Travel to Varadero: How to Reach Cuba’s Famous Resort Town
Looking to visit Cuba's most famous beaches? Well, we're here to help you get there! With limited information on the internet about traveling around the island, we had trouble getting accurate details for how to travel to Varadero. Lucy for you though- we've gathered all the info while we were there!
Depending on the number of people you're with, where you're planning on visiting from, and your budget, we're here to lay out all of the options for you.
In this guide we're going to share how to travel to Varadero from some of the top tourist destinations in Cuba, so that you can properly organize your Cuba itinerary. Let's dive right in!
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How to Get to Cienfuegos: The Nearest Airport
There are a variety of ways of how to travel to Varadero, Cuba. But first - let's check out exactly where you should be flying into for a visit.
What Airport Do You Fly Into to Get to Varadero, Cuba?
Varadero, Cuba has its own airport, which is Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport. Although it's small, it actually has a few international flights coming from Miami, Montreal, and Toronto.
How Far is Varadero, Cuba from the Airport?
Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport is located 29 km outside the center of Varadero, and it takes 30-40 minutes to get to Varadero, depending on traffic, and exactly which hotel you need to get to.
How to Get from Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport to Varadero
From the airport you can reach Varadero by taxi or bus. Taxis will be a bit faster and more convenient, but more expensive. You can get a day pass for the double-decker bus which runs the whole peninsula, which we think is definitely the better of the two options.
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Varadero Flight Alternatives
If flights to Varadero itself are too expensive or don't line up with your travel schedule, then the easiest airport to fly into is Havana. Havana is the number one airport serving Cuba, and is just a little over 2 hours away from Varadero.
Cities that fly directly to Havana include Balboa, Bogota, Cancun, Caracas, Frankfurt, Georgetown, Guantanamo, Houston, Istanbul, Key West, Kingston, Lima, Madrid, Managua, Merida, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, Nueva Gerona, Paris, Providenciales, Santa Cruz, Santiago de Cuba, Santo Domingo, Tampa, and Zurich.
Flight Tip: Using Skyscanner you can put from "your city" to "Cuba". This way you can see which is the cheapest airport in the area to fly. Also, you can check the calendar to see which are the cheapest dates for each one!
Search for a flight to Varadero or Havana:
How to Travel to Varadero from Havana
If you're looking for how to travel to Varadero from Havana, there are a few options you can choose from:
- Take the Viazul tourist bus
- Rent a car and drive
- Get a colectivo or taxi
- Hire a classic car
How Long is the Bus from Havana to Varadero?
In a car, the ride from Havana to Varadero is just over 2 hours. However, the buses from Havana to Varadero take about 3 hours, as they have a couple of stops.
There are two buses daily- one is at 8:10 am, and gets into Varadero at 11:15 am, while the other leaves Havana at 4:25 pm and gets into Varadero at 7:15 pm. The bus company that runs this route is Viazul, and tickets are 15 euros.
Renting a Car in Havana
Havana is the most popular city to rent a car in Cuba, and rentals can easily be done from the airport upon arrival.
Renting a car in Cuba costs a pretty penny though, and although Havana is one of the "most affordable" options, it still will run you about $150/day + the cost of gas.
If you're in a group of 4 or 5 and are looking for a flexible schedule though, this can be a more ideal option for your group. The drive to Varadero from Havana takes a little over 2 hours, and the roads are pretty well paved.
How Much is a Taxi from Havana to Varadero?
We didn't get a chance to get exact prices for taxis from Havana to Varadero while we were there, but we did some research and found shared taxis for as little as $25/person and private taxis for $100-150 for a group up to 4.
Don't have time to read the whole article and want to save it for later? Just pin it!
How to Travel to Varadero, Cuba in a Classic Car
Looking to travel to Varadero, Cuba in the most unique way? Well, you can actually hire a classic car from the 50's to take you on a day trip from Havana to Varadero.
You can organize a tour for up to 4 people for $159, and tours leave early in the morning and can be up to 8 hours.
