We are planning a trip for the spring. We still cannot decide on a place. At first, they wanted to go to Sri Lanka, but the reviews read did not inspire in any way. The choice fell on Cuba or DR. Based on numerous reviews and his personal experience organize a party by yourself is much cheaper, especially if you take care of it in advance. Hence the question: Where would you recommend to go and is it worth bothering independent by booking hotels and tickets? how there generally are things with a taxi and other things if you are not going from a travel agency?
Victorica ... through TO. Cuba by yourself cheaper, we bought from solyson, Cuban air tickets (joint flight with Aeroflot) chose hotels, etc. Spent almost 3 weeks in Cuba: Havana - Cayo Largo - Varadero. Varadero - Cuban Turkey or Egypt. There is nothing to do there at all, I howled on the 3rd day and we took the car and rushed back to Havana... Cayo Largo is ... why, they thought again semi-independently through solison, their route, etc. but counting how many and as - it turns out expensive. Probably have to completely surrender to the tenacious paws of TO :) Now at Kubana ...
We wanted to go to Cuba last year, but somehow it didn't work out. I was very attracted by the azure ocean from photos on the Internet and a lot of rave reviews.
The most common destination is Varadero, where hotels often operate on an "all inclusive" system. We decided to go there for 2 weeks, to the BelleVue Palma Real ( detailed review with a lot of photos attached).
Lucky with the location of the hotel, it is located in the very center of Varadero, it is there that all the sights are concentrated and there is where to walk.
These street maps show almost all the attractions, very convenient. 3 pieces of one card. From the right edge of the city to the left.
Chickens walk everywhere in Varadero, lizards with twisted tails run and some large birds, hawks, eagles or something like that fly.
That's how they are.
Currency exchange in Varadero The first thing you will encounter upon arrival in Cuba is currency exchange.
For locals there are pesos, for tourists - convertible pesos (cookies). You can change money at the airport, which is difficult, since there is little time, or at the bank at the most favorable rate. If you take an exchanger or a hotel reception, there will be a commission. As of today, the euro rate to the cuck is -1.20, the dollar rate to the cuck is 0.86. The hotel commission is 3 units. There are 3 banks in Varadero, one next to our hotel, 2 others on street 36. To exchange at a bank you need a passport.
Varadero center
We went the whole center on foot, standing places - this is the famous Beatles cafe and very beautiful park -JosonePark. A large green area with several cafes, a pond in which ducks and goose swim. Peacocks and a heron were also seen there. Admission is free, well worth a visit. The Beatles Cafe, by the way, is located on the edge of this park.
Josone and its inhabitants.
Getting around Varadero
Taxis of various kinds run in Varadero, from vintage cars to mopeds with a round awning at the back and horse carts. We did not go by taxi, but tourists are often deceived and the price is exceeded, so negotiate the price right away, or ask to turn on the meter. For mopeds, the normal price is 3 cookies, for horse carriages 5 cookies, no more. To see Varadero, I recommend red double-decker buses, they constantly run around the city, everywhere there are bus stops with a red background. They take 5 cookies from a person and you can ride all day, go out as many times as necessary. Schedule from 9 to 19. All taxi drivers are constantly honking passing tourists and shouting after them. On the streets, people constantly come up with offers to buy cigars, buy at least something, or just hold out their hand.
Double-decker bus stops map.
Varadero shops
There were 2 shops within walking distance from the hotel, unfortunately I don't remember the exact names, one Hicacos and the other Panamericana. The rest are open markets. First shopping center - it's just a lot of small shops. The second is a kind of supermarket, but the choice of rum is not very large there, so they didn't find anything special either.
It was on the red bus that we went to Plaza America, their main shopping center, and wanted to buy souvenirs. It is also a lot of different shops, but on the ground floor there is a supermarket like our Mercado Pyaterochka.
Vigilance is the first rule of travel to Cuba!
They have the richest selection of rum. We gladly collected it for souvenirs, go to the checkout and punch. We dialed 25 cookies, 30 at the cash register. Well, we think, okay, probably we looked at the price wrong. I ask for a check, the cashier gives, but there is no total amount in the check. We recalculate the check again, and it still comes out with 25 cookies. We approach the cashier and show the required amount on the calculator, she blushing and waving her hand apologized, saying that she was mistaken and gave us 5 cookies. Be careful, always take checks and count the amounts, if even in a large supermarket they are trying to heat up so much, then what can I say about other places.
