Hiring a car greatly enhances your flexibility to visit the most interesting parts of Cuba and Jamaica. In Cuba particularly, the roads outside the main cities have very light traffic, giving you ample opportunity to explore the many small towns and villages or seek out a secluded beach. In Jamaica, hiring a car will enable you to discover the lesser known areas of the island, such as the beautiful coves of Port Antonio or the rugged south coast.

Cuba

Car hire is a reliable and independent way of seeing Cuba. Cars are usually booked through our sister company Havanautos. The following items are payable locally: refundable deposit, car insurance, one-way drop off fees and additional driver fees.

Before signing for the vehicle, please ensure that you have checked the car thoroughly, making a note in writing of any marks or missing items with the car company representative. It is advisable to start the vehicle before signing the contract to establish that all the dials are operating and checking the mirrors etc.  The following items are NOT covered by insurance:  cassette player and speakers, hubcaps and rear mounted brake light.  It is vital therefore to ensure all of them are in place when collecting the vehicle and to park in a secure area to prevent theft of these items.  It is recommended that the client remove the hub caps and either store them out of sight, or leave them with the car hire company, again backed up by written confirmation that this has been done.

All Havanautos vehicles are based on unlimited mileage and all have air conditioning. Drivers must hold a valid driving licence for a year and be at least 21 years old. For some vehicles the minimum age may be 25 with 3 years’ experience.   Child car seats are not available in Cuba. We cannot guarantee that seat belts will be provided in the rear of the vehicle.

All cars are collected with a full tank of fuel and payment is required for this at the time of collection. No refund is applicable for any fuel left in the tank at the time of return. All fuel can be purchased with convertible pesos, but bear in mind that the number of petrol stations is limited, so when you are planning to drive long distances or through remote regions, it is strongly recommended that you top up the fuel tank before leaving main areas.  It is also recommended that you pre-plan your route, requesting advice if necessary from local car hire staff and Havanatur representatives including information about the positions of petrol stations.

Traffic drives on the right, and regulations are generally standard international ones.  Speed limits are as follows:  motorways 100kph, other roads 60kph and towns 50kph.    Havana is very busy with lots of cyclists and lorries, some of whom potter along in the fast lane at a very slow speed.   If they do not move across to let you pass, you may have to pass on the inside line after clearly sounding your horn.  Country roads are quieter, but there can be dangerous potholes.  We strongly advise drivers to avoid night driving, as many vehicles and virtually all bicycles are unlit and street lighting is limited or sometimes completely absent.   When approaching an oncoming vehicle in dim conditions, you may be flashed at full beam.  Cuban drivers do this to establish that you are driving with dipped headlights, so we suggest that you briefly flash back on full beam.

Road signs are infrequent so prepare to request help from the locals, however take care with this as sometimes you will be given instructions on the proviso you give them a lift, and find that the 'directions' include their destination en route!   You will see many hitchhikers but we do not recommend you carry them as this may affect your insurance conditions.  Parking is quite relaxed but be prepared for locals offering their services to look after your car once parked.  If possible, park the car at your hotel.  

Please note also that there are no worldwide recognised car hire companies in Cuba, therefore clients wishing to hire a car should accept that the standard of vehicles and levels of service may be poorer than in Europe or America. In high season, rental cars have limited availability so we strongly advise pre-booking in plenty of time to avoid disappointment.

Driving times between the main areas are as follows:

Examples of car types

Budget (Daewoo Matiz, VW Gol*, Citroen Saxo)

Saloon  (Citroen Xsara, Toyota Yaris saloon)

*Please note the VW Gol is not to be confused with a Golf.  It is a model similar to the VW Lupo.

Pick up/drop off points

Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Guardalavaca, Havana, Holguin, Isle of Youth, Maria La Gorda, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara, Santiago, Trinidad, Varadero.

Jamaica

Jamaica is serviced by a number of globally recognised car hire companies. Havanatour generally pre-book all cars through Dollar Rent a Car, which offer a good range of manual and automatic vehicles. Drivers must have held a driving licence for at least a year and be over 25 years of age. All drivers are required to carry a valid licence: UK visitors may use their British licence for up to 12 months. The following items are payable locally: refundable deposit of US$1,000, third party insurance (approximately $15.00 per day), any additional driver fees and one-way drop off fees (applicable outside city limits). Before signing for the vehicle, please ensure that you have checked the car thoroughly, making a note of any marks or missing items with the car company representative. The car will be ready for collection with a full tank of petrol and must be returned the same way. All car hire rates are based on unlimited mileage. Unfortunately no child car seats are available for hire but all infants under the age of three must travel in one so it is important to take your own with you.

In Jamaica driving is on the left. The speed limit is 30 mph in towns and 50mph on highways. Some rural roads are often winding and bumpy and you may share them with cows, goats, pushcarts and stray dogs!  You will also come across potholes, so beware.   There are some service stops and plenty of petrol stations, but they only accept cash payment.  Unless your vehicle is particularly large or thirsty, you should be able to fill your tank for around US$20.00.

Jamaican drivers are prolific with their use of the horn, but this is not necessarily aggressive!  A slight beep means 'hello', two toots in quick succession 'thank you' and a longer honk and/or flashing lights will often mean no more than a warning that they are about to overtake you.  Another common signal is an extended arm moving up and down meaning the driver is slowing down or stopping.

Driving times between the main areas are as follows:

Examples of car types

Compact (Toyota Corolla)

Full size (Mazda)