Travel information before travelling to Cuba

 

Useful and essential travel information before travelling to Cuba. Most important information before travelling that is good to know: passport validity, Cuban visa, vaccination, customs regulation. Before planning your travel you should be informed about the followings: money, currency, transportation, cell phone, internet, electricity, medical care, buying rum and cigar in Cuba.   

 

Arrangements before travelling to Cuba

During your stay in Cuba

Returning from Cuba

 

Cuba travel information - Reliable answers for important questions >>

 

Arrangements before travelling to Cuba

 

Passport, Cuban visa

 

Before travelling it is good to check the validity of your passport that must be valid 6 months after your return. It can be very annoying after a long flight not to be allowed to cross the border and travel back home.
For the entry citizens also need to redeem the so called tourist card that is valid as a visa. With this card you are allowed to stay in the country for 30 days which can be extended in Cuba for another 30 days. The card is available at the Embassy of Cuba and also at travel agencies.

Your visa will be validated when crossing the border. You should hold it as you will have to present it after your stay and it will be taken.

 

Clothing

When you pack in please consider that the average temperature is around 22-28Cº all year and humidity is also at around 80%. This value is quite high so it is advised to wear cool and light clothes. In the ‘winter months’ it is good to have a thin coat or a sweater with you to abide the cooler days.

To select the appropriate pieces think also about the nature of the holiday. For a sea, sand and sun type vacation bring some short clothes, for the evening programmes some elegant ones and for hiking a bit more closed ones. It is also very important to know that on the beach it is prohibited to be totally naked!

 

Articles for personal usage, other equipments

Besides clothing there are also some other articles that you should look after.
According to the type of the stay, the articles can be different as well.

For a beach holiday: sun cream (20-30 factors), sunhat, mosquito scare away spray can be the most necessary ones.

For touring: map, sleeping bag, extra blanket, well equipped medicine chest and DEET content repellent.

For cycling tour: pump, tyre repairing set, extra inner tube, universal screw-driver set.

For diving: scuba, life-saver kit.

In spite of the careful preparation something can be forgotten at home, but all these except of a couple, can be purchased in the hotel shops and supermarkets.

 

Vaccination and health advices before travelling to Cuba

 

For a holiday in Cuba no vaccination is needed. But there are some which are suggested, like Typhus, Tetanus and Hepatitis. Also please pack a well prepared medicine chest with the most necessary items, like the ant febrile, pain killer, inflammation reducer, bandage, patches, antibacterial cream, pills against diarrhoea, repellent and thermometer.

During the journey you have to be aware of hygiene, especially in washrooms, toilettes and at dining. Consumption of dishes, beverages, coffee, ice cream sold on the street is not suggested. Because the tap water is not drinkable in Cuba, please buy mineral water instead. A hot evening spent in Cuba can turn into a passionate night. In case of sexual contact, please do not forget about protection against sexual infections and diseases, because Cuba unfortunately is known about its bohemian habits and the number of the carriers is rising day by day!

 

Travel insurance

From 1st May, 2010 all travellers visiting Cuba must have valid travel insurance (accident, lost luggage and personnel health insurance) for the entire time of their stay. The insurance must include medical expenses policy. For more information of the contracted insurance companies in your country, please contact the closes Cuban embassy. Travellers, who don't have insurance at their arrival, will be able to acquire insurance at the airport in the office of Cuban national insurance company (ASISTUR). If you wish to feel safe during your travel, it is recommended to acquire a fully comprehensive insurance. The insurance, valid in case of accident, lost luggage and personnel health costs only a couple of Euros a day, but it worth in case of an unexpected inconvenience.

 

Customs regulation upon entry

Overall regulations are normative.

Duty-free you can bring your personnel clothes and equipments as camera, radio, laptop, scuba, and bicycle. Additionally also 10kg of medication, 2 bottles of alcohol, 1 carton of cigarettes.

100% customs duty need to be paid after electrical items, art items, gifts above the value 250 EUR and the amount that is fixed at the border.

It is strictly forbidden to carry guns, drugs, porn pictures, sexual tools, navigation instruments or products of food industry (except of cans and dried food).
Cash above USD 10.000 needs to be reported at the border when entering the country.

 

During your stay in Cuba

 

Cuban currency

 

Tourists use convertible peso (CUC) that can be changed in the official exchange offices (CADECA), in the exchange offices at the airport, in big hotels or in places often visited by tourists. American dollars can not be used since 8th November 2004 and they count with a commission fee of 10% at exchanging. It is better to bring some Euros with you because its exchange rate is the best.

Paying with credit card is not really in use yet, only in bigger hotels and at the airport are cards accepted as MasterCard and Visa. Important to know that only those type of CCs can be used which do not have any relationship to the USA!

You can get cash in banks and exchange offices (Banco Metropolitano, CADECA) also with the above mentioned card types. In banks there is no, in exchange office there is 1% commission fee. Usage of the cash machines is quite complicated but possible. You have to add your PIN number, 6 digits (if you have only 4 digits you have to add two zeros first).