By the way, when the money was changed in the bank, they were not yet so suspicious, they gave 120 kuk for 100 euros, although according to the bank statement they should have given 120.5. We didn’t pay attention to this, but I’m talking about vigilance. By the way, banks close at 5 o'clock and are closed on weekends.
Also, if you go a little further than Plaza America, that is, a nature reserve with caves, you can get there by a red bus, but we did not have time, unfortunately, it worked until 5 pm. Price is 5 kuk per person. You will be given a map to follow in order to find those caves.
Beach at Varadero
In principle, I will not say that we ran around Cuba with sausage and visited a lot of things, because we just wanted to wallow on the beach and have a relaxing, relaxed rest. In terms of weather and water, November is not exactly the ideal month to travel to Cuba. After reading on the Internet that this is the beginning of the season, we did not hesitate to go, but out of 14 days it was calm only 1 day, the rest of the time there were waves. Sometimes strong, sometimes weaker. But we swam almost every day, the storm was literally 2 days, and in general, even I, a person who swims badly and never goes deeper than "up the neck", was able to jump on the waves. They do not knock down from the feet, maximum water will get into the ear. More often than not, the waves brought algae, then it gets a little bit rough. Algae are removed with a tractor, all over the embankment, but not very high quality, they still remain on the sand. The water temperature is very comfortable, you can enter calmly, probably 28 degrees. The entrance to the water is good, smooth and sandy, you need to walk a lot to the depth.
As for the weather in general, it was cloudy for a couple of days and it was raining, just at that time there was a storm in the ocean. I was struck by the contrast in temperature in the sun and in the shade. If you lie down in the sun and it starts to bake well, then after going into the shade it becomes fresh and you can even freeze. It's not like in Moscow, if it's hot, then at least a shadow, at least not a shadow - it's still stuffy. Another nice moment, my husband and I did not burn out. We always burn out in Cyprus, and regardless of sunscreens, then we peel off, but here my white-transparent skin calmly took the Cuban sun and became tanned.
How to go to Havana.
Besides lying on the beach, we wanted to go to Havana. Not with a tour, not with a local guide, but independently. By the way, an excursion from a tour operator cost 80 CUK per person, the services of a local guide 100 pesos and you can take up to 4 people There is an option to go by yourself, there is a mini-bus station on 36th street ( local guides by car near it, they spend the day and spend the night without letting you go inside), there is a Viazul office, they carry for 10 cookies one way, for two it cost 40 dolls. There is a risk that there may not be enough tickets, since they are sold in 30 minutes before the departure and you have to stand in line. It takes 3 hours, longer than the more expensive alternatives, since the bus calls at the airport and also in the neighboring city. There are toilets on the bus, but they are closed; a stop is deliberately made at a cafe where there is a paid toilet. By the way, all toilets in Cuba are paid, except for the airport and some restaurants. We left Varadero at 8 am, the last bus goes back at 5 pm, and we left on it. It is extremely difficult for the Cubans to learn something, they do not understand English well, or they are simply too lazy to explain, until recently they did not know where to wait for the last bus in Havana, since no one could really explain, and in Viazul's office they brushed aside and said that any person will prompt. But one local guy still informed us, for which he thanks a lot, we got off at the bus stop in old Havana, sat down there, the bus was jammed back, there were also only 2 free seats, respectively, I believe that initially there is a bus from Revolution Square ... in general, in order not to fly over with tickets, you need to look for Viazul's office somewhere there.
Havana certainly makes an impression. Narrow streets, shabby houses against the backdrop of the Capitol, Cathedral and other sights, even seem romantic. We had hiking route, we visited: Cathedral Square, Cathedral of San Cristobal, La Fuersa Fortress, Plaza de Armas, Capitol, Brotherhood Park, Malecon Embankment (La Cabana Fortress and the Statue of Christ were seen from the embankment, they did not have time to drive up there). We also visited a cigar factory. More cars in Havana more willing drag you somewhere and smells more of exhaust fumes from old cars. It's stuffy, hot and you don't know where to get away from attacking guides and bicycle taxi drivers. If in Varadero they are all calmer, then here they are ready to tear them to pieces. But it's worth going there, there will be a lot of impressions.
