Cuba Traveler's Information
Travel insurrance including medical expenses!
Travelers to Cuba must have a medical insurrance!
To fulfill this demand, the traveller should have a travel insurance that includes medical expenses or a medical expenses policy, with cover inside of Cuba. The policy should be acquired in the country of residence. Those travellers that exceptionally don't have the insurance at their arrival, they will be able to acquire a policy with insurance and assistance cover subscribed by Cuban insurance companies at the airport, port or marines.
The travel insurances subscribed by Cuban insurance companies and by most of the international insurance companies have the Asistur Assistance Services in trip inside of Cuba. It is a 24 hours service during 365 days of the year.
According to statistics, more than 80 per cent of persons who visit Cuba at the moment; have an insurance provided by companies of their country of residence. This insurance covers the medical expenses in Cuba.
In the case of residents in the United States that travel directly to Cuba, they will have to acquire a policy with Cuban insurance cover in the country of residence. This policy is marketed through a network of agencies associated to Havanaturcelimar, due to the impossibility for North American insurance companies to guarantee covering in the national territory.
The traveller who is checked when arriving to the country, should show the policy, certificate of insurance or travel assistance card, which is valid during the stay in Cuba.
For any case of medical emergency, the Cuban Health care System guarantees primary assistance through a net of clinics and hospitals all over the country. The primary medical assistance is provided in most of the tourist facilities. For more information on the service, when planning your trip to Cuba, please visit the website, or you can go to the nearest Embassy or Consulate, or to the offices of Cuban Ministry of Tourism. You can also visit websites of Ministry of Tourism (http://www.cubatravel.cu) or the insurance and assistance company Asistur (http://www.asistur.cu).
Visa / Touristcard
Cuban
rules say: you have to book an accommodation for the first night. If you
booked a flight, no accommodation and ready to fill in your visa, this
visa will ask you in which hotel you are staying ... fill in any address
of a hotel or casa particular and look real innocent going through customs.
The experience tells, it is also ok to fill in an address of a licensed
casa particular. However, if customs has a strict day they can demand
to book a hotel, if you didn't, they will make a reservation for you.
You can order your visa through the Cuban Embassy or Consulate in your
country and some travel agencies and flight companies
|
|
| Luggage, Bags, Clothing & other stuff |
 |
A
well locked suitcase, or a lock on your backpack is best. You can also
decide to plastify your backpack or soft weekender at the airport of your
departure. Remind
when you are traveling with more people and rented a car, bring soft bags! In Dec / Jan it can be chilly at nighttime. So bring something warm too
in these months. Bring clothes with you which you might not like anymore, and give it to
Cubans at the end of your vacation, clothes are expensive for a Cuban.
Anti
muscito stuff, some areas are overloaded with these bichos.
Leave you're jewelries at home, you don't need them on this Island.
Cubans need not only ballpoints, soaps, clothes, toothpaste, toys ...
but everything which for us is normal. Medical stuff is needed as well,
even glasses. Please take some stuff with you to donate. |
| Customs |
 |
Havana airport is more relaxed than Varadero or Holguin, but
remind this ... All your stuff is getting scanned!!! Every suitcase
is passing the x-ray!!!
Check
out the Cuba-custom website to see what is and what's NOT possible
to bring in.
Money
can do some help sometimes ... But if "they" decide it
is not allowed ... it just isn't allowed ... sorry! Besides this
not ALL aduana people are charmed for getting bribed
Remind that when bringing in new stuff, you might have to pay tax.
There
is a 25 CUC (convertible pesos) airport departure tax
Cuban customs website
|
|
|
 |
Electricity
Cuba has 110 volt, some more luxury hotels also 220
Sockets are
as shown in the picture, same as in the USA.
To make it yourself easy ...
Buy your travel adapter through the Amazon advertisement at the right.
|
Photo Equipement
Take everything with you from home, rolls are available at dollar stores
(if you still uses those), but the quality is not as good as you are used
to have, mostly only 100asa. It is smarter to bring a small digital camera and some memory cards, Havana and Santiago de
Cuba are less safe as it was in the past. Many people are being robbed
from their camera. Burning a
CD is possible in some stores in Havana and maybe some other cities but
don't count on it. Better bring extra memory cards or an image tank to
store your pictures on.
|
|
Crime
It is a wise thing to read our crime page
Crime
in Cuba
Internet
There are possibilities to go on the internet in most hotels and there
are small offices from Etecsa all around the island. Internet in Cuba is slow so forget uploading your pictures through the Cuban Internet connection.
You can bring your laptop without problems with the Cuban customs.
Wireless is only possible from some top-end
hotels like Saratoga and Melia Cohiba in Havana.
|
|
Infotur Tourist Office
Infotur is a tourist service that can be found in many places throughout
Cuba. They provide tours, excursions, transport around the Island,
postcards, maps, printed guides, posters, magazines, newspapers
and souvenirs.
They also sell pre-paid phone cards which are good to stock up on
since a $10.00 card only gets you a few minutes when making an international
call.
They can confirm airline flights as well. Disabled access is available.
Address:
521 Obispo, La Habana, Cuba
Cuba Weather
- The whole
year through about 28 / 29 C degrees. The East of Cuba is always a few
degrees warmer than the West
- Most rain
fall in May till October, during these months short but heavy rainy
showers can fall, mostly at the end of the day.
Areas like Baracoa and Moa in the east of Cuba do have to most rainy
days, because the mountain which come from the Atlantic Ocean
The dry season is from Novenber till April.
- Most sunny
hours in July and August, Cuba has short days in winter, at 18.00 it
is getting dark. In summer the sun is very powerfull.
- Dec /
April Colder then usual, specialy at night
- June /
September Hot humid, every end of the day a rainy shower
- June /
end of November Huricane season (possible)
- High and
low (tourist) season December / Januari, Easter, July / September
|
|
 |
Money
First
of all: Don't exchange money in the street ...
EVER! |
Foreigners and
money exchange
After
November 8 2004 Cuba only except convertible pesos (CUC). This means
you have to bring Euros, CAD, Pound Sterling (whatever hard currency)
with you to exchange it into CUC (convertible pesos).
Besides this you can bring your credit card with you to
get money from the bank in Cuba.
For
the local people The Cubans
Pesos Cubanos
This currency is more or less only used by Cuban citizens.
Of
course you, as a foreigner also can exchange your CUC (convertible
pesos) into the "normal" national currency CUP. This CUP
you can use for bying at local markets.
More detailed explanation Cuba and money
|
|
Recommended Cuba Forums and Discussion Boards
|
