Cuba

[Cheryl]

Can just anyone hop a flight from Cancun to Cuba with a USA passport? Since
the trip is illegal, what are the potential problems with this, other than
my conscience?

Does anyone have experience with Elderhostel Cuba tours? I have always been
a Lonely Planet/backpack-on-my-own/no reservations traveler, this tour thing
is new for me. Can you give me feedback? Tours seem to be the only way to
legally travel to Cuba, and I guess these education travel permits are going
to be rescinded as of the end of the year by our current administration
(government.)

Are there bank teller machines in Cuba? I know I can't use my United States
banking card in Cuba, but is it possible to obtain a Canadian or European
credit card and use that? I hate to carry cash for the whole trip.

Thanks for your help.

Cheryl

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

In article <bjg03702104@enews3.newsguy.com>, "Cheryl"
<cheryl5@ispwest.com> wrote:

> Can just anyone hop a flight from Cancun to Cuba with a USA passport? Since
> the trip is illegal, what are the potential problems with this, other than
> my conscience?

I don't know about Cancun, but I know that you could hop planes in Grand
Cayman for day trips to Cuba (for $99 round trip) and they wouldn't stamp
your passport in Cuba.

I have no experience, except that I know one of the people traveling with
my group to Grand Cayman did go.

--
_Deirdre http://deirdre.net
"Dogs may have kept us company on the hunt, but it was the cats who
insisted we invent houses and discover fire." -- Khiem Tran

[eBob.com]

"Cheryl" <cheryl5@ispwest.com> wrote in message
news:bjg03702104@enews3.newsguy.com...

> <snip>
> Are there bank teller machines in Cuba? I know I can't use my United
States
> banking card in Cuba, but is it possible to obtain a Canadian or European
> credit card and use that? I hate to carry cash for the whole trip.
>

I looked into a Canadian credit card before my (legal) trip to Cuba in
April/May. But all seemed to require a Canadian address. So I then
considered transferring money to myself in Cuba via, e.g.,
http://duales.com/eng/Content/home.asp or http://www.cash2cuba.com/. I
forget now why I gave up on this approach. Then I looked into
http://www.amigotravelcard.com/ but gave up on that approach too. I heard
mixed reports on whether Thomas Cooke traveler checks would work but they
are not easy to come by in the US. (Finding their web site is also not
easy.) You could make a career of researching this aspect of travel to Cuba
alone. I ended up taking cash.

Good Luck, Bob

[Ken Tough]

Cheryl <cheryl5@ispwest.com> wrote:

>Does anyone have experience with Elderhostel Cuba tours? I have always been
>a Lonely Planet/backpack-on-my-own/no reservations traveler, this tour thing
>is new for me. Can you give me feedback? Tours seem to be the only way to
>legally travel to Cuba, and I guess these education travel permits are going
>to be rescinded as of the end of the year by our current administration
>(government.)

Maybe you could look at the academic conference route. I have never
looked into it myself, but I know there are many each year from the
US, and presumably you don't need to have specific academic credentials
to attend one. (e.g. maybe amatuer archeologists or...)

>Are there bank teller machines in Cuba? I know I can't use my United States
>banking card in Cuba, but is it possible to obtain a Canadian or European
>credit card and use that? I hate to carry cash for the whole trip.

You could buy traveller's cheques in Canada, if you flew via there
and stopped over a night, to get the spies off your scent.

--
Ken Tough

[JPW]

"Ken Tough" <ken@objectech.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MZPgq8BcFDX$Ewsd@objectech.co.uk...
> Cheryl <cheryl5@ispwest.com> wrote:
>
> >Does anyone have experience with Elderhostel Cuba tours? I have always
been
> >a Lonely Planet/backpack-on-my-own/no reservations traveler, this tour
thing
> >is new for me. Can you give me feedback? Tours seem to be the only way
to
> >legally travel to Cuba, and I guess these education travel permits are
going
> >to be rescinded as of the end of the year by our current administration
> >(government.)
>
> Maybe you could look at the academic conference route. I have never
> looked into it myself, but I know there are many each year from the
> US, and presumably you don't need to have specific academic credentials
> to attend one. (e.g. maybe amatuer archeologists or...)
>
> >Are there bank teller machines in Cuba? I know I can't use my United
States
> >banking card in Cuba, but is it possible to obtain a Canadian or European
> >credit card and use that? I hate to carry cash for the whole trip.
>
> You could buy traveller's cheques in Canada, if you flew via there
> and stopped over a night, to get the spies off your scent.
>
> --
> Ken Tough

Ken,
Went on a Medical Conference to Cuba 2 years ago. They had another last year
and had planned another Feb2004. US Govt. has now turned down request to
have Feb conference twice and on the 3rd appeal. Apparently closing that
legal entry.
JPW