· I hired a car through Havanauto. They are the largest car hire company in Cuba, and provided us with a decent Nissan with air conditioning. They also provide you with a mobile phone for the duration of the hire, so if you have a problem you can call them. Travelling by car in Cuba can be very enjoyable, but you should understand that some roads are very poor and road signs non-existent. You should book the car and buy a decent road map before you go out, and take a compass. Hitch hiking is very common in Cuba as the public transport system is very limited. Hitch hikers can become very good guides provided you speak some Spanish. Keep the back of the car clear of any of your possessions, and have a supply of soap, biros, music cassettes, pencils, sweets and dollar bills to tip people with. For more details try www.cuba.tc/havanatur/havanauto.html.
Bernie Doeser

· I would thoroughly recommend the website www.gocubaplus.com. Last year I enjoyed a wonderful holiday and booked and paid for the hotels and the car hire through them on line. I was met at the airport and everything fitted in perfectly in quite a complex itinerary. The car hire was straight forward, and the car, a Hyundai Accent, was fine. Only the Cuban secondary road system with its pot holes the size of lakes and total absence of road signs lent a certain unpredictability to the experience!
Ian Macilwain

· If you are short of time and want no hassle you can organise a fly-drive package from the UK with a number of operators. For example Trips Worldwide offer a two week deal at the end of July for £1,400 per person based on two people sharing a room, all transfers, accommodation, Cuban visa and hire car.

If you want to book yourself, to pick the car up on arrival, it may be worth surfing the websites of the state rental companies in Havana. Havanautos offers a small Nissan for $56 dollars a day, unlimited mileage, exclusive of daily insurance charges of between US$10-25. Although web research can give you a good idea about prices, it can be time consuming as sometimes the links don't work, or what is advertised is not available. Also Havana is in the process of changing all its internet addresses.

If you are able to, it may be worth shopping around when you get there as prices vary, even between offices of the same company, who don't appear to be connected supplywise. For example a US$93 a day price quoted for a four-door sedan (the cheapest on the day), at Transautos next to the Hotel Capri was US$10 cheaper per day at the Hotel Nacional. However, on the same day, a very small car was available at the Transautos office in the Hotel Plaza for US$60.

Prices change between high season (Christmas, Easter and European summer holiday period) and low season. Availability may vary but the situation is not necessarily dire. I have twice managed to hire a car on the ground in Havana in the high season and during the height of carnival in Santiago de Cuba.

NB Very few agencies allow one-way drives. Havanautos do but will charge you to return the car from your last destination back to Havana.
Claire Boobbyer
Editor of, and contributor to, Footprint's Cuba Handbook

· Usually it is possible to organise car hire on arrival in Havana. The car hire companies are located in central Havana or many hotels have representatives who can help you. You should be aware that car hire in Cuba is not cheap. (Jeeps are the best value and a great way to see the island). As a guideline you will normally be asked for a deposit of around $200 and then the daily rate starts somewhere in the region of $60 including insurance. This still does not guarantee what kind of car you will be able to hire and what condition it will be in. During high season availability can become very limited.
Ruth Skipsey

· We were in Cuba a few weeks before Christmas and hired a Toyota 4-door for approx $350 per week from Transtur. The email was: rentcar@vipan.transtur.tur.cu. A wonderful way to see Cuba. Have a good trip.
Lionel Caplan