 

Transportation in Cuba

 

Local and also the point-to-point transportation are weakly developed in Cuba as far as the bus and train services. The lines are unpunctual, overcrowded and not comfortable at all which makes travelling even worse.

For a safe and convenient trip the best solution is to rent a car. The rental fee is affordable and their technical condition does not leave much room for improvement. Cars can be hired for shorter and longer periods also!

Besides renting in bigger towns you can also take a taxi or inside the country there are domestic planes available. But be careful with cabs and do not forget to check the taximeter to be turned on, because without it the fee can be very high. If you decide to travel by plane it is recommended to buy the flight ticket before your holiday, in advance. Also be careful in regards with the currencies quoted, the difference in the exchange rates can be significant.

 

Communication in Cuba: telephone, cell phone, internet

 

Cell phones are operating without any problem; you just need to be informed about the tariffs and zones from your system provider and also to check if you need to require the roaming service. In case you have a top up card phone, please contact also your service company.

The quality and the availability of the service (service providers in Cuba: CUBACEL, C-Com) is nationwide quite reliable, of course the best connection you will find in built-up areas and around busy roads. There is only one small shortcoming in the mobile system: no numbers will be shown on your monitor. This is unfortunately the lack of the local company, but can be easily eliminated with written messages.

The quality of the internet services is below the one that we get used to. Do not be surprised if a larger page shows up very slowly or does not show up at all. Mailing systems are running, so staying in touch with friends or relatives is not a problem at all. Internet access you will find in hotels, in some of the libraries and also in a small number of internet cafes.

 

Electricity in Cuba

 

In Cuba 110 V system is established, but in most of the hotels and in more and more apartments you will be also able to use 220 V. Their plug is different from the European one so you will need an American adapter to use it.

 

Shopping in Cuba: cigar, rum, coffee, music…etc.

 

- Cuban cigar: You can buy cigars in original quality in shops specialized to cigars, in factories or in gift shops. Here you can also find the accessories like lighter, ashtrays, humidor, cutter, auger, tube. There is a selection of more than 40 type of cigar in various size, shape and flavour. It can be weak, medium or strong packed by 5, 10 or 25 pieces.

Buying cigar on the street is not recommended as most of them are false and even it is not sure made of tobacco!

- Cuban rum: the most popular rum is Havana Club, it is aged for 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 years. The longer it is aged the better is tastes and the more it costs. It can be bought in different bottles: 0,35l; 0,7l; 1l at any gift shop or supermarket.

- Cuban coffee: fans of this dark and strong drink like to buy a few boxes of the real black, aromatic, delicious product of Cuba for home too. Cubita products the best quality of coffee, you can buy whole or grounded always shrink-wrapped. It’s available at airports, gift shops, supermarkets or tobacco shops too.

- Cuban music, CD: Cuba has a wide range of products, you can buy CDs in many styles like salsa, jazz, reggaeton, Guajira (folk music) and several others. You can feel that Cuba ’eats’ music as you can buy it anywhere: hotel shops, airports, bars, restaurants, market places, fairs, festivals, carnivals.

- Others: smaller souvenirs like carved statues, T-shirts, books, postcards, glasses, spoons, coral necklaces, bracelets, hairgrips, fridge magnets can be found anywhere in the towns like airports, hotel shops, museums, gift shops, markets, fairs, special stores, tourist points or carnivals.

 

Medical service in Cuba

 

If you meet with an accident during your holiday you should search for hospitals and surgeries marked out for tourists (Cira Garcia Clínica Central or Servimed). Servimed has a chain with 40 surgeries in the country but if you stay at a hotel first try to reach the doctor of the hotel as they usually speak English, sometimes German or French too. You have to pay for the medical service in cash but if you have insurance it will be refunded afterwards.

Medicines can be bought in pharmacies marked out for tourist - they operate according to the international standards so all the necessary medicines are disposable. These are usually located inside the building of the surgery but sometimes you have to search for another address - if it is necessary you will get the address and you will be given full hint.

 

Returning from Cuba

 

Customs regulation upon exit

Mainly you can take small gifts out of the country but there is a limit for these also and that is strictly checked at the customs examination.

Duty - free you can take 2 boxes of cigars (25 pieces in a box) in the original packing with the certificate of guarantee stamped by the shop-keeper. You can also take 2 bottles of alcoholic drink, smaller gifts and clothes.

Export licence is needed for objects part of the cultural heritage, bigger creations of fine arts and it takes lots of time to get the necessary papers.

It is forbidden to take out of the country products of food industry, plants, animals, national currrency (Moneda Nacional, CUP) and any other eqipments, documents that is owned by the Cuban state.

 

Upon exit

You have to pay the local tax, so called exit fee (25 CUC) upon departure at the airport.