Unless you stay at the hotel all your vacations, a hotel with a private beach and hire excursions from there or rent a car, the way to move around Cuba is in bus. Also, if you go as a backpacker the experience of climbing a bus it has no equal. The guaguas are the traditional Cuban buses. They look like camels since they have a truck tractor in front of them and a trailer enabled to transport passengers behind them.
In the city of Havana these buses are very cheap and there are many cars. That does not mean that you are going to travel comfortably as they are always full of passengers and there are long lines at the stops. Therefore, if you decide to use them, try not to do it at peak times. There are two companies of this interurban transport: one is the STAR that connects the cities at least once a day, with a punctual and safe service, although at peak times their cars are always crowded with people, and the other company is the Viazul which provides a more comfortable service since the cars have air conditioning. This last company goes to Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba, Varadero and Viñales, for example.
Trains? Well, yes, but in recent years the railway service has deteriorated a lot on the island and although the trains work, the trips are long and uncomfortable. For travelers with a very low budget and an adventure spirit, of course.
Photos: via The camel