Cuba - money?
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Cuba - money?
We are off to Cuba next week and I'm a bit concerned about the money arrangements. I am aware that as a tourist that I will be required to obtain and use the tourist currency rather than the local currency - I obviously have no problem with that.
We will be landing at Havana airport late afternoon and I was wondering where would be the best place to change our money into the local currency?
We will have a private taxi transfer waiting for us outside the terminal. Although it might seem logical to exchange our money inside the terminal, I wondering if there might be very long queues of people like us wanting to do the same thing and that we will be holding up the taxi driver for some time. But perhaps the local transfer taxi drivers expect a delay whilst we do this?
We were intending to take £uk and exchange those to the local tourist currency - does that seem sensible?
(We will be travelling around Cuba by sea, so will not have much opportunity to access ATM machines (if they exist in banks) during our stay.)
Thanks in advance for the any advice.
We will be landing at Havana airport late afternoon and I was wondering where would be the best place to change our money into the local currency?
We will have a private taxi transfer waiting for us outside the terminal. Although it might seem logical to exchange our money inside the terminal, I wondering if there might be very long queues of people like us wanting to do the same thing and that we will be holding up the taxi driver for some time. But perhaps the local transfer taxi drivers expect a delay whilst we do this?
We were intending to take £uk and exchange those to the local tourist currency - does that seem sensible?
(We will be travelling around Cuba by sea, so will not have much opportunity to access ATM machines (if they exist in banks) during our stay.)
Thanks in advance for the any advice.
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https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel....Exchange.html
has a pretty comprehnsive guide.................
has a pretty comprehnsive guide.................
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HH, thanks for that - very useful indeed.
Is it likely to be chaos at the airport if I try and exchange my money there? I am aware that I will be landing at the same time as a lot of other uk passengers on the same plane etc all trying to do the same thing!
We are going to spend the first day of our holiday in Havana - maybe best to wait and try and visit a bank in town? Are Banks widespread?
Is it likely to be chaos at the airport if I try and exchange my money there? I am aware that I will be landing at the same time as a lot of other uk passengers on the same plane etc all trying to do the same thing!
We are going to spend the first day of our holiday in Havana - maybe best to wait and try and visit a bank in town? Are Banks widespread?
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Here's one Aussie travellers story of money woes in Cuba. Be prepared and take plenty of cash, because everything in Cuba is still rooted in the 1950's.
Travellers stories - broke, stranded, and running out of options in Cuba
Travellers stories - broke, stranded, and running out of options in Cuba
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I'd bite the bullet and change cash at the Airport - there are a few banks in downtown Havana but much , much rarer than in any equivalent city elsewhere in the Caribbean - there isn't much money around................ Your hotel may well change money but, as ever, at an extortionate rate
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I travel on business twice a year to Havana and can assure you getting CuC's is not so difficult. If you are concerned about getting money for the taxi driver then rest assured, they are quite used to tourists having to go into their hotel and change up some cash before paying them. They do have ATM's but be warned, most UK bank cards are switched off for Cuba for fear of sanctions from the USA. My NatWest card has now been "switched on" but it took some time for my bank to do this. The sad news is that prices have rocketed in the last 3 years or so as even the capitalists in Cuba are taking advantage of the rush to go before the US really spoils it.
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We are not staying in a hotel, so I guess that option to exchange money is not open to us - unless they are happy to exchange money for non-resident guests?
The shuttle taxi driver (booked by our uk tour company via their representative in Cuba) is pre-paid for so we don't have that worry I guess.
The shuttle taxi driver (booked by our uk tour company via their representative in Cuba) is pre-paid for so we don't have that worry I guess.
Take plenty of sterling notes. Went to Havana and Varadero last month for first time. Long queues at the few currency exchanges in Havana. You cannot withdraw money on your debit card and ATMs very few and far between anyway. Most places won't take credit cards and our hotels would not exchange cash on a debit card, only for cash. There is a currency exchange booth in the marina at Varadero which will let you draw currency on a U.K. Debit card.
Cuba is still basically a cash only society, and this is not well flagged up in the brochures.
Glad we had plenty of cash on us.
Cuba is still basically a cash only society, and this is not well flagged up in the brochures.
Glad we had plenty of cash on us.
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Thank you for that very specific advice which we will take. Most of our meals are pre-paid so we will only need incidentals etc. Could you give me any ides of the rough price for a coffee etc? A beer perhaps!
4* hotel prices in Havana about $2.50 for local bucenero beer,$2 for coffee, $7 for a Cuban sandwich, $30 for a decent evening meal. A bit cheaper in the local cafes in old Havana. So not cheap but not too over the top.
Expect to pay a 20-50% premium for an old American taxi vs more modern (Lada) etc.
We did a 3 hour walking tour of Havana, great tour and you see a lot of the old city.
Expect to pay a 20-50% premium for an old American taxi vs more modern (Lada) etc.
We did a 3 hour walking tour of Havana, great tour and you see a lot of the old city.
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Probably worth reminding people, do not take US Dollars, you will pay a 10% penalty.
My hotel wanted to charge an extra 20% to use a card to pay my hotel extras bill.
Cash is king
My hotel wanted to charge an extra 20% to use a card to pay my hotel extras bill.
Cash is king
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Just an update that might be of interest.
One of the links above suggested being bit a 'crafty' and avoid the queue at the money exchange in the arrivals hall and nip upstairs to the departure hall where the exchange booths were likely to be much quieter. We took this advice, they were certainly very quiet, but all three booths refused point blank (and most resolutely) to change money into CUC's. They were only interested in changing from CUC's to something else. Went back down to the arrivals hall and joined the orderly 10 deep queue feeding the 3 exchange booths. All done and out of the airport in less than 10 minutes so that was good.
As others have said, cash is clearly king. We were actually on a small cruise ship and called at two ports that had money exchange faculties at the port - all worked ok.
When we eventually decided to change our remaining CUC's back to 'sensible' money the exchange clerk laughed and scoffed when I suggested I would like £ or Euros. He said he could only do US$. We gave him 68 CUC's and received $65 in exchange which I thought was pretty good?
Fascinating place.
One of the links above suggested being bit a 'crafty' and avoid the queue at the money exchange in the arrivals hall and nip upstairs to the departure hall where the exchange booths were likely to be much quieter. We took this advice, they were certainly very quiet, but all three booths refused point blank (and most resolutely) to change money into CUC's. They were only interested in changing from CUC's to something else. Went back down to the arrivals hall and joined the orderly 10 deep queue feeding the 3 exchange booths. All done and out of the airport in less than 10 minutes so that was good.
As others have said, cash is clearly king. We were actually on a small cruise ship and called at two ports that had money exchange faculties at the port - all worked ok.
When we eventually decided to change our remaining CUC's back to 'sensible' money the exchange clerk laughed and scoffed when I suggested I would like £ or Euros. He said he could only do US$. We gave him 68 CUC's and received $65 in exchange which I thought was pretty good?
Fascinating place.
