have always done our own organisation but its getting tiring arguing and trying to find things when you arrive, so i would like to be a bit organised this time.

The 2 places that appeal are of course Trinidad and Havana.  we dont have  a tick off list of must sees stuff. We just want time to mix with locals and chill out. It would be nice to spend a few days at the beach too as i heard they are wonderful. We are thinking 7 to 10 days might be a good time.

Could zou give us some suggestions. We would like to prebook Havana.  Also we are Australians, but we are in New York on the date we will go to Cuba , its end of October. It seems a bit tricky getting a U:S flight to Cuba. Any ideas welcome. Thanking You Annemarie

[b12kjc]

#23806 In reply to: Average time needed for immigration and luggage pick up at Havana airport |

Hi Mario I would just like to let you know that the taxi driver was not booked that’s why he didn’t turn up , I don’t think that was your fault but we went directly to exit after picking up our luggage and we went round for ages there was no one with my name on a board !! When I went to get cash my wife wIted with luggage at exit were every one else was being met  no one showed so I guess this is down to a member of your staff . I’m pleased you have removed the Casa in Havana from your list I am confident you did make the reservation and it was owner who was very evasive with us it was only when I got your guide book out and said look we booked with you via Mario that she rang Claudia . The Taxi that picked us up to take us to Guidos Casa wS not a taxi but a friend of Guidos with a very small old fiat it was even big enough for our luggage but it got us there nice old chap i used him again when we left and paid him to take us to the Viazul station .  With regards to Trinidad and the Casa booking there well I’m puzzled about that one however it was the best we stayed in and her cooking was great  we would like to return there at some time in future . So overall we had some great times and some hairy scary ones !! It’s worse when you been travelling for 12 hours and very tired but we learnt a lot and hopefully it will stand us in good stead for future trips thanks again for your advice and tips   Kevin .

[Neelima]

#23470

Topic: Need a chauffeur driven car/van for six people with guide in forum General |

Hello,

Can you recommend an excellent driver and guide (or driver can double up as a guide) for December 2017. We are a family of six. We would need a driver to drive us around Havana. Then take us to Trinidad and en route stop for sightseeing. We will be Cuba for 7 days.

So the driver should pick us up at the airport and be at our disposal for all the days we are there. This should include taking us to dinners etc.

 

Thanks!