Cuban Expenses/Costs - Please Help :) (Canadian)?
Okay, so I booked my vacation package at www.redtag.ca since it was the cheapest all-inclusive. The package itself is approximately 0 and that’s with taxes included.
So far I have this as my expenses:
- Vacation Package = 0
- Room Deposit = 0
What about tips? (Do I pay in loonie coins?)
What about taxi cost? (If the hotel is 45min from the airport?)
What about snorkiling?
If you could list the average cost for the three above questions along with any other costs that would make my day. I’m a student so I don’t have an incredible amount of money to bring - I just don’t want to go there and fall short.
Thanks all 
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Hey Jimmy,
I have answered one of your questions already and you seem like a reasonable guy so I’m gonna lay this out on you the way it is as I don’t think you’re gonna take it wrongly:
Cuba can be done on $50 a day. For $50 a day you can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, have all your accommodation paid off, all transport covered, food including eating restaurants, doing at least one fun activity a day (such as scuba diving) and give out enough in tips.
The above however assumes that you have come to Cuba to really take all it has to offer in, which for the most part does not involve all inclusive vacations. This is the way I travel:
I never buy an all inclusive. In Cuba, you can stay in what they call "Casa Particular". It’s a private accommodation where as you’d stay in somebody’s private house. Casas Particulares are licensed by Cuban government and rooms that are for rent in such must be upgraded to Western standards. The cost per room varies from about $14 a day to $35, depending on location and what kind of room it is. I stayed in downtown Havana directly on Prado in a penthouse for $35 and right by the church downtown in Sancti Spiritus for only $15 - because it’s not as tourist heavy there.
The thing with all inclusive stays is that hotels have arrangements with tour operators so you will be offered all forms of fun activities that are prearranged from start to end. The trick is, they are way overpriced too. The thinking behind it is that people who booked an all inclusive stay don’t know how to book stuff for themselves so they’re gonna fall for overpriced tours.
To give you an example, I went to the most awesome cave in Matanzas for a total cost of about $10 - $5 travel expenses to get there and $5 entry ticket. At the same time a bus with tourists from Varadero came. They all paid $100 for that trip. Sure, they were delivered right there, so they didn’t have to ask around and look for that that place and didn’t have to make any travel arrangements, but to me the savings of $90 is well worth it. But then again, I never stay in hotels. I like to stay with locals, party with locals, enjoy the lifestyle of locals and do what locals do - in oppose to stay with tourists, party with tourists, do things with tourists and go where all tourists go. That gives me great freedom over my time and my activities. It’s more adventurous as a whole scale of activities and experiences is open to you and encounter you as you go along. At an all inclusive resort, it’s all predetermined for you.
Hotel staff work with tourists there every day. They know what works, what doesn’t so they’re gonna give you simple nudges to book that snorkeling trip with the company they recommend. They will tell you it’s difficult to get there on your own, they will tell you that it’s shut down for public and only accepts tourists guests now - they have all forms of excuses to make you overpay needlessly. You’d be surprised how much more you can do when you don’t get trapped in a hotel and how much cheaper it gets. Not to mention that you will see and do 5 times as much for a fifth of the cost that all inclusive guests incurred.
Anyway, let’s leave the theory out and get down to specifics:
1 CUC (Cuban tourist currency) is a fair time for most services. unless someone goes way out of their way to accommodate your requests. Less is often enough, depending on what it is you’re tipping for. Always tip in CUC, never in Canadian dollars or any other foreign currency.
The cost for a 45 minutes taxi ride will depend on what taxi you pick up. There are taxis for tourists and then there are taxis for locals. Tourist’s taxis will cost you way more but are better and arguing you into taking a ride with them. There are always better option than taxis, though. Viazul buses are comfortable and cheap and connect all major hubs throughout the country. Chances are fair there will be one running from your airport to the city where you’re heading. This would represent significant savings. Otherwise, you can get other non inclusive tourists from the airport and you can all carpool in the same taxi, sharing the cost. However, if you did purchase an all inclusive stay, transport to and from the hotel would be included in your price, hence this would be all moot. inquire with RedTag to find out for sure, but it should be. That’s the point of an all inclusive stay.
As far as snorkeling goes, it cost me about $20 total to pay for boat rides, rental of gear and all guidance at Playa Coral for a day. Again, prices are easy to negotiate, it only depends on your own abilities.
)
muncle has pretty much answered your questions.
Cubans cannot do anything with Canadian coins except get another Canadian to change them. (Banks don’t accept foreign coins) That is why itis best to tip in Cuban currency.
Remember to keep CUC 25 in cash to pay for your exit tax at the airport when you leave.
Since you are going All Inclusive most of your expenses are covered. your transfers should be included in the price so check your package for that info. As others have said. for tipping use Convertible Pesos (CUC). Canadian credit cards or traveller’s cheques are good but not if they are drawn on an American bank. Debit cards I would be leery of. Take your Canadian money. You will exchange it for Convertible Pesos (CUC) either at the airport, your resort or a bank. Check the link for the approximate rate. They have no value outside Cuba so use them all up or save a few for your next visit when you change into Pesos get a lot of 1 Peso coins, they are most welcome as tips by resort staff, the servers, the beach guys, towel guys or gals etc.if at all possible take a tour of Havana it is a "must see." One thing most certain, you go to Cuba once you will plan on going back, Cubans treat us like royalty, they are proud of their country and wonderful hosts. Check the other links they may help you. Enjoy your trip. Check the links below they maybe of help.
http://www.cuba-junky.com/index.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
http://www.gocuba.ca/en/index.asp
http://www.gocuba.ca/en/index.asp