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BY CAR
Cuba boasts Latin America's most extensive system of roads, and renting
a car is definitely the easiest, if not the cheapest, way to see the
country. Many Cubans hitchhike as a means of getting around and locally
the activity is known as hacer botella (literally 'to make a bottle'
with the hand). Government vehicles are legally required to pick up
hitchhikers if they have the room, and town exits and major crossroads
often have yellow-clad amarillo officials armed with clipboards to
organize the Cubans waiting for a ride
BY PLANE
AeroCaribbean and Cubana airlines have an extensive domestic air network
that services all of the regional centers, and flights within the
country are not expensive, but prices have been on the rise. Most
domestic flights are on smaller propeller aircraft, and they are 25%
cheaper if booked in conjunction with your international ticket.
BY TRAIN
The train system has deteriorated rapidly over the past several years.
Although there are still some inexpensive, comfortable routes,
particularly between major cities, bus is now the way to go. A new
luxury train, rivalling the Orient Express it's owners say, is planned
and will run across the island.
BY BUS
Asociaciones de Transportes por Omnibus (Astro) operates Cuba's national
bus service which links all the provincial capitals and many outlying
towns once or twice a day. Foreign tourists now enjoy some priority on
Astro buses, with four seats available for dollar sale on most
departures. Apart from Astro, there's a hard currency company called Viázul,
which requires all passengers to pay in Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). Privately owned trucks
(camiones particulares) have taken over much of the passenger
transportation business, especially in eastern Cuba.
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