A traveler identified as Rachel Zanabria posted a video on TikTok last Saturday that sums up in 30 seconds what it means to rent a car in Cuba: receiving the vehicle without a drop of fuel even before leaving the airport area.
In the viral clip that has accumulated over 174,000 views, Zanabria exclaims, “God, get me out of this situation. And look, we haven't even left for the airport. And they're giving us the car with no gas,” while the overlay text on the image says it all: “When you rent a car at the airport in CUBA and they give it to you without gas.”
The case is not an isolated anecdote, but rather a reflection of a structural fuel crisis that turns car rentals on the island into an experience filled with uncertainty.
In July 2026, another traveler experienced a similar situation: she rented a vehicle through the Rentacar platform for three days and 320 dollars, with the condition that the car would arrive with 35 liters of gasoline. It only arrived with 18.
This month, another video showed Cubans who returned from a visit to the island and ended up pushing their rental car down the streets after running out of fuel.
The underlying problem is the worst fuel crisis that Cuba has faced in its recent history. Following the interruption of Venezuelan oil supplies—an issue exacerbated after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026—and cuts from Mexico, the island was left without strategic reserves.
Car rentals in Cuba are charged in freely convertible currency or with an international credit card; Cuban pesos are not accepted in most cases, adding another layer of difficulty for those visiting the island without access to foreign currency.
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