Havana and further over 8 days

Tourist traps; Old Havana, Trinidad, Vinales & Varadero?

Not sure if these qualify as tourist traps butt they are close to being that.

Stay away from peeps who call you "Fren" and you should do fine!

If you could be more specific in your query, we just might get you somewhere!

Happy trails young people!

Cheers, We really are travelling blind. We are pretty open to trying new things and exploring new and different areas. As far as tourist traps we don't want to be booking into resorts and sitting on a beach for our trip but want to be out getting amongst the locals. Obviously keen to partake in the Cuban cigar experience and mojitos etc. we would more than likely try to secure a driver ( taxi ?? ) to take us further afield from Havana. Does this sound the right way to go?
Thanks

With only 8 days don't try to do too much, or you risk spending too much time travelling between place.

The standard places are Vinales and Trinidad. Yes, these are very touristy but that is because they appeal to visitors.

They are opposite directions from Havana. Some people do a triangle - but I recommend you choose one or the other, spend two nights there, say.

Completely non-touristy - take the Hershey electric train out half way to Matanzas and back.

Eight days does not give you much time. Buy a current guide book and pick one or two places that interests you and that are close to Habana. Then hire a taxi for the day to go there for a few hours and then bring you back to your hotel or casa particular. This way you do not have to pack and unpack. Do not pick Varadero or Trinidad, unless you are going to Cuba to meet foreign tourists.
Invite your driver to go with you, walking around town, as a guide, if you wish. Many of them are too old to walk very far.

Try to learn a little Spanish to practice with the Cubanos. It will make your trip more fun and it will encourage the Cubanos to speak their English. 99% of Cubans want to learn more English and you can help them.

People underestimate how big Cuba really is. You could spend an entire day, for example, going from Habana to Santiago. Best to keep things closer and not waste time getting to see the entire country in 8 days. Not doable, imo.

8 days, Havana and one other spot.

Thanks all for your comments. I realize 8 days is not nearly long enough but that unfortunately is the way it is when you have to head back to work to pay the bills. Anyway we do appreciate the advice given and it has confirmed that we will indeed choose 1 other area aside from Havana within a distance that doesn't require miles of travelling. We are keen to try and find a driver who can act as a bit of a guide also. We are keen to practise our poor Spanish language skills and are hoping humour translates across all languages. Thanks again

I'd suggest you stay in Havana except for one or two nights in Vinales. Vinales is town 3.5 hrs west of Havana, in a beautiful valley in the Rosario mountains. Your casa host in Havana will probably know a private taxi driver, or you can take the Viazul or Conectando Cuba bus to/from Vinales. (Conectando Cuba departs from centro Habana and you have to make reservations a day in advance, at a Cubanacan tour desk in any major hotel.) En route to Vinales you will see rural landscape (sugar cane) and some mountain scenery before arriving in the very unusual mogote-and-tobacco field valle de Vinales. If you spend a night or two there you can take a tour to one of the nearby tobacco farms for your "cigar experience" and spend a morning visiting the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas, if that's of interest to you. Vinales has 2 pleasant hotels--El Jasmine and La Ermita, 2 km out of town, and Villa Rancho San Vicente, with individual cottages 5 km out of town, and many many casas particulares (Cuba's version of our B&B) right in town. See <www.cubacasas.net> for some of your choices. Just about any casa owner or hotel clerk can set you up with a guide and transportation to wherever you want to go.

8 days is not much but still you can do a lot if you plan it correctly but it also depends on what are your interests.
I can suggest you contact the website myplacecuba.com as they do free travel advice and can suggest a good itinerary for you.

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