Conectando reservations
Replies: 19 - Last Post: Feb 27, 2013 5:14 PM Last Post By: Rickie_01
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Conectando reservations
So I am beginning to understand the Conectando bus system. It works well for us with better times than Viazul, etc. BUT... how does one reserve, or buy a ticket once in Cuba? Just can'y seem to locate that one.1
If you are staying in a hotel you can book a ticket from the tour desk or if you are staying in a casa go to the closest hotel and book your ticket the same way. Not all hotels offer this service so you will have to ask. You have to book a day in advance before 2 pm so the tour desk can notify the bus driver to pick up you up because sometime there are no pick up and the driver will go to the next hotel. Our casa is a few blocks from Hotel Inglaterra in Havana and we purchase our ticket from the tour office/desk and the bus arrives 8.50am to Cienfuegos Hotel La Union eliminating the need for a taxi to and from the bus station. For us it works out fine and we live a few blocks from la Union hotel in Cfgos everything within walking distant. There is a map of the zones but I am too lazy to look it up4
There is still some confusion about the Conectando busses at the various hotels, make sure to stay involved with everyone the day you are meeting the bus because sometimes there are tourist busses leaving the same hotel for the same destination but they are not Conectando. This will work itself out someday, or maybe not.....5
Unlike the Viazul buses that have the name Viazul painted on the side of the bus the Conectando buses have Cubanacan painted on the side of the bus. I have taken the Viazul bus from Cfgos to Havana many times and they don’t stop at the hotels. If memory serves me right I believe the Viazul bus stopped after entering the tunnel and again somewhere on the Malecón and finally at the bus station by the zoo. Whatever works for you and for us the Cubancan bus is more convenience because the hotel is only a few blocks from our casa and when we arrive in Cfgos downtown it’s a short walk to our casita.6
Some of the Conectando buses say "Transtur."Also, the actual pickup time at your hotel will likely vary from the time on your voucher by as much as an hour. This is because one departure time is written for everyone, no matter where their pickup. So don't panic ... for at least an hour :-)
Every bus has a driver and guide, and the guide comes into the hotel to find you. But it's best to tell the hotel doorman that you're waiting for a Transtur/Cubanacan bus, and give him your name (as written on the voucher) just in case ...
8
Actually, on our last trip, from Havana to Trinidad, we made the usual stop in Cienfuegos. Then about halfway to Trinidad the guide got a phone call that there were more passengers waiting in Cienfuegos .... soooooooo, back we went. I'd been sleeping and opened eyes and thought, "This place looks so familiar ...." Anyway, we got to Trinidad 4 hours late.Conectando definitely has its appeal ... but its funky side too.
9
Some of the Conectando buses say "TransturDesign4life – I just got back a few weeks ago and for the life of me I couldn’t remember the name. You are right that some buses have Transtur on the side as was our last bus ride to Cfgos. We have been pretty lucky because our bus left on schedule 8.50am and arrived in Cfgos on time 1pm. Maybe because it was the last pick-up point and La Union hotel was their first drop off point.
10
#8 Only in cuba! In other countries they would had arranged alternative transport for the ones left behind. The last thing they would do is to turn a bus halfway to its destination back to pick up more turists!Another time i went from cienfuegos to trinidad. We went on the bus at hotel union, then it went to jagua to pick up some more tourist. Tourist which never showed up.. but the problem is that the bus waited 1(!) hour for them to show up. 1 god damn hour for the short cienfuegos to trinidad trip. They probably just decided to stay a day extra or left a day earlier, it's not like throwing away a 7 dollar ticket is going to hurt the economics of 99% of all tourist in Cuba.
That and several bad experiences is why i prefer viazul. At least they depart and usually arrive on time! Not waiting forever for some missing clients which may or may not show up.
11
Okay,Thanks for the info., we'll book from our hotel going to Trinidad and then go to a hotel there to book a bus to Havana. We leave on Friday, March 1st, so if there is any more input before then it will be much appreciated. I have already got the Conectando pdf schedule, thanks anyway. Is the Viasul scheldule accurate? I have read several times that it is not.
12
Wouldn’t this be a wonderful world if the planes departed and landed on schedule regardless of the weather and no tourists are detained in customs to undergo a secondary hand inspection of their luggage and the rental cars never breakdown or have a flat tire on the highway or the cruise ships departed their port of call on schedule despite missing 7 passengers and the tourist buses left on time and arrived at their destination to the minute.If Viazul competition was constantly late because they had to return to pick up more passengers halfway to their destination or wait an extra hour for a 50 mile journey Cfgos to Trinidad because some passenger didn’t show up they would be out of business. In Jan/ Feb of this year I rode the Conectando twice and it left on schedule from Cfgos and arrived in Havana on schedule and on the return trip the bus was missing 2 passengers on his list and the driver told the cubanacan representative he will wait another 5 minutes and when the representative disappeared into the hotel the driver took off.
Remember its Cuba so have a little patience or perhaps we are just lucky with the buses
13
#6 good advice re fluidity of pick-up time although principally only applies to Havana and Varadero where there can be up to 30 potential pick-up points in each scheduled zone.#10 we ahd a similar experience on the reverse same journey Trinidad-Havana with also having to wait 1/2 hr for no-show passengers at Hotel Jagua. Mind you I can think of worse places to wait.
We made up the time anyway for arrival in Havana and because we ahd been chatting throughout the journey tot he 'guide' he persuaded the driver to drop us at our casa in Haban Vieja. The bus took up the whole street - a great sight!
Yes there are pros and cons but I much prefer not having to get to and from the usually inconveniently located Viazul terminals, not arriving at 'one hour before' and being able to actually buy a ticket a day or more before.
#11 the published schedule is accurate except that sometimes the website leaves out a particular route/service for some reason
BTW our no 1 commuting choice generally is hiring car and driver which works out at about 3 times a single Viazul/Conectando fare for the same journey
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