Take advantage of the bus provided by your tour operator or take a taxi to get to your hotel?

Why do some people prefer to pay for a taxi (private or public)?

Varadero Airport remains a small airport even though it has international status. When few planes arrive at the same time, the administrative formalities and the arrival of baggage are usually done quite quickly. (NOTE: in March 2020, with COVID-19, there may be additional delays). But if several planes land in a short time slot, the delays can be much longer. I can confirm this to you after having experienced it one evening at the end of December 2018!

Transportation from the airport by bus to the hotels is included in the price of the packages, at least for Canadians. It may be different for travelers arriving from Europe. When leaving the airport, the representatives of the tour operators are clearly visible and indicate where to find the bus that will take us to our hotel.

Bus routes are now planned to minimize travel times, so travelers are grouped according to proximity to hotels. For example, a bus that takes travelers to hotels at the end of the peninsula no longer stops for those at the beginning of the city, at least not in high season.

So why take a taxi?

Depending on the flight arrival times, buses sometimes have to wait a while to allow all the passengers to arrive, go through customs and security checks and collect their luggage from the hold. This can sometimes be a bit long. But it is also one of the favorite moments of many members because it is the time of... the first Cristal (Cuban beer)!

Some people prefer to take a taxi to arrive at the hotel before the bus groups so that they can check in to the hotel more quickly. For an early arrival, the process may be a little faster but it does not guarantee access to a room earlier since the check-in time for most hotels in Varadero is 4 p.m. But regulars know that it is possible to leave your luggage in a locked room and go directly to the beach after changing. ;-)

The important thing if you decide to take a taxi rather than the bus that is offered to you? Take the time to notify the representative of your tour operator that you will not take the bus!!! Otherwise, dozens of people will wait uselessly on the bus for you to arrive... Honestly, I prefer not to know who was the person who delayed the departure of our bus for a year because she did not take a few minutes to notify the tour operator: a young mother had to try to calm her crying baby for almost an hour. She herself had reached the point of crying and asking the driver to leave the airport, which he did after we all supported her request.

Conclusion? Don't take the bus = notify the tour operator representative! A simple 2 minutes that could save many more minutes for a large number of travelers who also want to start their vacation! ;-)