Vamos Cuba Travel Guide

Legal Stuff

Your Financial Protection

The Package Travel Regulations 1992 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked from this brochure and/or website and for your repatriation in the unlikely event of our insolvency. We provide this by placing any monies paid by you the customer into a trust account held by PTS – Protected Travel Service. We are not allowed to draw money from that account until you return from your holiday or the trip is cancelled. For more information about PTS please click here:

Getting the Right Visa

A Tourist card is normally issued for 30 days with an exception for Canadiens (90days). If you want to stay for another month you need to extend your visa at immigration in Havana or other city in Cuba for extra charge. Its very easy and fast to obtain the tourist card either via online website, or directly with Cuban embassy. Feel free to contact us if you need any help.

Recommended website: VisaCuba

A Student visa is required only if you will be studying in Cuba more then 30 days.

Travel Insurance

Its compulsory for tourist travelling to Cuba to have appropriate travel insurance before they entry Cuba. ¡Vamos*Cuba! can advise you on this matter if you wish.

Advice for Australians Travelling to Cuba

We've put together this guide for Australians travelling to Cuba. If you have any further questions about how to travel to Cuba from Australia, please don't hesitate to get in touch!

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Tourists Scams in Cuba

Is Cuba Dangerous?

In general Cuba is one of the safest countries you could visit. Tourism is an important economic resource for Cuba so in addition to the genuine interest and friendship which you may experience from local people, the Cuban authorities are also working in the background to ensure that you have a trouble free visit.

Scams to Avoid

Unfortunately, a few less than honest Cubans make their living by running scams on tourists. Known as jineteros (opportunists) they can be usually found in popular tourist places such as Casa de la Musica or Havana Vieja.

Although they may appear to be friendly, the friendship they are offering is not genuine and simply a scam to obtain money.

It is not uncommon in Cuba for a stranger to strike up conversation with you. Whilst they may be genuine there is also a chance that they are simply checking to see whether or not you will be a suitable target so if you have just arrived or the person is overly friendly be wary about what information you disclose.

The jineteros, who usually speak good English, are keen to create a good impression and so may say that they are teachers or professionals who want to practise their English.

Whilst chatting to a friendly Cuban is not an unpleasant experience, the scam comes when they invite you to go for a drink or to a party. Within a matter of minutes (or so it seems) their friends will appear and before you know it you will be picking up the bar bill.

This may not seem too bad, and it wouldn’t be if the drinks were at the correct price, but the prices are highly inflated. This is because the main prize for the jinetero, apart from the free drinks,is the backhander he will receive from the bar or cafe owner.

The jineteros rely on your lack of knowledge, so if you have just arrived, saying that it is your second visit to Cuba or that you are visiting Cuban friends or relatives may put them off.

Another recommendation is not to buy puros (cigars) on the street. Whilst they may be at bargain prices do you really know what you are buying? Far better to wait and purchase them from one of the official shops such as those in Havana Vieja or even at the airport on your way home.

Enjoy Cuban Hospitality

Despite the fact that Cuba is in a difficult economic situation and many people are struggling Cubans are naturally outgoing and the warm welcome you will receive from them is second to none. Whether you travel with your family, alone or in a group you will be overwhelmed by the friendliness of the Cuban people.

Be wary of the jineteros, but don’t let this put you off your visit. The majority of Cubans are genuine and regardless of their economic circumstances will offer friendship without expecting anything in return.

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If you buy American Dollars beforehand, you will be charged a 10% penalty to change your currency into CUC. Take a credit card with you for emergencies and when you can to Cuba, change your pounds or Euros into CUC.

CUC is the currency most used by tourists and visitors and if you want to, its the only currency you will need. However, if you are buying local purchases like street food, bread, fruit and drinks, you might like to go local and make your purchases using the Cuban peso.

You can exchange your CUC for Cuban pesos (CUP) at any Cadeca (exchange office), or at your hotel if they have the facilities to change money and then you can use both currencies. You will need your passport to change money in Cuba.

If you want to take a ride in an old Cuban taxi, you can pay with CUC, but if you have some Cuban pesos, the price will be slightly cheaper. The same applies to things like street food or ice cream.

You will get 24/25 pesos per CUC if you exchange them, so if you pay for something that is advertised in CUP and you pay in CUC, don’t forget to wait, or ask for the change.

