Using child car seats in Cuba?

Question

A family is planning to travel to Cuba with an infant. They will arrive in Varadero airport, and will be staying in an all-inclusive resort about a 40 minute drive from Havana. They would like to be able to explore Havana (taking the infant with them). They are thinking about bringing their Canadian car seat and stroller system with them, and have questions about using it in Cuba.

Specifically:

• If you consider typical transportation in Cuba (e.g. shuttle from airport to resort, shuttle from resort to Havana, typical taxi cabs), how likely is it that it will be possible to install a Canadian car seat there? (The car seat basically only requires a standard lap-and-shoulder seat belt on one of the back seats)

• If standard transportation options wouldn't work for this, is there perhaps some special taxi company operating in/near Havana that would have cars with a working lap-and-shoulder seat belt in the back (or, better yet, that would have infant car seats available)? Specific cab company names / phone numbers would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I'll answer my own question:

• Airport transfers by tour companies can be on either big coaches/buses (not equipped for baby carseat installation) or vans (that might have appropriate seatbelts although this can't be guaranteed)

• The official tourist "yellow cabs" in Havana (operated using newer cars, typically Chinese/Korean ones) typically do have the proper seatbelt in the back for safe carseat installation, with the proper retraction locking mechanism to be used as-is (you don't need an extra carseat locking clip). The belts are long enough to enable a European-style belt path (that goes behind a bucket-style seat) with a bit of effort. I believe the company is government-operated Cubataxi/Transtur, telephone 855-5555, you may have to specifically request a modern car.

• The old American cars (the taxis you see most often waiting for tourists on the streets) don't have proper seatbelts. Not sure about old Soviet cars but likely the situation is similar. However, it's still easy to find a proper modern "yellow cab" on the streets of Havana.