What you should know before visiting Cuba

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Why are flights to Cuba so cheap? Happy To Travel Again Portrait of a young woman checks the arrivals and departures board at the airport. She wears a face mask for protection during a Coronavirus pandemic.New normal lifestyle for public transport after Covid-19 travel stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images The U.S. government has eliminated restrictions for most Americans traveling to the island nation, but there are still rules and regulations related to this new policy, which are continually being refined. Airlines that want to take advantage of the increased demand for travel between the U.S. and Cuba must file a request to be allowed access. Because there is only one daily flight at this time from the U.S., prices are currently low – but they won’t remain that way for long! 1. Is travelling to Cuba legitimate? If you’re traveling under a general license, we’ll ask you to specify which of the some reasons applies. Here are some examples: If you need medical care that is not available in your country. If you are an employee of a U.S. company who has relocated to another country for work. If you have a child studying abroad under the watchful eye of a school program. Or if you’re traveling with your teacher in a group of students going to or from school. You’re a well-travelled business or leisure traveller with a lot of airlines to choose from. We make booking fast and easy, no matter where you’re headed or what time of day you fly. For those special fares below our Standard Fare, we even have a $10.00 credit for on-board purchases. That’s the difference between us and everyone else… we’re just better. 2. What makes booking a flight to Cuba unique? Private jet rentalLinks to an external site. allows you to book innovative multi-airline trips that combine the best of both low-cost carriers and traditional airlines. Explore a variety of destinations – even your own backyard – starting with two different origin cities, through multiple gateway cities and on to one common destination. Whichever option you choose from our multi-city itineraries, you can rest assured knowing that we've done our homework and found the best possible price for this route combination. 3. Do I require a visa to visit Cuba? Some flights to Cuba leave out of Mexican cities that are more convenient to some U.S. travelers and allow connections from other countries. To save on airfare and have a more flexible schedule, in some cases it’s possible to book two separate one-way tickets on the same airlines. You cannot book round-trip fares with multiple airlines, but you can book one-ways with different airlines that would end up being a round trip when combined. This type of multi-airline, multi-country itinerary is only accepted by certain U.S.-based airlines and there are no refunds or changes allowed after purchase (unless an airline cancels a flight). Itineraries will be packaged together by charter flight private jet rentalLinks to an external site., but if you are checking luggage, you will have to collect your bags at the gateway city (usually Mexico City), pay a baggage fee for each bag and then re-check them on to Cuba. If you cancel your booking or change your travel plans for any reason, the policies and penalties of each airline would be applied separately . 4. Is specific health insurance required for travel to Cuba? All travelers to Cuba must be covered by a non-U.S. health insurance policy that includes medical evacuation. This must be purchased prior to arrival in Cuba or upon arrival in Cuba prior to departure for the U.S. This is an mandatory requirement and you may be turned away from your flight or immigration could simply deny you entry into the country. Be sure to arrange for this important precautionary coverage prior to your trip! 5. Is it good to analyze my luggage all the way to Havana? If you’re taking one of our direct flights from Miami, New York or Tampa, your bags will be checked straight through to your destination in Havana. This is also true for flights routed through Mexico City. But, if you are connecting from another US city to our mid-cities and then onto Havana, you will need to check your bags to Mexico City on that first flight, claim them when you land in Mexico City and then re-check them for your onward flight. This can be a lengthy process, especially if in a hurry. Our ground transport team is always available to help with this process too! For security reasons we do not allow you to take personal items of any kind into Havana, such as cameras or laptops. 6. I've heard that Cuba lacks the architecture to accommodate American tourists. Is this correct? Cuba has a lot of hotels, but don’t expect them to all be 5-star. Limited Internet and spotty phone service are some reasons Cuba lags behind other civilized countries in the Caribbean. At the same time, it’s not uncommon to find staff at top hotels who are getting an average monthly wage of $10 per month. The taxis are old - typically “Yank Tanks” - but they are plentiful and you can easily hail one on the street anywhere in Havana or other resorts. As a general rule, you will spend what you expect to spend in Cuba, but there is some chance that your Cuban vacation costs will surprise you by being less than you might otherwise have expected. 7. Do you have any recommendations for hotels in Cuba? For our Havana itineraries we offer two accommodation options. One is staying at a classic Havana hotel like the Hotel Ambos Mundos or Hotel Inglaterra, or it could be a Casa Particular, a family home that offers a room for rent to foreigners. Casa Particular offers travelers a less-common but more intimate option. Casas particulares are Cuban homes converted into small hotels, often operated by an innkeeper who rents out a room or suite for around $25-$35 pp per night (sometimes including breakfast). Because there are no hotels in Cuba, this is the only accommodation you’ll find on the island that is on par with hotel standards (but don’t expect 4-star luxury for those prices). 8. Is travelling in Cuba tempting? In general, Cuba is a safe destination for tourists. Violent crime is almost non-existent against tourists, though theft (pickpocketing) is rampant and often goes unpunished unless you take the matter to Cuban police. You can easily buy cigars or cigars, but if you're caught taking cigars out of the country by customs officials as they'll be hung on a tree outside your house awaiting a thief to come along and steal them. It's also common for tourists to be singled out for being a foreigner or not look Cuban (for example, white skin) and be accused of being from the CIA or U.S government due to the embargo (actually not legal anymore), requests to purchase as many cigars as possible can arise as they're in high demand among foreigners regardless of their quality or value. It's best not to respond unless you are prepared to buy. Shops may have a "face value" posted but will meet going prices if you try to barter otherwise, even after sitting with an item for twenty minutes or so.