By Jason Mueller from a1autotransport.com
Travel to Cuba has been going well this past year and outlooks show that tourism is on the rise. 2017 showed nearly 5 million visitors to the country that helped pump an extra $3 million into the economy. Cuba has long been a bucket list country to visit and while Americans can not technically travel to the country as tourists, they can go to visit family or on what is known as a people-to-people exchange. With a people-to-people exchange, you can travel to Cuba with a group or three or more and stay in local homes or hotels and tour the country in some amazing classic cars.
People to people exchanges can be planned by speaking to a travel agency or a cruise line that ventures to Cuba. Even better, going to Cuba on an exchange opens the chance to get to know locals and plan trips in the future to meet again. With the possibilities of taking a cruise through Havana in a classic convertible to see the amazing sites including the home that famed writer Ernest Hemingway lived in or a tour of the beautiful coastline or the spacious countryside, Cuba is ideal for the tourist who wants to catch a glimpse of history while visiting spectacular areas of the country.
There’s so much to see in Cuba and for the most part, Cuba has been untouched by Americans for more than fifty years. Now is the time to book a trip to see Havana and take part in festivities and dance with the locals or spend time relaxing on the beach. Whether you enjoy spending time in the busy city or maybe venturing out to the country, Cuba has so much to offer.
When trade embargos between the U.S. and Cuba took effect in 1959, there were a great many Cubans who owned American manufactured cars and today, thanks to the ingenuity of Cuban car owners and mechanics, many of the pre-1960 classics can be found throughout Cuba. Because of this, classic car enthusiasts can see some great classics on the road in Cuba. Cuba has become somewhat like a museum of classic cars and one that car enthusiasts should take time to check out when possible.
Since these cars have been taken care of over the years, and in many cases even restored with parts that are creative since the original replacement parts were not able to be ordered and with the embargo, new cars were not available, there are many one of a kind vehicles on the roads in Cuba. The creative mechanics in Cuba have a way with keeping great classics on the road.
If you have a dream car and it’s a classic made prior to 1960, chances are that it may be sitting on a road in Cuba waiting for you to see it. There are tens of thousands of classic American cars in Cuba, and while a great many of them are probably not worth much monetarily, they are still fascinating to see. Sure, there are quite a few classics that have been restored to perfection, but a detailed restoration is expensive, and rare to see.
Many of the classics on the roadways in Cuba have been redesigned to fit more people and they are used as Taxi’s. Even with the many that have been revamped as Taxi’s, it is truly amazing to see such a car culture seemingly frozen in time with cars such as the classic Mercedes Gullwing, Jaguars, Porsches, Buicks and Chevrolets. Many who visit Cuba would enjoy being able to purchase as classic and have it shipped home to America.
At this time, it is not possible to import a classic car from Cuba to the United States (source: a1autotransport.com) but for residents of other countries, the possibility to find a dream car and have it brought home is something to check into, especially if you can find a classic for a low price.
Cuba has much to offer and since it was long forbidden for Americans to vacation in the country, now is the time to make plans to visit. There are so many beautiful adventures awaiting you in Cuba, and what could be better than to see them all from the back seat of a vintage red Buick Roadmaster or a great antique pink Pontiac Bonneville? Be sure to book your tour soon and see everything that Cuba offers.
