You roll on. You stay in your own chair. Nobody lifts you, nobody folds your chair into a boot, and there is no glass between you and the city. Cubatram is the only operator in Cuba built around step-free boarding rather than apologising for the lack of it.
Most tour pages will not tell you this, so we will. Habana Vieja is a UNESCO world heritage site laid on 18th-century cobblestone. Kerbs are high and dropped crossings are rare. Pavements narrow to less than a metre in places and then disappear entirely. Accessible toilets are scarce. Classic-car tours — the photograph everyone comes to Havana for — mean being lifted out of your chair and folded into a 1955 Chevrolet, and the chair goes in the boot.
None of that stops you seeing Havana. It just means the vehicle has to do the work instead of you. That is the entire reason Cubatram exists.
Accessibility claims are cheap. Here is the specific thing you are buying.
| What you want to know | How it works |
|---|---|
| Boarding | Ramp at deck level — you roll on |
| Do you leave your chair? | No — you stay in it for the whole tour |
| Is the chair stowed? | No — it stays under you, secured on deck |
| Mobility scooters | Yes, same ramp — tell us the model when booking |
| Companion seating | Beside you, not across the tram |
| Assistance animals | Welcome, no charge, no paperwork |
| Hotel pickup | Included — we confirm a step-free pickup point |
| Open-air | No window frames, no glare, unobstructed sightlines from seated height |
| Guide languages | English, Spanish, French |
| Children under 12 | Ride free |
The open-air deck matters more than people expect. A seated passenger inside a coach spends the tour looking at the bottom of a window. On an open deck your eyeline is the street.
Every route below is step-free end to end. We route around the cobbles rather than pretending they are not there.
The Malecón, Paseo del Prado, the Capitolio and Parque Central — the whole postcard, on paved avenue, without crossing a single cobblestone.
Hotel Nacional, the university steps, the sea wall at sunset. Wide modern roads, the easiest accessible route in the city.
Fifth Avenue's mansions and shade trees. Smooth surface throughout, and the quietest ride if noise or vibration is a problem for you.
Hotel-to-hotel along the peninsula. Flat, paved and short — the route we most often recommend to travellers who tire quickly.
Point-to-point, from $5. Not a tour — a way to get from your hotel to dinner without negotiating a taxi that cannot take your chair.
Your own tram, your own pace, your own stops. The right answer for a group where several people have different mobility needs.
Things we get asked constantly, and which nobody else seems to write down.
Far fewer than claim to. "Accessible room" in Cuba often means a wide door and a grab rail beside a bathtub. Before you pay, ask the hotel for a photograph of the bathroom — not a description. We know which properties in Havana and Varadero hold up, and we will tell you honestly whether the one you are looking at does. Ask us before you book the room, not after.
Assistance exists but is not always quick, and jet bridges are not universal — you may be brought down by ambulift. Request assistance through your airline at least 48 hours ahead and again at check-in. Arrivals can be slow; build in time and do not book a tight first-day tour.
Assume not. Spare parts for powered chairs are essentially unavailable, and the US embargo makes shipping one in unreliable. Bring the tools and the spare parts you would need for a tyre, a caster and a fuse. A puncture-proof tyre conversion before you fly is worth the money.
Sockets are a mix of 110V and 220V and vary even within the same hotel. Bring a dual-voltage charger and an adapter covering both flat and round pins. Blackouts happen; hotels usually have generators but the transfer can take minutes. Charge opportunistically rather than overnight-only.
Scheduled coaches are not step-free and the common answer is a transfer out of your chair. We run the route as a private accessible charter instead. It costs more than a coach seat and it is the difference between doing the trip and not doing it.
Children under 12 ride free on every tour. If you are travelling with a paid carer or personal assistant, contact us before booking rather than paying two full fares online — we arrange the companion fare directly.
No. The tourist card requirement is the same for everyone and is unaffected by disability. Medical insurance is mandatory for all visitors to Cuba, so check that your policy covers your existing condition and any equipment you are bringing — that is the part people get wrong.
Cubatram is an accessible operator first and a sightseeing company second. The fleet is open-air, electric and low-deck because that is what lets someone roll on unaided — the fact that it is also quiet, emission-free and better for photographs is a bonus we happily take.
If you have a specific requirement we have not covered here, write to us before you book. We would rather tell you honestly that a route will not work for you than sell you a ticket you cannot use.
Book an accessible tour →Or message us on WhatsApp and describe your situation — that is usually the fastest way to get a straight answer.
