Renting A Car In Havana – 2025 Cuba Travel Guide

While you don’t need to rent a car in Havana, having the luxury of a private vehicle can be one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the city and the rest of Cuba.

From cruising the streets of the city to road-tripping to the white sand beaches and tropical attractions of the countryside, no other mode of transportation gives you the freedom and flexibility of a private vehicle.

Unfortunately, renting a car in Havana is easier said than done. Unlike many other tourist destinations around the world, Cuba’s regulations against foreign businesses mean popular international tour companies don’t have a presence on the island.

This means your regular way of renting a vehicle likely won’t work when visiting Cuba.

But don’t worry. I’m here to help guide you through the easy steps to finding the best car rental in Havana. In this guide, we will explore the best websites for finding the top deals, the local requirements for renting a car in Cuba, and some driving tips for navigating the foreign roads of the island.

Where to Book a Rental Car in Havana

Finding a car rental in Cuba can be a difficult and arduous task. Due to the government’s strict bureaucracy regulating foreign business operations within the country, familiar rental companies like AVIS, Hertz, and Alamo have no presence within the Cuban car rental industry.

Instead, all car rentals in the country are primarily controlled by four state-owned companies, including Havanautos, Cubacar, Rex, and Via Rent-A-Car. To make matters worse, only a few of these companies actually have online websites.

And, with trusted sites such as Discover Cars and Rentalcars.com not offering services on the Caribbean island, we instead need to look at local third-party booking sites to ensure we are getting the best deals.

When renting a car in Cuba, I only suggest booking a vehicle through either TUI Car Rental or Holiplus Car Rental. There are several scam websites out there, and these are the two biggest and most trustworthy rental companies operating on the island.

In my experience, Holiplus generally offers better deals, has an easier website to navigate, and is generally the better company to book with for a convenient and safe car rental in Cuba.

Reserve Your Car Online with Holiplus

The booking process starts with heading over to the Holiplus Car Rental website. From there, you simply plug in your destination within the country along with your pickup and drop-off dates.

Holiplus offers car rental services in over 600 locations across Cuba. When visiting the country’s capital city, you are likely going to simply select Havana.

From there, Holiplus does all the hard work of searching through the island’s state-owned rental companies, collecting all of the best deals, which it will list for you in order of relevancy or price. All you have to do is simply browse through the offerings, choosing the vehicle best suited to your needs.

Don’t rush through this process by simply choosing the cheapest vehicle. Holiplus does not offer its own third-party insurance, so it is critical to compare each rental company’s own insurance policies before renting.

Once you have settled on the car you would like to rent, you simply select the locations you would like to pick up and drop off the vehicle. Each company features several offices within Havana, with several locations to choose from. You can also opt for airport pickup, but this comes with an additional fee.

All you have to do now is insert your date of birth, add the vehicle to your online cart, and proceed to check out to complete the process.

Reserve Your Car Online with TUI Car Rental

While its selection is nowhere near as extensive as Holiplus, TUI is one of the only international third-party booking sites offering car rental services in Cuba. A part of the trusted TUI Travel Group, the car rental process is fairly straightforward.

Starting from the TUI Cars homepage, you simply plug in your pickup and drop-off dates, the age of the driver, and your pickup destination. From there, TUI provides you with a list of vehicles registered with their service, which at the time of writing only includes those with VIA Rent A Car.

From there, you can select the vehicle you would like to rent and complete the reservation process.

Now, while the vehicle selection is much more limited than that available on Holiplus, renting with TUI does come with its own collection of advantages, with its biggest benefit being its comprehensive third-party liability insurance, ensuring you are protected throughout the rental process.

While local rental companies do offer their own forms of insurance, this added protection can provide an elevated peace of mind while driving in Cuba.

Requirements for Renting a Car in Havana

• 21 years of age or older
• Passport
• Credit card that works in Cuba
• Valid Driver’s License (International license not required)
• Security deposit (Differs between rental companies but typically between $250 and $350 USD)
• Insurance (included in car rentals)

Do I Need Rental Car Insurance in Havana?

Insurance is required by law for all rental cars in Cuba. Luckily, insurance coverage is provided by most rental companies, although it typically isn’t included in the listed fee and often costs an additional $20 USD per day.

If renting with a smaller local company, keep in mind that while their insurance policy satisfies legal requirements, it likely isn’t as extensive as the larger brands. To ensure you receive coverage that both satisfies legal requirements and gives you the protection you need, I suggest booking with one of the recognized state-owned brands.

