I stumbled on Taxi Vinales when I was getting frustrated finding transportation between Vinales and Trinidad that would give us some flexibility when and where to stop. Taxi Vinales can do it all – from straight end-to-end transportation; to a private car with a few stops; to full blown tours (we didn’t use the latter but the reviews are good). We ended up using this service twice, from Havana to Vinales and again from Vinales to Trinidad.

We booked by email, but they also have a 24 hour reservation line available if there are any problems and the reservation person speaks fluent English. (Tip: If you want to call Cuba, you can call through Skype for $0.80 a minute from the U.S., less than the $3.00 or so per minute you’d pay to call directly.)

We were looking for a private car that would not only get us there but stop at a few places along the way and be flexible with spur of the moment decisions (in light of how tired we were feeling, the weather, etc.). The first taxi service we talked to was very inflexible.

They have three classes of cars: “standard,” which are small (perhaps Soviet-era cars) that will only fit at most three people. “Classic” – the old American cars, which don’t come with seat belts. And minivans with both air conditioning and seat belts. We opted for the latter for both trips. On the run to Havana, the minivan was quite new. On the run to Trinidad, it was about a 1989 but the A/C worked and it was roomy and fit the bill.

We paid 160 CUC from Havana to Vinales (it would have been only 80 CUC in a classic). From Vinales to Trinidad, the base fare was 320 CUC (a classic would have been 200). We paid an extra 40 to go the long way by way of Playa Giron, with a stop at the alligator farm, the Bay of Pigs museum, and a swim on the beach. They also offered us the option of extra stops for 10 CUC per hour. I think the prices are competitive with what other services offer.

You need to pay 10% online with a 6.35% fee plus the 1 cuc to $0.87 conversation rate. You pay the rest in cash there.

On the drive to Vinales, there was an extra tour guide traveling back to Vinales who spoke perfect English. On the drive to Trinidad, the driver spoke English though not perfectly.

The cars showed up on time and we have no complaints.

Pedro was an excellent tour guide/driver. Met us right at exit from ship, always on time. Great driving tour around Havana and even better walking tour around around old town Havana. Highley recommended!

We took two sightseeing transfers (between Havana-Vinales and Trinidad-Havana) and also a direct transfer from Vinales to Trinidad. Everything from the booking process to the trips were very professional. Our driver/guide for all three trips were Juan Carlos and he is a great guide. If the company allows this, I suggest you specifically ask for him. He has perfect English, knows everything about Cuba, the nature, the places you visit.... We were very happy with the decision we made by booking our transfers with this company. I do definitely recommend them.