What kind of money to bring to cuba

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We are currently in Varadero at a resort. Some restaurants cannot take credit cards,no connection we were told,some places in town take them and some only take cash and might be pesos or Canadiandollars!

Very confusing!! Never sure what is required!! Thanks for sharing your experience, Melva. Using money in Cuba is indeed very confusing.

Not all establishments accept foreign currency. ATMs are scattered. On top of that, some private businesses use an unfavorable exchange rate depending on the currency you use. My advice is: — Bring cash to cover most of your expenses in Cuba.

Avoid exchanging money at these private facilities or with street vendors. Hope this helps a bit. Enjoy your trip to Cuba! Hi Sandra, Thanks for the heads up! We just updated the article to reflect the major changes announced in June — Bringing US dollars to Cuba is now useless. Hope it helps! But a large bag of coins is very heavy to carry around! We used to tip in dollar bills several years ago — so are these still welcome or not? Hi David, Thanks for your comment. USDs are useless in Cuba because they are not accepted at any tourist facility.

This is true as of today, July We updated the article to reflect that fact. So again, please clarify:- 1.

David, 1. Yes, coins are acceptable. I suggest tipping at least one pound or one euro. Read our tipping guide for Cuba for more details. Local cannot use USDs in cash at dollar stores. Keep in mind that this can change at any point.

Hope it helps. Now you have until December 31 to make conversions. I plan to return to Cuba before the end of the year. Hi Benita, Thanks for the information. Visitors can no longer use CUCs in Cuba.

I have been to Cuba many time, but with Covid wont be going till What about out of country people. I have some at home maybe cuc what do you recommend I do. You legally werent allowed to take cuc out of cuba, so i doubt theyd have any allowances … yur stuck with them. It has to be exchanged at the bank. Hi All, I am Canadian and have be to Cuba 14 times before It is hard to tell what rate is better the airport, the hotel or the bank.

I would spend my CUC from my last trip on beer and snacks while waiting for the bus to the hotel to leave especially if you have a LONG ride to the hotel…..

Very important to buy something to drink for a long bus ride EX: Santa Maria is a 2. I usually, stay in all inclusive hotels and tip in CUC or dollar store items for maids. I usually tip the first day and mention that if they give me good service that they will be awarded at the end of my stay, this is where you see if the servers, bartenders…etc give us a good service during my stay. Before I leave, I make sure that those who treated us well are rewarded by tips, hats or clothes.

This usually shows me who is real in being nice and serving us and who is all about the money. Good to know that the CUC is no longer accepted in the airports, it was accepted when I last went.

Thanks for sharing your tips, Denis! There is actually a major change to the currency system in Cuba underway. We will update this article shortly. Just trying to budget, to include additional currency conversion costs.

Thanks for the helpful tips. Thanks for pointing this out. That tax was eliminated. You can use the calculation method in section 4 to have an idea of the conversion costs. Back when they were charging the additional 10 percent to Americans. I would change a minimal amount upon arrival then when checking in to my casa paticular check with the owner and they almost always would know a reliable money changer to get a better rate.

I have changed money in the street in Holguin before without problem I tend to seek out a woman or older man and stay away from the younger guys not sure it made a difference but was not scammed.

My preference was always to get help from my host at the casa paticular some of them I would give money to and they would get it changed for me others would invite the person to the house and we did it there never have been cheated doing this.

Are counterfeit foreign coins a problem in Cuba? There is always a risk of getting counterfeit foreign coins in Cuba, but this is definitely not a widespread problem, especially considering that the circulation of foreign currency in Cuba is limited to certain places such as banks and airports.

Doing the math, one needs to consider these exchange rates as well before deciding which currency to use to convert into CUCs, right? If my math is correct, given the above exchange rates, one would want to use EUROs over Pounds before arriving in Cuba.

Is this correct or am understanding the conversion wrong? Hello, we will be visiting Cuba later this month from South Africa and just wanted to clarify 2 things:.

Purchase items at the airport, using foreign currency only except for a Nauta card which can be purchased in CUC and get only receive US dollars back as change?

Hi Lilly, To answer your questions: 1. At the time we last updated the article, the Cuban airports were only giving change in US dollars. I would advise you to be prepared for that. We live in Canada. Is that the best thing to do?

Thank you for passing on the information. Hi Janice, Thanks for the shout out! I updated the article to clarify that CAD is not one of the best currencies to bring to Cuba, from a conversion value perspective. I believe the cigar store is past the security area. Can I use CUC? Do they take credit card? Hi Robert, You are right, the cigar store is past the security checkpoint. You will have to pay in CAD. Take Canadian money and exchange it at the hotel or at the airport.

Thanks for your article and great info! Hi Sam, So sorry for the late response here. I updated the article to clarify how to calculate how much CUC you will get when you buy them with foreign currency. Good article, on our way to Cuba for the umpteenth time and just double checking current currency regs. You mention coins, from world wide travel experience they are only good in their country of issue. Hello if you can not use cuc in the airport should we use Canadian money to buy something ex drink, lunch or a Canadian credit card?

Thank you. You can use Canadian money to pay for services or items once you pass through the airport security check. Hello I am so confused is Canadian dollars worth more or less than cuc?

Is it better to exchange currency at the airport or our resort where will we get a better rate? We are staying at Iberostar Selection Ensenachos Will the resort bus wait for guests to exchange currency if the lines are so long? Is there a fee to enter or leave the country? The exchange rate at Cuban airports is the same as that of resorts. There is no entry fee to Cuba.

You would get around 0. I just updated the article to show how to do the math here. One thing if I wait until I get to the resort to exchange money how can I tip the bus driver and bell hop. Can I tip them in Canadian?

Your best bet would be to switch your American currency at the bank then switch it to Canadian money since US money is worth more. Euros have a higher exchange so you would lose more money that way. How much money should travelers bring? This handy guide covers it all. Below, we discuss the importance of cash in Cuba, why you should leave your American credit card at home, and what to know about Cuba's two different currencies.

No one knows a place like the people who live there. Work with a Cuban local to answer all your questions about visiting Cuba. Learn more. Here's what travelers need to know:. The Cuban Convertible Peso CUC is the currency used in the tourism industry and the currency travelers will need the most.

To get the best exchange rate and avoid getting ripped off, be careful where you exchange money in Cuba. Cuban travel experts recommend that you only exchange money at the following places:. When it comes to how much money you should bring to Cuba, our locals say it depends on what kind of experience you're looking to have. They provided these tips but can help with more specific questions :. Locals tell us that the biggest mistake travelers make has to do with credit cards, debit cards, and traveler's checks.

So, read these tips carefully:. Have more questions about money in Cuba? Here is a list of our local Cuban travel experts who can help—feel free to send them a message! Does Cuba have internet? Internet in Cuba is easier than ever to use, but only if you know what you're doing. Check out our complete guide to wifi in Cuba for how to navigate Cuban internet and the best ways to get internet access in Cuba for tourists.

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Read more about our story. Planning your Trip to Cuba My number one piece of advice before even getting started planning how much cash you need to take is this: book as much as you can ahead of time in order to pay in advance! Totally up to you! Total - Pre-book online! More Info Here. The same goes for tour guides. Tipping musicians is welcomed, as this is how they earn the majority of their income.

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