You set out to cover the distance from Varadero to Havana. Who among motorists does not dream of getting to their destination as quickly and at the lowest cost as possible? One way to achieve this goal is to have information about the distance between the point of departure and the end point of the route. Our map will help you find the shortest and most optimal route between Varadero and Havana. If the average vehicle speed is known, the travel time can be calculated with a small error. In this case, knowing the answer to the question how many km are between Varadero and Havana - 135 km. , the time you will spend on the road will be approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes. Working with the map is very simple. The system will find itself shortest distance and will offer an OPTIMAL route. The route from Varadero to Havana is shown in the diagram with a bold line. On the diagram, you will see all the settlements that you meet on your way while driving. Having information about cities, villages (check out the list settlements on the Varadero - Havana highway at the bottom of the page) and traffic police posts located along the route, you will be able to navigate faster in unfamiliar areas. If you need to find another route, just indicate the WHERE and WHERE you need to get, and the system will certainly offer you a solution. Having a ready-made map from Varadero to Havana and knowing how to get through difficult interchanges, you can always easily answer the question of how to get from Varadero to Havana.
Panoramas
Panorama of Varadero and Havana
Driving along a predetermined route is a way to eliminate problems that may arise in unfamiliar terrain and to overcome the desired section of the road as quickly as possible. Don't miss the details, check all the difficult road forks on the map in advance.
Don't forget a few simple rules:
- Any driver traveling long distances needs rest. Your trip will be safer and more enjoyable if, after planning a route in advance, you decide on the places to stay. The map presented on the site has various modes. Take advantage of the work of ordinary Internet users and turn to the "People's Card" mode. Perhaps there you will find information useful to you.
- Do not exceed the speed limit. The preliminary calculation of the time and the built route of the trip will help to keep within the schedule and not exceed the permitted values \u200b\u200bof the speed of movement. Thus, you will not endanger yourself and other road users.
- It is prohibited to use while driving substances that cause alcoholic or narcotic intoxication, as well as psychotropic or other substances that cause intoxication. Despite the abolition of zero ppm (now the possible total permissible error in measuring the level of alcohol in the blood is 0.16 mg per 1 liter of exhaled air), drinking alcohol while driving is strictly prohibited.
How to get to Varadero
Like no other country, Cuba attracts the Russian traveler with its beaches. And the point is not only in the ideal Caribbean landscapes, but also in the special spirit and mood prevailing on the Island of Liberty. People fly to Cuba to feel nostalgic for the old days, when sterile cleanliness reigned on store shelves, and people knew how to enjoy even the simplest trifles. Cubans in this sense are very similar to us before, and therefore the answer to the question of how to get to Varadero is looking for and finding for themselves thousands of tourists who decided to return to the past for at least a few days.
Choosing wings
Direct flights from Russia to Cuba regular flights two airlines - Aeroflot and Cubana, but their boards fly from Moscow to Havana. There are two possible options to get to the beaches of Varadero - either buy a ticket to Havana and go to the selected hotel from there, or fly to the famous caribbean resort with a transfer at one of the European airports:
- You can fly directly from Moscow to Havana on board Aeroflot. Issue price - from $ 700. Travel time is 12.5 hours.
- You can get to Havana cheaper by plane Air France and KLM. Their ticket prices to Cuba are traditionally more humane than those of other carriers. The cost of the flight is from $ 600, you will have to spend 13 hours in the sky.
- The cheapest option is to buy a ticket to Varadero airport on a Belgian flight or on board Lufthansa. With a connection in Brussels or Frankfurt, the journey will take at least 20 hours. The price of flights depends on how early they are booked and on the time of year. Approximately for the round trip, you will have to pay $ 700-$ 800.
Varadero Airport receives many international flights every day and is the second largest airport after Havana in terms of the number of passengers served. Air harbor itself popular resort Cuba is located 20 km from the center of Varadero and bears the name of Juan Gualberto Gomez.
When asked how to get to Varadero from international airport, Cuban taxi drivers answer most willingly. For their services, they will ask from $ 40 to $ 50, depending on the degree of self-confidence. With the ability to bargain and the availability of free time and desire to do this, you can always "drop" the price to $ 25 -30 $.
The second and cheapest way to get to the hotel strip is by using public transport. It is presented at Varader airport by Viazul buses. IN resort area they leave several times a day, the journey takes about half an hour, and the price of the trip is $ 6.
