How expensive?

Compared with other Latin American countries how expensive is Cuba? Lodging, food, travel ect.... is possiblele to go there on a budget.
Jesse

Comparatively, Cuba is very expensive. Accommodation will run you the equivalent of at least $30 US a night in Havana, less in other locations; half of that if you share a room with a travelling companion. Bottled water/other drinks and food will cost perhaps $20. a day. Then there is travel and entertainment costs. A minimum budget, IMO, is probably somewhere around $65-$75 US per day. To do much more than just eat and sleep, you will need more than that.

1, I hope very much, that you are wrong.

Everybody that I have talked to, either on the island or who's traveled there, has said that Cuba can be done relatively cheap, depending on interests.

I will be traveling to the island for two weeks this summer... and according to my calculations I will only be spending HALF of what the god damn airfare costs, through my whole stay on the island. Like stated, having a travel partner cuts accommodation completely in half. I would argue that in most of the casas, $10 - 15 CUC per night per person is relatively inexpensive.

Also, during my stay I will definitely be taking advantage of the duel currency. What appears to be the best way to do this (and time will tell, whether I'm right or wrong!) would be to have somebody to meet in Cuba who can really direct you around and ease the tensions of say, a peso bar somewhere like Holguin? I imagine having a Cuban travel buddy would also protect you in a lot of other ways... ie getting ripped off in restaurants, bars, etc. (Although if your cuban travel buddy rips you off, thats another story).

Other than that... all the money you spend on the island depends on what you want to do there. Me? I'll take a beach and a close friend... a Cuban pen pal, and a whole island of alluring culture thats been cut off from the United States for the last 50 years. I don't plan on spending a lot of money on touristy things... I guess it's just not the kind of trip I'm looking for. No car renting... just viazul and coco/bici-taxis.

Really, the only cost I don't quite have covered... would be the food and what not. Like I said, I do plan on going to a lot of peso food places. Is this really unwise? Like... is this going to be an e-coli issue? Also, at work one of our laborers (mexicans) has traveled to Cuba twice. His family does not have a whole lot of money... and obviously it didn't put too much of a financial hinder on him. He tells me I won't have to spend very much money on food, etc. Is this about right?

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<hr>during my stay I will definitely be taking advantage of the duel currency … I'll take a beach and a close friend... a Cuban pen pal …. Like I said, I do plan on going to a lot of peso food places. Is this really unwise?<hr></blockquote>

mrbeall, with all due respect since this is your first trip to la isla del amor to romanticize a fantasy, I suggest you take half of what you packed and twice as much money you plan to bring. In the States the person doing the inviting usually pays the bill but in Cuba the tourists always pays the bill for everything and everyone. Don’t count on paying $10 or $15 for your share of the rental casa and your Cuban friend to pay his/her share. Cubans don’t go Dutch and either you pay or you don’t play and you will have a boring time talking to yourself. Your Cuban pen pal is probably bored with his/her boring routine life in Cuba and looking forward to living like a tourists for 2 weeks or until your money runs out. Money talks in Cuba and you better get used to your money constantly saying goodbye to you. Your Mexican friend probably speaks Spanish and looks Latino and could pass for a Cuban but the ones I met usually stay in hotels and use the hotel pools. It’s unwise to think that you can live like a Cuban on a dollar a day on your first visit. I been there a few times in the summer I prefer to spend my vacation as a tourist and sleep in an a/c room and dining in an a/c restaurant and use a pool with a swim up bar. In the winter I don’t mind to live like a Cuban (for a day that is jejeje)

I think I will put in my two cents worth : after doing the cuba scene for over twenty seven years now 2 to 3 times a year I have done it all ways seen a lot and done a lot MR R ickie has the right idea live it up life is too short and believe me cuba is not cheap as a matter of fact travel prices have risen at least 70% over last year at this time to cuba: owing to a lot of factors :cheers:

#2
Drivel. Not been there, therefore be silent.

Ah yes, and your Cuban "buddy" will be getting a cut on money spent. Not much of an incentive to help you do it cheap. And coco taxis and bicycle taxis are just about as expensive as regular air conditioned radio taxis. Food can be cheap but you get what you pay for so only plan on this if food is really unimportant to you. The only part of your plan that seems reasonable is the Casa cost splitting and this of course assumes you will be travelling with another tourist. For myself the thought of spending half my vacation waiting for a bus is unbearable. Rather work a couple extra days an enjoy myself while i'm there.

#2

You can do Cuba cheaply. At least 1 out of 100 posters says so.

