Facts for the Visitor
Customs
- Swimming -
Entry Regulations
- Electricity
- Airport Charge
- Taking Pictures
- Health - Maps
- Clothes - Crime
- Prices - Language
- Telephone
- Rest-Room Facilities
- Tipping - Currency
- Time Difference
- Payment
Customs
When leaving the country, tourists over 14 years old are allowed to
take semi-luxuries in the following quantities: 50 cigars (which differs
from the information given by other travel guides) or 100 cigarillos
or 200 cigarettes or 250 g of cut tobacco, 1 liter of rum (over 22%
alcohol) or 2 litres of other alcoholic beverages (22 % or less) and
500 g of coffee. Referring to the agreement on the preservation of species,
it is forbidden to export souvenirs made of crocodile skins, tortoiseshells
and black corals, but handicraft products can be exported.
Swimming
The red flag on the beaches means "no swimming". On some beaches,
it can be advantageous to wear bathing slippers because of the sea urchins.
It is absolutely necessary to have effective sun protection cream. Nudism
is prohibited on Cuban beaches. Women should respect Cuban mores and
not wear excessively revealing clothes.
Entry Regulations
Germans, Austrians and Swiss, who want to visit the country, need a
passport, which is still valid for at least 6 months. In addition, Germans
and Austrians need a tourist card, which is valid for a maximum of 30
days and available at the diplomatic mission of Cuba and in travel agencies
for about 25 Euro. Individual travelers have to prove the first 3 overnight
stays and to register the name of the hotel in which they are staying.
Vaccinations are not obligatory.
The import of 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 250 g of tobacco and 2
litres of wine or other spirits is duty free. Unused items (with the
exception of personal belongings) with a value of more than 100 US dollars
are subject to a 100% custom's duty. The following items can be imported
without any problems: camera, film, radio, walkman, portable CD-player,
typewriter and sports equipment. Any items that you import duty free
have to be declared upon your arrival, and you must take them back with
you when you leave the country. It is forbidden to import drugs, pornography,
weapons, explosives as well as animals and plants. Because of the country's
economic situation, there is a lack of certain items in some tourist
centres. Tourists should plan to bring along an adequate amount of film,
batteries, medicine and books. However, sun protection creams are available
in any hotel shop.
Electricity
In Cuba the wall sockets provide 110 volt/60HZ. In many cases an adaptor
is necessary; only in a few hotels can you find additional American
wall sockets.
Airport Charge
The exit tax amounts to 20 US dollars. However, this tax is already
included in the ticket price of some airlines, such as Britannia. It
is advisable to check with individual airlines regarding exit taxes.
Taking Pictures
Photographs may be taken of anything except military installations,
airports, soldiers and industrial plants. There are many sights you
might want to photograph, so it is advisable to bring additional film
and batteries with you as you might have trouble finding them in Cuba.
The Cuban custom authorities have recently claimed that their x-ray
devices at the airport will not do any harm to film.
Health
In Cuba, medical care is exemplary. There are polyclinics even in small
communities. The doctors are well trained and competent and are prepared
for complicated operations. Treatment is completely free for all Cubans,
which is a great achievement of Cuban socialism. Tourists only need
to pay for major operations whereas, first aid is free for them as well.
Payment is to be made in US dollars. However, it is difficult to get
the necessary drugs for follow-up treatment because of the trade embargo
and the shortage of foreign exchange. As a result, more and more drugs
are produced in the country. Those who need special medications should
bring them from home. The hygienic conditions are excellent on Cuba.
The water (with the exception of Havana) is not for drinking, so you
should only drink bottled water.
Maps
Tourist maps of Cuba are easily available at book shops but often they
are not precise enough, only on the scale of 1:1000.000. All important
streets are marked on the maps, but they are usually out of date. As
there are also only few signposts in Cuba, those travelling by car should
frequently ask for directions. FTI Tours offers a more detailed map
that highlights all of the important streets as well as gas stations
and Horizontes hotels. There are additionally large outline maps of
the biggest towns, on which you can find all streets, squares and hotels.
Clothes
Because of high temperatures and the humidity of the subtropical climate,
light cotton clothes are recommended. The Cubans take great pride in
their appearance, even if they have little money to spend on clothes.
As a tourist, you should respect the local customs. Do not walk around
topless at the beach or in bathing clothes in public. Do not forget
to bring a sweater or a jacket for cold fall and winter nights and air
conditioned rooms. But, do not bother to bring umbrellas and raincoats
with you - you're going to get wet anyway! Because of the high humidity,
your clothes only dry if they are hung up directly in the sun. To protect
yourself from the sun, you should wear a hat and always use a sunscreen
with a high protection factor.
Crime
Cuba is a relatively safe country for tourists. Women can also travel
on their own without any problems. Even though Cuba has a fairly low
crime rate, it is adviseable to take the normal precautions to safeguard
valuables and report any thefts to the police.
Prices
The following are some examples that will help you plan your holiday
budget:
Beer: 1 - 2 US dollars
Rum cocktail: 1 - 4 US dollars
Main course: 2 - 10 US dollars (depending on the town)
Fish dish: 10 - 20 US dollars
Basic taxi charge: 0,50 - 1 US dollars/per km
Language
The national language is Cuban Spanish. In contrast to Castellano, it
sounds very soft and melodious and some expressions and words differ
from standard Spanish. However, in hotels and at tourist places, English
is spoken as well.
Telephone
If you want to call home you should proceed as follows: first dial 8,
then the country code, the area code without the first 0 and finally,
the number of the party you want to call. The receptionist in your hotel
can easily arrange a telephone call for you, though long-distance calls
from Cuba to Europe are very expensive.
Rest-Room
Facilities
Donde esta el baño? This is the right question if you are looking
for a restroom, but you should always have small change ready for using
it. The sanitary installations in the hotels are sometimes not the most
modern, but they are always absolutely clean and are disinfected regularly.
Tipping
Tipping has become common again and 10% of the total bill is considered
appropriate. Apart from US dollars, Cuban women like soap, which you
can bring from home to use for tips. Ballpoint pens are also very popular
not only among children. On Cuba, there are many people, who would be
very happy to have your old clothes from home.
Currency
The currency of the country is the Cuban Peso, which is sub-divided
in 100 centavos, Tourists, however, are always asked to pay in US dollars.
As a result, one should have a sufficient quantity of small bills. Since
1995, there is also a Cuban tourist currency, the peso convertible,
which can also be used as a means of payment like the US dollar. Credit
cards are accepted in hotels, at the airport, as well as at rental services
and in travel agencies. However, you should not rely on them, because
the card readers do not always work. Traveler's checks can also be cashed
in some places.
Time Difference
The time difference between Central European Time and Cuba is 6 hours.
Payment
Prices in tourist establishments are set in USD. The following credit
cards are accepted: Cabal, Transcard, Visa and International MasterCard,
on the condition that they have not been issued by US banks or their
subsidiaries. In addition, there are domestic means of payment via BFI
cards, issued by the Banco Financiero Internacional and by the following
banks: Banco de Crédito y Comercio, Metropolitano, Popular de
Ahorro and BICSA (RED cards).
History
