Useful Tips

Now, we would like to give you some useful advices for your trip to Cuba, especially if this is the first time in Cuba or in case of few experience in previous trips to Cuba.

Make your reservations in advance, some days before arriving in Cuba. This way, you could find the best offers and hotels. Remember that there are peak seasons in Cuba (from november 1st to april 30th and from July 1st to august 31st) and probably some of the hotels declare themselves overbooking (without availability). If you make your reservation in advance, you will have absolutely time to contact with the our team and clarify doubts before arriving in Cuba.

Try to change your money with the cash dispenser, in the airport, in the establishments for money exchange or in the bank, but never in the street with unknown people.

Try to bring to Cuba Euros or another freely exchangeable currency, but no american dollars (USD). In Cuba there is a 10% tax to the dollar when exchanging into CUC.

In official tourist boutiques in Cuba, transactions are carried out in Convertible Cuban Pesos (CUC), accepted everywhere in Cuba. The Convertible Cuban Pesos are issued by the National Bank of Cuba in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 Cuban Convertible Peso notes (CUC). Make sure to change them back before your departure since they have no monetary value outside the country.

For the transportation in the island you can rent a car (in our website we can help you to find a car taking into consideration your requirements and we can book for you). We can also recommend you a state taxi or, in case of a longer trip (between distant provinces) you can travel by bus with the Viazul state scheduled buses (www.viazul.cu), that will take you to all the cuban tourist destinations for reasonable prices.

Once in Cuba, when going out, try to have always with you a copy of your passport. If you lose the original passport, all the procedures to get another one could be inconvenient for you and take a long time.

We recommend also to change part of the money into CUP, because there are many products like vegetables, fresh fruits among others generally with quality that the tourists can buy in CUP in the markets.

The Cuban peso, equal to 100 centavos, is reserved exclusively for use by the local Cubans. It is distributed in bills of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos and in coins of 1, 5 and 20 centavos. It is ilegal to import or export Cuban currency.

In the establishments for money exchange (CADECA)

1 Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC)= 24 Cuban Pesos (CUP)

The weather in Cuba is basicly hot all the year, therefore people in Cuba wear cool and light clothes. We recommend to bring clothes made of cotton, shirts, shorts, etc. In winter (from November to March) is enough wearing a coat or a sweater, especially to travel by air-conditioner bus. It is very important also to bring sunglasses, bathing suits for the pool or the beach and SPF 30 or plus sunscreen (water and sweat resistant).

You can take photos freely everywhere in the island, except for the military zones and other places with restricted access. The museums and other tourist attractions have specific regulations.

The majority of the hotels have a voltage of 110 V / 60 Hz and also of 220 V / 60 Hz.

Please, once in the room, check which voltage your room is equipped with before using any electrical appliances.

You don´t need vaccination to travel to Cuba. There are many hotels in Cuba, wich have doctor on property 24 hours and the others doctor on call 24 hours. In the main tourist destinations there are international clinics to treat carefully the tourists.

The great majority of the hotels have a health staff specializing in first aid inside the property, and other hotels with health staff at your disposal too, but not inside the property.

In case you need to consult a doctor during your stay, please call the hotel reception desk or costumer service. You will be required to pay for any consultations, but we recommend that you ask for a receipt for insurance purposes, if necessary. Don´t worry, the World Health Organization (WHO) and others have indicated that public health in Cuba is very good.

In the majority of the hotels work the credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) but not isued by amercian banks. Anyway, we recommend to travel with some cash in case of the cash dispenser doesn´t work at that moment.

Normally, the postal service in Cuba is slow, for example, a letter or a postal card can take 5 to 8 weeks to reach Canada.

Some vacationers may be indisposed by the change in the water or food. We recommend drinking bottled water.

With respect to the sun, you should take certain precautions. Wear always sunscreen with an adequate level of protection in order to prevent sunburn and other discomforts. Overexposure may cause dizziness, vomiting, fever, etc. Protect yourself, especially during the first few days, and avoid prolonged expsure, even once your skin has gotten used to the sun. Wearing a hat and sunglasses will also help protect you from the sun´s harmful effects.

No other cigar comes close to the one produced in Cuba, but not in everywhere in Cuba is respected the Cuban Cigar´s authenticity. Therefore, we recommend to purchase the cigars in the state factories all over the country, wich produce Cohiba, the favorite cigar´s brand of Fidel Castro, among others like Montecristo, Partagás, H. Upmann, Hoyo de Monterrey, Punch, Ramón Allones, Bolivar y Romeo y Julieta. Try not to purchase cigars from people of unknown origin, because they can defraud you.

Wood carvings and paintings by local artists are your best bet for authentic Cuban souvenirs. Art items must be accompanied by a certificate of authentication.

Please, note that the banks are closed on the following holidays:
January 1: New Year´s Day.
May 1: International Labour Day.
July 25 and 26: Revolution Days.
October 10: Beginning of the Independence Wars.
December 25: Christmas Day.

Tips are accepted and are at your discretion. We recommend leaving 10% and 15% of the total bill amount, depending on the service provided. In the all-inclusive hotels are accepted the amount of money you consider for the service provided.

As a tourist, always keep a close eye on your personal belongings and remember that for most Cubans, your possessions (cameras, leather suitcases, video cameras, jewellery, etc.) are very valuable. You can avoid problemsby being prudent. Wear little or no jewellery, carry electronic equipment in a discreet bag with a strap worn diagonally across the chest and back and only pull out small amounts of cash when making purchases. In the event of a theft, accident or loss, please contact the front desk or customer services. They can help you with the procedures to follow in every case.

We recommend keeping valuables, money and travel documents in a safety deposit box, usually available in hotel rooms. Contact with the Front Desk in case of you want to keep something in a safety deposit box.

The best way to get around Cuba is by state taxi. If you take a taxi, be sure to agree on the price with the driver before getting into the car. Many hotels display fixed rates between taxi zones for the more popular sites.

If you choose to rent a car, please go to the rent offices, located in the tourist destinations around Cuba, even in many hotels. In Cuba, the rules of the road are not always respected. In the evening and at night, excercise extreme caution on city and country roads, where you may share the road with children, bicycles, motorcycles, and farm animals
 
CubaHotelTravels.com offers you more than 200 hotels in Cuba in more than 40 tourist destinations in the island. Our informations about the hotels, provinces and tourist destinations will help you to find the best options for you to choose how to make your own trip. What modes of vacations do your prefer?, de luxe, in couple, in family or even if you need a hotel for business, in our web you will find the best offers of hotels in Cuba.