We'd personally do a one-way trip Varadero and stay a couple of days, but if you're limited on time and want to have a fun tour to Varadero for the day, then this tour is a great option.
How to Travel to Varadero, Cuba from Trinidad
Trinidad is another popular destination for tourists visiting Cuba, and is the city that we traveled to after visiting Varadero.
Here are the different options for how to travel to Varadero, Cuba from Trinidad:
- Take the Viazul tourist bus
- Rent a car and drive
- Get a colectivo or taxi
Renting a Car to Travel to Varadero
Renting a car is not the most ideal option to travel to Varadero from Trinidad, but we're here to share all of the ways to get there!
Driving is easy and the roads are totally fine- the ride is about 4 hours and it's certainly faster than the bus. However, car rentals are extortionately expensive in Cuba, and the cars are complete gas guzzlers.
We stopped in to the rental car offices (there is only one or maybe two in the city), and we were quoted $250 for one day! That's not even including insurance or gas, so you'd be looking at paying a pretty penny to rent a car from there. That being said, if you are in a group, this isn't as crazy of an option.
Travel to Varadero from Trinidad by Bus
Buses from Trinidad to Varadero depart daily at 6:30 am with Viazul, and are 7 hours, getting into Varadero around 1:30 pm.
Tickets are 22 euros, and can be purchased online with a credit card (outside the US), or you can pay in cash at the bus station (in USD or euros).
You may be wondering why the hell it takes 7 hours when the drive is just 4 hours. Well, the bus goes super slow, and also makes a few stops, including a totally unnecessary stop at a restaurant less than an hour away from Varadero.
Whatever you do, do not order the ham and cheese sandwich from the restaurant they stop at. Bring your own snacks and toilet paper, and bring cash to use the bathroom. The atmosphere is pretty nice, but the entire thing is an absolute tourist trap that we would have much rather just skipped.
Taking Private Transportation from Trinidad to Varadero
If you want to save time from taking the bus, but don't want to splurge with renting a car, then taking a taxi or colectivo is definitely the way to go (it's honestly what we would do the second time around).
A colectivo quoted us $30/person, which was only a tiny bit more than taking the Viazul bus, and would half the amount of time as the bus. This is honestly probably the best option for traveling to Varadero from Trinidad.
How to Travel to Varadero, Cuba from Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is another one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cuba, and has similar options for traveling to Varadero as Trinidad does.
There are a few ways to get from Cienfuegos to Varadero:
- Take the Viazul tourist bus
- Rent a car and drive
- Get a colectivo or taxi
How to Travel to Varadero from Cienfuegos with Viazul
The most common way to get from Cienfuegos to Varadero (and the most affordable) is to take the Viazul bus, which leaves daily at 2:25 pm. Tickets cost 16 euros, and the ride takes 5 hours and 20 minutes.
Buses from Cienfuegos to Varadero depart daily at 8:10 am with Viazul, and are 5 hours and 20 minutes, getting into Varadero around 1:30 pm. This is actually the same bus as the one coming from Trinidad, as Cienfuegos is the first stop on the bus journey from Trinidad to Varadero.
Renting a Car to Travel to Varadero from Cienfuegos
Renting a car in Cienfuegos is probably not the greatest decision, but again - we're here to give you all the options to travel to Varadero. Car rentals are similar to Trinidad, and can be a smart option if you are a group, and will be going back to Cienfuegos after.
Taxis and Colectivos from Varadero to Cienfuegos
Right outside the bus station of Cienfuegos we had a bunch of random people offering to drive us to Varadero for $20/person. Honestly, if we had known that the bus ride was going to be 5 1/2 hours instead of 3, we probably would have taken them up on the offer, being that it's not that much more expensive than the bus.
Don't be afraid to haggle though - these taxis (and buses too) are insanely overpriced for Cuban standards. Just so you can have an idea - teachers make $15 USD/month, so taking a couple for $40 in a taxi would essentially be a 3-month salary!
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Now that you know how to travel to Varadero, Cuba, it's time to explore all of the top things to do in the city! Don't miss out on our other Varadero travel guides sharing the top attractions in the area.
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