Credit cards aren’t something you’ll see being used a lot in Cuba. Everyone pays in cash. There are ATM machines in Havana. These will accept English Visa cards and Debit cards without a problem, only those that are linked to American banks might be difficult to use. Cash machines might be hard to find outside of the city, so if you go on an excursion, take cash with you.

Your Vamos Cuba host will know where the exchange office and the cash machines are located and you will be given the details on the first day of your stay in Cuba.

Once you have been a day or so in Cuba, you’ll get the hang of it and the money won’t seem so confusing.

Cuban Visa and Travel Insurance

Cuban Visa

The Cuban visa is a simple Tourist card needed for entry to Cuba. It is normally issued for 30 days, with an exception for Canadians who will receive a 90-day tourist card. If you want to stay in Cuba for an additional month after your tourist card expires, you will need to purchase an extension from the immigration office in Havana (or other provincial offices) for an additional charge of $25 CUC.

It’s very easy and fast to obtain the tourist card either online, or directly from your nearest Cuban embassy. Feel free to contact us if you need any help with this matter. We could recommend obtaining your Cuba tourist card from VisaCuba.

Student Visas

A student visa is required only if you are planning to study in Cuba more than 30 days.

Departure Tax

In previous years, a $25 CUC departure tax was required to be paid by all individuals leaving Cuba, but this charge should now be included in your flight taxes.

Travel Insurance

The Cuban Government decided on February 16 2010 that all travellers, foreigners, and Cubans living abroad, coming to the island after May 1 2010 will be required to obtain medical insurance. To meet such requirements, travellers need to have valid travel insurance for the duration of their visit. Your travel insurance policy needs to cover medical expenses, or you will need a medical insurance policy for medical expenses with coverage in Cuba, before you will be granted entry clearance to the island.

Travellers might be asked during the immigration check to demonstrate that they have valid insurance.

Places to see in Cuba

​FOOD & DRINKS IN CUBA

Cuban food has a bad reputation, probably created by someone who had one too many bowls of rice and beans while visiting the island. While this staple dish may often appear on dinner tables across Cuba, there are a lot of other authentic Cuban dishes that will have you going back for seconds.

The most important thing to note about Cuban food is that it is all organic, largely due to the trade embargo with the US which makes it difficult to access pesticides. It’s also very wholesome and unprocessed, and will often be built around a small amount of meat. Vegetarianism is still quite rare in Cuba, as meat is still seen as an essential part of the diet. However, as more tourists visit the country, the variety of food available is changing.

Things you need to know: Breakfast is included on all tours and holidays. This will usually be eaten at your casa particular and will be varied. Typical breakfast items include eggs, ham, toast, cereal, fruit and coffee. We recommend eating breakfast in your casa particular, but we can offer tips of local restaurants or paladares – from cheap and cheerful cafeterias to luxury private restaurants. Your tour guide will mention this during your orientation walk (included in every package).

Things to note: Despite Cuba’s reputation for bad food, you won’t go hungry if you know the right places to eat! Vegetarians and vegans may struggle to find as many options as their omnivorous travel buddies, but rest assured that your casa particular owner will go out of their way to make sure you are catered for. If you have any specific dietary requirements, please let us know in advance so we can forewarn your case owner.

Rice is used more frequently than potatoes, as it is more widely available. In 2014, potatoes were only available for one month and people waited in long lines to get their hands on them. Pasta isn’t very common in Cuba, but you may occasionally see street vendors selling spaghetti.

If you’re worried about getting your five-a-day while on holiday, you needn’t be, as fresh fruit and juice is widely available for around 3 Cuban Pesos (around 7p).

Tea drinkers be warned! The Cuban people are proud coffee drinkers, and with good reason, as they have some of the best coffee in the world. It is typically served in an espresso shot, and infused with Demerara sugar during the pulling process. It’s the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!

For those with a sweet tooth, you will have many opportunities to try some delicious Cuban desserts. Brightly coloured cakes are common at celebration dinners, as are Cuban staples such as tres leches cake and flan.

Cuba should be named the cocktail capital of the world, as it’s the home to so many delicious options! Try a mojito, daiquiri, or Cuba Libre. Beer drinkers are also well catered for, as Cuba has many delicious beer options to choose from. Bucaneroa and Cristal are the two most popular and widely available, while some locals will swear by local beers such as Cacique and Mayabe. They’re all light and highly refreshing lagers, perfect after a day at the beach – we would recommend you try them all and pick your favourite!