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Link to Alaska Airlines Flights to Cuba information page: Check this periodically to see if anything changes.
What are the essential items to put in your suitcase for your holiday to Cuba?
Keep a note of the emergency contact number for your Visa or ATM card, and share them with those you trust back home so you can always make a call and get help. Alternatively, you can scan your documents and store them online on in your email as a draft. Store in more than one site and some sites might be blocked in Cuba. I also suggest storing content on little USB devices in encrypted format. ASK me about this in the next two days. This list is huge and I'm highlighting the items we need versus items you might want to bring. My short list is in color, bring anything you want but definitely consider my short list.
If you are taking any prescribed mediation or have a condition that needs specific drugs or brand names (e.g.asthma) you MUST TAKE THEM WITH YOU. Specific medicine can be hard to find in Cuba. Herbal medicine is used a lot in Cuba, and may be offered to you by your Casa Owner. From experience, they do work very well...
Cotton clothing is much more comfortable than man-made fabrics. Be prepared for slightly cooler evenings. A fleece or scarf can be a good idea, (also sometimes needed on ViAzul buses, where the air-conditioning is often set to freezing). Remember, there is not much choice in the shops, if you forget something. Don't count on being able to buy suitable replacements in Cuba.
Gifts to take for Cubans
Things that are appreciated (and aren't too heavy or cost too much) You Casa Owner & their family will always be very grateful of anything that you wish to leave behind, however do not be bullied into it. If you want to donate anything, that's fine, but Casa Owners are richer than a lot of Cubans. If someone is particularly friendly or helpful, why not give them something that you really could buy very easily back home |
Money in Cuba
There are two different forms of currency in Cuba - both are legal tender for Tourists.
This includes all hotels, flights, buses and virtually all shops, restaurants and bars. Virtually all goods in shops are priced in CUC, with no option for payment in local money (for neither Tourists or Locals) You can not buy Cuban Convertible Pesos CUC outside of the country, therefore you will need to exchange some money at the airport when you arrive. Remember that once out of Cuba, you will not be able to use or exchange CUCs, therefore you MUST make sure that you spend/exchange/donate any left over money before leaving the country. You can change CUC back into GBP/Euros/CAD at teh airport or CADECAs anywhere. 
The national currency (CUPs) are used mainly for Cubans paying for basic food, rent, utility bills, local transportation et.
It is not illegal for you to have or use CUPs. You can quite easily go into a bank or CADECA and exchange CUC for CUP at an exchange rate of 1:24. Last year, I would have said that it was not worth you having or using CUP, but things have change this year (2011). With the opening up of small private businesses, people are now selling street food from their porches, and you can pay in CUP. (You can also pay in CUC and get the change back in CUP, but you need to keep an eye on the change). In general the only places where a Tourist will use Moneda Nacional is at the agricultural market, buying street food, taking collective taxis and going to the cinema etc. Remenber, you can not buy Cuban CUC outside of the county, and will need to exchange some money at the airport when you arrive. Also, remember that once out of Cuba you will not be able to use or exchange CUCs. Currency can be changed at banks, at casa de cambios called CADECA and in some hotels. There is little or no difference in exchange rates offered at CADECAS (state owned exchange bureaus) or state owned banks. The airport Cadeca offers exactly the same rates as in the city. DON’T change money on the street,!!! You’ll probably get ripped off and end up with a load of CUP, not CUC.Always try to exchange as much as you can at one time, it saves a lot of time queuing! Remember to take your passport with you when you change money. Try to ask cashiers for small notes – Good luck with that one! Do carry some cash (£ sterling/Euros or Canadian Dollars). I tend to take most of my money in cash - crisp £50 notes! Make sure they are Bank of England notes and not issued by a Scottish or Northern Irish bank. Beware of torn notes, as some CADECAs will not accept them. You should try to carry at least some of your money in small denominations, so that you can change only the amount you will