There are basically two ways of traveling around Cuba for individual travelers: public bus and shared taxi.

Buses
Foreign tourists can’t use the long-distance public buses used by Cubans. For foreigners the only available bus company is Viazul. This company operates buses around the whole country, and the buses are quite comfortable usually and have air-conditioning. The bus drivers very often try to convert the bus into a fridge, therefore we recommend you to have a pullover with you on board.

In Havana the Viazul bus station is found near the Zoo, and you can get there taking one of the local buses from the city center, which leaves you in front of the terminal. In other cities, the Viazul terminal is usually in the city center, but on the Viazul webpage you can look up yourself the information you need including itineraries, prices and timetables. We have to warn you, however, that the information you find is not always up to date.

Shared taxis.
The other option of traveling in Cuba is taking shared taxis, which usually cost the same or just a little bit more than traveling by bus. If you are good at bargaining, you can even get a cheaper price sometimes than what the bus ticket costs. Traveling in shared taxis is faster, but is definitely less comfortable. We advise you to book a shared taxi through of an agency or your homestay, since taxi drivers who offer their services on the street are not always reliable. 

Tourist buses run by agencies
When you travel around Cuba, you will see a lot of buses with foreign travelers, which are not operated by Viazul. These buses are run by travel operators, which organize tours for foreign tourists. Most people still travel in Cuba this way, which is much more comfortable, and naturally much more expensive. These travel agencies basically provide you packages and organize you every single segment of your trip with hotels and transport included.  If you are not looking for freedom in your travels, this is also a good option, and actually it’s still the most popular way of traveling in Cuba.