- The Viazul bus schedule, ticket prices and other useful details can be found on the website - www.viazul.com. The resource has an English version.
How to get to Varadero from the capital
Choosing the option of the flight Moscow - Havana, you can kill two birds with one stone. First, you will be able to save a lot when buying an air ticket, especially if you try to book your seat in advance. Experienced independent travelers use the services of electronic mailing of special offers, which you can subscribe to on the websites of air carriers. The second advantage of a trip to Varadero via Havana is the opportunity to get acquainted with the many sights of the Cuban capital, central part which is listed by UNESCO World heritage humanity.
Once at the Havana airport, decide what you would like to do next. If you are interested in old Havana, you can get to the city either by taxi or by public transport:
- Coming out of international terminal walk a couple of tens of meters to the left. The taxi rank is located here, as is the bus stop for the shuttle service between the terminals. Taxi drivers will ask for about $ 25 for their services. You can bargain with them indefinitely, but you will hardly be able to drop the price. The shuttle will take you to Terminal 1 for just a few cents. There, crossing the road, you will see the stop of city buses R15 and R12, going to the Varadero and Old Havana area.
- If sightseeing in Havana is not on your agenda, you can take a taxi from the capital's airport and head to Varadero in comfort. The cost of the service will be approximately $ 100 per car. Once you get to the center of Havana, you can find a taxi for $ 70- $ 80. At the airport, prices for everything are always higher.
- The second way to get to Varadero from the capital is to go to the Viazul bus station in Havana and buy a flight to Varadero. They leave at 8.00, 10.00, 13.00 and 17.00 and in three hours arrive at the most popular Cuban resort. The price of the trip is $ 10.
The best option is to find representatives among those who meet at the Havana airport travel companies and hotels and arrange a transfer with them to Varadero. Usually this service costs about $ 15 -20 $, but in this case it is not worth relying on one hundred percent luck for obvious reasons.
All prices in the material are approximate and given for March 2017. It is better to check the exact fare on the official websites of the carriers.
- Last Minute Tours all over the world
This Cuban city can be easily described in one word - the beach. 20 km of terry sandy shore, warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and an endless line of hotels create the atmosphere of Varadero. The local beaches have repeatedly entered the top of the best in the world. And even though Cuba has not yet been spoiled by the benefits of civilization, and the journey here from Russia takes more than 13 hours - Russian tourists have long chosen this heavenly place.
Varadero belongs to the province of Matanzas and occupies the Icacos Peninsula, 135 km from Havana. It is inhabited by 27 thousand people. local residents and X thousand tourists, and at any time of the year. People come here to swim and bask in the sun, listen to the rhythms of salsa and play golf, hang out at discos and sip rum. And, of course, breathe the air of Freedom.
A flight from Moscow to Varadero with a connection in Belgium and Germany is possible. Round-trip tickets start at 800 USD, on the way - 22 hours or more.
It is convenient for Petersburgers to fly to Varadero with a transfer in Vienna or Frankfurt am Main. The total travel time is from 16.5 hours, a one-way ticket costs about 420 USD. The second option is through Moscow and then directly to Havana.
From the airport to the city
Guides in Varadero
Entertainment and attractions
In the evening, return to the arms of Varadero for some reckless Cuban fun. Discos and dance shows are held everywhere in hotels and clubs, anyone can get here for 10 CUC. The most popular dance floors are thundering in Casa de la Musica, Internacional, Tuxpan hotels. You can dance to live music in the Calle 62 cafe or at the Mambo Club, and the place Cuevos Los Pirates is famous for its location - the club was built in a cave.
5 things to do in Varadero
- Practice sand therapy on the beach. And forget about everything.
- Dance with the local amigo.
- Play golf or a mini version of it.
- Dine at Al Capone's home on Avenida Kawama.
- Swim with dolphins.
Varadero for children
The Cuban resort welcomes young tourists. Many hotels have zones for children, where neither a three-year-old nor a teenage skeptic will get bored. The main thing is to specify in advance the conditions of residence, the availability of a children's menu.
Tired of the beach and hotel animation, little travelers will not refuse to visit the dolphinarium. It is allowed not only to watch the dolphin show, but also to swim with them after the show. (office site) .Jun
It is best to rest here in winter time or off-season (November and April). There are many tourists, but the weather is more stable. In winter, the ocean warms up less and cold snaps occur, but they last only a few days.