actually need. ATM machines do exist in Cuba, but they generally don’t work too efficiently, so it’s best to have plenty of cash with you. Apparently only VISA cards will work in Cuban ATMs. Many banks in Havana have ATM’s – try on Calle Obispo, near Plaza Vieja. My question is: If the ATM swallows your card, and that’s your only way of get cash, what will you do? You can get cash advances through your debit/credit card from banks and CADECAs, provided they are not issued by a US Bank. Be warned, you will be charged a whopping 12% commission for the privilege of using a debit or credit card. Visa & MasterCard are accepted. The most accepted credit card is Visa, although authorisation can sometimes be denied due to poor computer connections or other problems. The amount charged to your credit card will (ironically) be in US Dollars. Getting a cash advance can be a very drawn out process and all banks will need to see your passport, although my experience at the CADECA in Viñales High Street have always been very quick & efficient. Please Note: American Express and any cards drawn on American banks will NOT be accepted. I also had problems with my Alliance & Leicester card which really surprised me! I was told it was an American bank - its MBNA. Luckily I had my Barclays Debit card with me, as a back up! Traveller's cheques are a useful back-up which are popular for security reasons but they can be difficult or time consuming to change in Cuba. If lost, I believe that there is no way of reclaiming them whilst in Cuba. My question is this:- Are they worth the hassle? Travellers cheques are accepted either in £ sterling/Euros or Canadian Dollars, but again they will NOT accept any traveller’s cheques that are printed by an American bank i.e. American Express. rental carsOur guide to car hire in Cuba gives you the facts & information you’ll want to know.
It's quite easy to rent a car in Cuba. It gives you flexibility to go wherever you like whenever you like, but it's not the cheapest of options, unless there is a small group of you travelling together. Most of the hire cars are now imported Chinese models. They are modern and comfortable. Some companies offer different pick-up and drop-off points, which can be useful, but they will charge for this option. If you are travelling to Cuba and want to enjoy the freedom to go wherever you want whenever you feel like it, then car hire in Cuba is a great idea. Car hire in Cuba is not cheap but if you can afford it, it may be well worth it. Also, if you are going to Cuba as a small group of three or four people then splitting the price of the car hire in Cuba may make renting a car almost as cheap as travelling by bus in Cuba. Car hire agencies generally only hire their cars to foreign tourists in Cuban Convertible Pesos CUC. Because of the economic sanctions against Cuba, there isn’t a great choice of cars available, so for the price you’ll be paying you may be a little disappointed at the hire car given to you. There is a limited variety of mainly Chinese, Korean and Japanese hire cars available including saloons or small jeeps. You can expect to pay around £34 a day for a compact hatchback car, such as a Hyundai Atos, going up to about £127 for an Audi A6 2.4 automatic. Minivans are available to rent for about £108 per day. The demand for hire cars in Cuba almost always exceeds supply, so it’s always best to book your hire car in Cuba in advance to travelling to avoid disappointment. Otherwise, you may have to wait up to a week to get a hire car in Cuba. There are several car hire agencies in Havana, which may be the best place to rent your car from. Always check your hire car for prior damage before signing the car hire agreement in Cuba; otherwise you may be stuck with the bill for somebody else’s damage. Make sure the fuel tank indicator is full when you are given your hire car in Cuba as the rental price is supposed to include a full tank. You will need a valid driving licence from your home country. You will be expected to leave a 150CUC- 500CUC (£98.04) deposit with the car, which will usually be on a refundable credit card. (see section on Credit Cards in Cuba). Any traffic fines you incur whilst renting the car will be deducted from this deposit. Many car hire agencies in Cuba accept major credit cards as an alternative to cash. |
Cubans speak South American Spanish, so don’t lisp your C’s!
The other challenge is that many Cubans "eat" the end of their words - (which unfortunately is where most of the conjugation is!).
The other challenge is that many Cubans "eat" the end of their words - (which unfortunately is where most of the conjugation is!).
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