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Cuba/car hire..recommendations? (1 Viewer)
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James
I'm losing it!
If you read some pieces in guides it suggests that hiring a car is risky i.e. you could lose the wheels etc. I would be interested if we could widen this question to:
If you did hire a car did you cover rural routes and were there any consequecies?
Not trying to hijack the thread, just widen it.
James
If you did hire a car did you cover rural routes and were there any consequecies?
Not trying to hijack the thread, just widen it.
James
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No probs James...[i am a serial 'thread hi-jacker']!.....'widen away'...
All associated info would be good....! Am hoping that someone with experience of car hire in Cuba will 'pop up' on this thread at some point to give some serious advice....[don't mind non-serious advice either]....
Ask for a car without wheels, no risk of them getting stolen then, and saves a fortune on petrol too.
PS 1. think this fals under your non-serious advice section, just in case not blindingly obvious.
PS 2. mightily impressed with your opening post - dots only used two and a half times, plus the entire two sentences are almost perfectly structured, grammatically accurate and most out of character :-O :-O :-O
PS 1. think this fals under your non-serious advice section, just in case not blindingly obvious.
PS 2. mightily impressed with your opening post - dots only used two and a half times, plus the entire two sentences are almost perfectly structured, grammatically accurate and most out of character :-O :-O :-O
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:-O..........i tend to 'treat' the english language as 'jazz'...or...[as most probably think]...like some sort of bizarre buffoonish illiterate person]
I think i just get bored with 'correctness'.... ps...on a serious..[:C]..note...is the 'losing a wheel' thing quite a big problem in Cuba..? I guess me and my colleagues will find out upon arrival..and then hopefully...departure from Havana next March..
pps...[or P2]...have you visited Cuba Jos? I was going to pm you just in case you had some useful info...
Thank you Snowcap...i will check this company out...[or rather my friend, who deals with all the logistics of our over-sea's adventures, will check it out]..!
'My friend' has told me that certain car hire companies are a bit 'pricey' at the moment in Cuba...so we are kinda looking around for the best..[and most reliable]..deal..! I think we may opt for a 'people-carrier' type vehicle as we are six in number...
ps...hope your trip was entertaining and that no wheels were lost/stolen during your travels..!
Hi username, I had a great time,got all the possible endemics(obviously don`t even think about the Kite or the Rail), I hired a guide for a couple of half days( not something I normally do, but was really useful with a couple of the trickier endems).Lots of driving but the roads are quiet,outside of Havana that is.The locals are brilliant people,my face ached with all the smiling!Beware the mojitos...always a great idea at the time,but the next morning is hell!!
Not having done my Cuban birding 'homework' yet...what would you consider the most 'tricky endemics'...? Hadn't even thought of the Kite or Rail...til you just mentioned them....!
ps...i will take your advice and 'beware the mojitos'....!
pps...tho we obviously want to see as much as possible..i'm not 'overly' concerned with the 'cleaning up' of endems...unless they are particularly 'cracking' lookers...[to me...just the prospect of getting back into some yank warblers excites....i have a 'thing' about seeing a worm-eating warbler..have always managed to dip that one]....and will probably dip again!
For me( and others I have spoken to) ,the trickiest endemic was Blue-headed Quail-Dove at Bermajas.Some people have scored easily,but it took me several hours of intense searching,good to have a challenge though!Also Zapata Wren was difficult to see,taping seems to be the order of the day,although the Wrens respond,they don`t show easily.The guide was also useful for Bare-legged and Cuban Pygmy Owl,although not essential.
The 'difficult to see' species are often the most satisfying...[if you actually see em that is]! Amazing how many times i've managed to see a 'difficult/skulker' type species...then gone on to miss something, supposedly, really obvious....
Sadly not, however I would take with a pinch of salt stories of wheeels vanishing and etc - stories always circulate for eons about incidents which are usually few. Got space in your luggage for a wheel security officer?
I agree that 'stories' get blown out of proportion all the time Jos.....still...if we happen to get our wheels stolen in Cuba then i'll be wishing i'd taken along a wheel security officer...[have you got a uniform and a gun]...?
I'm a friendly sort of security officer, don't need gun. Could sideline as dodgy i.d. guru when the car owner is struggling to string the latest endemic on the list. Can get a uniform lined up, send the ticket over.
BrightonBirder
Well-known member
Cuba is an extremely safe place. Tourism is the largest source of income for the island and as such tourists are treated well and are "protected". Many people will try to steal small items and overcharge but in the big scheme they are still relatively minor.
The areas to avoid are Havana and near any tourist resort. Outside of this people are very quite, friendly and needy. This is a nation in which people are very happy to receive a dollar. The only time I have rented a car was at a resort and things worked out well.
The areas to avoid are Havana and near any tourist resort. Outside of this people are very quite, friendly and needy. This is a nation in which people are very happy to receive a dollar. The only time I have rented a car was at a resort and things worked out well.
Yes...it's the usual case of being a little more cautious around cities and touristy places...[same world wide pretty much]!
