Planning a holiday to Cuba

angel11

Cos it was our honeymoon, all our hotels were 5 star so I'm afraid I can't comment on the difference between 4 & 5 star on the island. Trip advisor is a really good place to find out more info on the standard of hotels.

hollie.weimeraner

We went to Cuba a few years ago and spent 4 nights in Havana and flew internally down to Guadalavaca.

We had 3 nights initially at Havana and stayed in the Parque Central on bed & breakfast for 3 nights and then flew to Guadalavaca and stayed at the Rio de Oro for a week before flying back to Havana where we stayed in the Nacional de Cuba for 1 night before flying home.

The Rio de Oro is one of the best AI hotels we have stayed in and undoubtedly the best food and restaurants. We flew with Virgin and had one of the best holidays we've ever had. The club Tropicana show is also pretty amazing and shouldn't be missed.

isotonic_uk

carolwat wrote: »

I highly recommend holidayplace.co.uk We went to Cuba last year and noone could touch them for price. We did a multicentre and stayed in Havana first then moved to a beach hotel in Varadero. It was all inclusive in Varadero and I think Havana was bed and breakfast which was fine as with trips out we ate out anyway and it wasnt expensive.

We booked through Holiday place and found them to be the cheapest, we managed to get a twin centre with Havanna first and than Vanadero. As we live up north we didnt want to travel down to Gatwick and preferred Manchester, we found the only direct flights are from these 2 airports. Holiday place managed to find a solution for us to travel to Varadero via charter airline but stay in Havana first with private transfers.

Will update once we have been but have been pleased with them so far.

isotonic_uk

Whilst on the topic of Cuba I have a question, saving me opening a new thread....

I understand that its a closed currency so we have to get our currency from there and cannot purchase before hand in the UK. I also understand there are two currencies (CUP or CUC) one is mainly for tourists.

What do people who have been advise us on currency for Cuba? As we have a private transfer from Varadero Airport to Havana already included, Where would be the cheapest places to exchange? I assume Airport and hotels will be expensive and probably best avoided?

Any tips would be highly appreciated.

thank you

ARandomMiser

We are heading to Cuba next March and really looking forward to it.
We have booked a hotel in Varadero because we thought it was handier for a trip to Havana

Voyager2002

I visited Cuba at the every end of 2013 and would very strongly recommend it as a destination...

In terms of snorkelling and beaches, I spent some time near Guadalavaca and the coral and sub-aqua life there was as beautiful as in the Seychelles (where I once lived), far exceeding coral that I have seen in other places.

Of course, Cuba excels as a place for music and dancing, nightlife and history. A good place to experience these aspects is Santiago. Santiago and Guadalavaca are fairly close to the international airport at Holguin, which is served by charter flights. (I did not visit Havana, which is about 900 km away.)

Rather than booking a hotel along with your flights, I suggest that you go flight-only and initially stay in a "casa particular". This is in principle a private house with guest rooms, although many of them are actually small hotels with perhaps 20 rooms. They are all government-licensed and regularly inspected, offering higher standards than many hotels at much lower prices. Expect to pay up to twenty pounds per night for a double room with air conditioning and private bathroom. Incidentally, food in a casa is likely to be of a higher standard than in most restaurants.

Once you are there, go to the main square of whichever town you are staying in and visit a travel agent. These sell packages at the beach resorts, typically including bus transfers and all-inclusive accommodation. Again, the figure of twenty pounds per night is a reasonable estimate of cost, although some obviously cost a good deal more. You can thus experience both city life and seaside resorts for a very reasonable cost.

Voyager2002

On currency: if you bring a visa card you can withdraw cash from an ATM; if you bring a master card you can withdraw cash over the counter at a bank or Cadeca (money changer). Either way, you will be charged an additional fee of three per cent at the point of exchange. If you change pounds, Euro or whatever the three per cent fee will be built into the exchange rate. If you change cash US dollars then there is an extra tax of ten per cent -- although if you fancy changing money on the street or with a local that you trust, they will probably prefer dollars to other cash.

In my (limited) experience: the Cadeca at the airport offered exchange rates for cash that were very similar to those on offer elsewhere, but the staff stole money given half a chance! Exchange rates offered at the beach resort where I stayed were very poor. Other than that, there was very little difference in exchange rates: the main differences among banks was that some seemed to take forever while others were relatively quick. Cadecas in town always seem to have long queues, but they work fast and so the queues move quickly.

mvteng

AlexMac wrote: »

years ago and they tailored a package including our friends' recommendation- hotel Santa Isabella in old Havana- fantastic place and much better than the crumbling tower block hotels in the new town

We stayed there as well. Fantastic place. We ended up being stuck there due to Volcanic Ash & they couldn't have been nicer or more helpful.


If you do go to Cuba, its absolutely worthwhile travelling around and exploring. amazing country & people

blindman

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I visited Cuba at the every end of 2013 and would very strongly recommend it as a destination...



Rather than booking a hotel along with your flights, I suggest that you go flight-only and initially stay in a "casa particular". :j


Incidentally, food in a casa is likely to be of a higher standard than in most restaurants. :j

Voyager2002 wrote: »

On currency: if you bring a visa card you can withdraw cash from an ATM; if you bring a master card you can withdraw cash over the counter at a bank or Cadeca (money changer).

In my (limited) experience: the Cadeca at the airport offered exchange rates for cash that were very similar to those on offer elsewhere, but the staff stole money given half a chance! :eek:

There are several threads on here about Cuba so search for more answers.

There is a good tripadvisor thread somewhere too.

We went about 10 years ago and did it DIY.

Virgin fight direct to Havana £330 each (something to do with the Enlish cricket score against the Aussie IIRC

Stayed in a Casa particular in Havana who then arranged our next Casa near a beach (can't remember where).

They paid up front for a Bus trip to the Casa and we paid them when we arrived.

Got a local tour bus to the beach from the other Casa

Everything was cheap but as Voyager says even when I went to a bank to exchange money I wa short changed by the cashier!

It was only pence really so no problem, just a little surpirsed TBHO.

Second Casa did not speak English-which was half the fun.

Very nice people and Havana is brilliant-Time travel back to the 60's


Go before the Yanks make a mess of it:eek:

enginesuck

I found it uninspiring, beaches not as good as other Caribbean destinations. Also the food was very poor. Both in Hotels and Cantinas.


Id recommend Willemstad in Curacao as a nice Caribbean destination.