first time to Cuba

I can recommend a great Casa in Havana - in Vedado - near the Necropolis.

I also used the services of jorgeguide2004@gmail.com to arrange a taxi from Havana Airport to Jibacoa two weeks ago ... he is real and reliable.

I have to say, from my perspective, the 'scam' issues above seem overblown. It just doesn't sync with my experience in Cuba. If you stop and listen to every story on the street, every tout asking where you are from, and so on, it will wear on you. If you select how and when you will reach out and help individuals etc., it will go fine. Remember, we still live in the top few % of the world's 'rich'. It makes us easy targets. Keep your wits about you, manage your guilt about your good fortune in life so that you reach out and help those in need - not just the loudest touts on the street.

From what I see above, you may want to do Viazul between major centres, and rent a car in some of the places like Trinidad. I also believe the 'fear' around rental cars in Cuba is overblown, but there are risks with it quite different than in most western countries. Just be prepared to pick up hitchhikers between centres when they wave you down. Rental cars have red license plates and a 'T' in front of the numbers, so most locals give up hope when they see one. We put more than one smile on a face - and I got someone to entertain my kids! (Here is 3 mins of my driving video about 25 mins east of Varadero - note the vehicle types on the road ....)
http://vimeo.com/17441488

One place I would like to spend more time in is Sanctu Spiritus ..... but I need something to aspire to for next time ..... enjoy your trip. keep an open and flexible mind.

Some very strange statements and poor advice here.

#1 "Locals are not allowed to enter the hotels there"
That is simply not true.

#3 "Cuba is not an easy country to get around in....We saw folks waiting days at bus stops and stations and being ripped off everywhere. ......." Did you actually watch people - presumably Cubans - waiting for days at bus stops! And they were being ripped off how? LOL!

To the contrary as #8 and #10 report there is an excellent bus service (Viazul) for tourists. Very reliable and covering most of the island. It is extremely easy to travel independently in Cuba even without ANY spanish. As my signature suggests I am far from a fan of Cuban food however the statement about the "The population generally lives on bad ham rolls and pizza slices" is absurd. Maybe the author of this was in another country? Ham - good or bad - is actually quite uncommon in Cuba. Perhaps you meant roast pork.

A couple of posts are also negative about hire cars and yet are clearly written by people who didn't use this service.

Scams everywhere? Again no details other than #8's milk scam. Yes a very well known one in the tourist quarter of Havana. Milk for young children is actually free. She was just wanting money cbr - has nothing to do with getting a cut on convertables.

The OP will find several casa booking agencies in the FAQ's of the Cuba branch of Thorntree including Cubajunky given by #9.

One suggestion for a nervous first time travellers to Cuba is to book a hotel for the first night and then have a look at a few casas to see which you prefer. Once you start travelling it is a simple matter to organise a casa at the next town you are stopping at (except Varadero which is a tourist - Cuban and foreigner - ghetto of all inclusive hotels with no private houses for rent.

Well John, seeing nearly all contributors concur on the difficulties on doing it alone in Cuba, it would appear that you are either rather brave or foolish to try to contradict them - remember that people were unanimous in loving the country and were only motivated by trying to help a potential traveller with good advice based on their own experiences.....
I mean,of course we asked travellers on busses and trains and were told about difficult times, maybe you did a short trip and were lucky, who knows? Doesn't mean you should tell all that bus travel is fine....
...and we spoke with so many people who rented cars and found that if they didn't pay heaps to watchmen in outlying areas there would be nothing left of it in the morning..
I had fingernail scars on my wrist for weeks when a kid tried to grab my cheap watch in the street..
..and as for cheap ham being uncommon in Cuba......
.

Your logic as well as your factual knowledge is more than a tad bereft. Weren't you the same person who posted erroneous information about money in Cuba also?

Several of the posters above including #8, #9 #10 and myself have all travelled independently in Cuba. 1000's do so every year. Group tour travel is no better or worse per se than independent travel. But presumably before making a decision about what is personally best it is preferable to rely on information from those with actual experience rather than opinion or misinformation. To suggest that waiting days for buses is the norm for tourists is equally just as stupid as the comment about the alleged eating habits of the Cuban population surviving on "bad ham(sic) rolls" etc.

And btw even Cubans place train travel as their last resort but what that has to do with the various travel options available to foreign tourists who knows?

"...maybe you did a short trip and were lucky, who knows? " ...No just good research and preparation. And 5 weeks for my first trip to Cuba was short yes, unlike my subsequent ones.

Given that the crime rate in Cuba is significantly lower than any other north or south american country or most of seasia etc etc not sure what your unfortunate attempted theft has to do with anything? It coudn't have happened in Toronto or New York or London?

Caroljl - I hope you have a great time winging it! Do please post a report here and on the main Cuba branch.

You are absolutely right johnabbotsford, every word of it.
We were all wrong in giving the questioner the benefit of our experiences in order to be of assistance. You were right to put the truth in place and banish our lies . We see that now.....
thank you johnabbotsford

De nada!
Reports of actual experiences however subjective are always useful. Opinions and misinformation based on third hand anecdotes - not so much.

To save me replying to more pm's (but thanks to all for your interest and comments ) I recommend the following:

.......for info on resort type travel in Cuba best websites are Tripadviser http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g147270-i91-Cuba.html and Debbies.Be aware that most resorts are a long way from towns/cities. You will see from the trip reports on these sites that most resort travellers spend little or no time outside the resorts.

For independent travel you can't go past the Cuba Branch here http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=14 - start with the FAQ's for obvious stuff like money and transport (has the Viazul bus schedules and prices).
There have also been a no of posts recently from travellers with recent experience of Cuba.