Tips for Driving in Havana

Avoid Driving at Night

While roads are generally safe during the day, driving after sunset should be avoided. This is because roads in Cuba have very poor lighting, and streets can often be pitch black.

Combined with busy streets of cars, pedestrians, animals, and potholes, driving at night is just an added risk that should be avoided altogether.

Speed Limits are Posted in Kilometers Per Hour

Cuba uses the metric system. This means that speed limits are posted in kilometers per hour. While this will be familiar to most tourists, it may take some adapting for those used to the Imperial system.

Stick to the Main Roads

When driving between cities, it is best to stick to the main roads and avoid taking any bypasses. While this will have you driving through town centers, the main roads are much more developed than the bypasses, which can feature misleading signposts and often leave you stranded along a street intended for trucks and ill-suited for your rental.

Fill Up Using the Right Gas

There are three types of gasoline in Cuba — 87, 90, and 94 octane. All rental cars are supposed to use the best and most expensive one — the 94 octane.

Unfortunately, the 94 isn’t available at all gas stations and is particularly rare in small towns. As such, it is important to make sure you have a full tank before leaving the city.

In case of an emergency, most cars will still run when using 90, but it is best to avoid this unless you absolutely have to. This is because if there is a problem with the vehicle up return, the rental company may claim it is because you used the wrong octane.

It is best to simply stick to the 94 and be sure to keep your receipts.

Choose Your Parking Spot Carefully

In Cuba, you are responsible for anything that happens to the rental vehicle, including when it’s parked. As such, it is important to leave the vehicle somewhere safe when not in use.

Luckily, there are several places to park in both Havana and other Cuban cities, most of which are free. I personally suggest finding a parking garage when available. This is because all rental cars have a tourist plate, which can make your vehicle a target.

A parking garage typically offers onsite security and only costs a couple of dollars per day.

Don’t Trust Road Signs

Don’t rely on road signs to help you find your destination. Most of the time, there are no road signs, and when there are, they are often wrong or even lead in the opposite direction of where they say.

Instead, you need to rely on your old-school navigation skills and have a map and compass at the ready.

Important Havana Rental Car Tips

Take pictures of the outside of the car before driving

The first thing you should do before getting into your rental car is to photograph the interior and exterior of the vehicle. This is to archive the exact condition of the vehicle upon your pickup should there be any disputes upon its return.

Rental companies tend to have a reputation for trying to rip people off, blaming them for existing damage from before the rental period. This is more common in smaller companies but can occur with more reputable brands.

The best way to protect yourself from this type of scam is to have proof of these damages at the time of pickup. While reputable companies will go over the condition of the vehicle with you, it is important to complete your own one-over, taking particular note of any scratches, dents, or any other sign of damage.

Buy a map before you go to Cuba.

When renting a car in Cuba, you are going to want a map with you. This is because local GPS and Google Maps are often wrong in the directions they provide and can often lead you astray.

Additionally, even the maps you can buy in Cuba tend to have a lot of errors and lack city-specific views. As such, bringing a map from your home country is the best way to navigate Havana.

Get a local SIM or eSIM

The last thing you want to do is be involved in an accident or get lost in Cuba with no way to contact anybody for help. For this reason, I suggest buying either a local SIM card or an eSIM.

Physical SIM cards can be picked up at Havana Jose Marti Airport terminal 3, but purchasing an eSIM, such as Airalo or Nomad, is by far more convenient and can be set up before you even land in the country.

Check the fuel policy

When receiving a car in Cuba, it is important to check the rental company’s fuel policy, as this differs between rental companies. The most common policies are full-to-full or prepaid.

For example, REX has a prepaid policy. This means they give you your rental car with a full tank of gas, which is included in what you pay at pickup. The advantage is that you don’t have to fill it when you return.

Meanwhile, Via Rent-A-Car uses a full-to-full policy. So, while they don’t charge you an upfront fee, you are required to return the vehicle with a full tank of gas or pay the difference upon drop off.

It is important to check your fuel policy to ensure you aren’t paying any added fees.

Book in advance

Vehicles available for rent are limited in Cuba. In order to ensure you have a car waiting for you upon arrival, I suggest booking at least a couple of months in advance, especially if you are visiting during peak season (November to February).

Choose the right vehicle

If you plan on sticking to Havana and nearby cities, then a vehicle with two-wheel drive is more than sufficient. However, if you want to explore more of the island that requires you to drive on unpaved roads, I highly suggest opting for a 4WD option.

When comparing rental cars, you should always consider your itinerary and book the vehicle that can best meet your demands.

FAQs About Renting a Car in Havana