Cuban Travel Business

Habana

Car Rental Hire, Havana and Cuba

Last Updated on November 23, 2023

driving

Seeing Cuba by Car

One of the most interesting ways for you to see the country is to tour the region in a rental car, particularly if you get the chance to drive around one of the old classic American cars.

There are many agencies that rent cars out to tourists although these do not presently include the large worldwide agencies such as Hertz, Avis, and Alamo.

The agencies in Cuba are state-owned and there are a number of agencies and they offer quite a variety of cars in a wide range of conditions.

The first step to renting a car in Cuba is to look out for is a reliable rental agency (see our list in the bottom section on this page).

In order to rent a car legally in Cuba, you must be over the age of 21 and possess a valid driving license.

This license must be valid for a period of at least 6 months.

If you hold a non-US license, some rental agencies may require an additional International Driving permit.

Considerations

Demand

The key is to book as early as possible!

The problem with renting a car in a city such as Havana and other parts of Cuba is that there is really a lack of available cars.

This means that the demand to rent vehicles can often be much greater than the availability.

This is particularly common between October and April which is the peak tourist season.

Deposits

Be prepared to put down a sizeable deposit for the car as most if not all of the local agencies will expect a deposit.

Driving

Driving in Cuba is very different to what you are likely to be used to, with many unusual and interesting hazards often on the roads.

Many of the roads are poorly equipped, street and road lighting can be non-existent in many places, pot-roles on many roads, and mountain and valley roads can often have sharp bends which you may not expect.

You will find in some places that there is very little to protect you in the form of barriers on the roadside.

At night time it is advisable to avoid driving expect in a major city such as Havana.

Car Parking

Can be very difficult to find and parking, in general, can be confusing and a problem for many tourists looking to drive around Cuba.

Petrol/Gasoline

Fuel is always in short supply but there are gas stations all over the country and they tend to be open twenty-four hours a day.

You may find that you have to fill up in a ‘Cupet-Cimex’ fuel station and you might need to use convertible-peso as the currency if you are driving a tourist car.

Drop off

One good thing is that you can rent a car in one city and drop it off in another.

As always though, make sure you check the required amount of gasoline you must leave in the tank when returning the vehicle.

Further Information

Two companies you can presently use for renting a car in Cuba are:

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