A few months ago a dutch couple told us how they hitched a ride on a yacht to Cuba and slept under trees the wholes time. Did it on pennies day. Made liars of the all regulars who probably have an accumulated century of Cuba travel time. But that really is the exception to the rule.

Heed what #3 and #6 say.

Also
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<hr>cut off from the United States for the last 50 years<hr></blockquote>

Don't kid yourself they love US music, movies and sports jerseys . . . .

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<hr>as a matter of fact travel prices have risen at least 70% over last year at this time to cuba: owing to a lot of factors <hr></blockquote>

Please quote some products/services that have shown such an increase. My impression is that most things in Cuba have retained the same price (for example casas, beer, food and transport) and as the CUC becomes cheaper and cheaper for euro holders, Cuba is actually becoming cheaper year after year. There have been some increases in a couple of things (organized excursions for example: Vinales used to be 50, now it´s 55), but 70%?

To the OP and poster#2: Cuba is very expensive compared to all other Latin American destinations I have visited. No 3$ Peruvian delicious lunch menus, no 1$/person hostels stays like in Ecuador, forget the luxurious 12hr bus rides for 10$ you can get in Venezuela and internet and phonecalls are up to 10 times more expensive than most Latin American countries. You can indeed get food very cheaply and I do not think it is dangerous or much worse than CUC food (nor do you need the company of a Cuban to "find" a CUP restaurant), but accommodation and (above all) transport is a pain in the ass: Yes, you can do it very cheaply if you have loads of time, incredible patience (once it took us 2 days get a hitch from Jaguey Grande eastwards), speak some Spanish and arewilling to put up with all inconveniences (which can indeed be fun up to a point). But for the same basic things you will budget 20$/day in Peru, you need at least 50-60$ in Cuba. And that´s a very cautious budget. #2´s assumption that it´s "touristy things" that make Cuba expensive is not entirely correct. If you plan to travel at all (instead of staying on a beach for 2 weeks) you will see that between taxis and Viazul you´ll be spending a good 15-20$ per day. That´s already half of your budget and you still haven´t slept, bought water, entered a museum, used the internet or paid your exit tax. Cuba is not Nicaragua or Bolivia, it´s the Caribbean.

Have to totally agree with Rickie on all accounts, take more money than you expect to take, and dont expect someone else to pay for you, or even always pay in non Convertible, because foreigners stick out by accents (even if you speak spanish) and looks. Cuba is expensive, but worth it, but dont underestimate or expect that you will be doing it differently from every other foreigner that has been there just because you have one pen pal friend. I found a lot of Cubans hadnt been able to afford to travel within their own country so how this friend of yours is going to accompany you around Cuba might just be interesting for you. You cant expect that you will know a country on the first visit or the people just because you know one person.

Also you have to avoid making friends with cubans and socializing
with them. They expect you to pay for everything even if they are
too shy to ask. Don't make them spend what little money they have.

You just need to find the restaurants/paladars frequented mostely
by cubans, whatever the currency they accept.
Whether you pay in pesos or CUC, the price is often the same and calculated
at 24 pesos to 1CUC. Sometimes you will find a pesoCUP only restaurant and
the prices are comparable to the former.
CUC only establishments are more expensive.

You can also live off street vendors very cheaply but a little risky.
Pork sandwitches are great if you don't mind the flies.

2# my friend, just forget about relying on the 'dual currency' on your first visit.. even tourists who have visited Cuba many many times never quite grasp CUP.. and I would forget about Jinetero's taking you around Peso Cubano bars and restaurants, youll end up paying the same as if you would have if youd gone to a tourist bar or restaurant (after theyve taken their cut) if your gonna hang around with 'frens' just go anywhere and enjoy, dont become preoccupied with finding CUP prices, because youll be wasting your time.. you will end up spending alot of in Cuba even with just a beach and a close friend.. as for the standard of CUP food, you probably wont become ill by eating it.. but the hassle of finding it, queuing for it, avoiding being ripped off in the price (youll need good spanish) and then being able to actually stomach it.. could become quite an issue, infact you could spend hours and hours a day doing all of this.. on a first visit, maybe you wanna think twice and just concentrate on actually having a good time and enjoying cuba!

4# 'believe me cuba is not cheap as a matter of fact travel prices have risen at least 70% over last year at this time to cuba' - just to echo yorgos really, a 70% rise in travel prices, frankly.. thats just not true!! for us British; Cuba is becoming cheaper not more expensive

A tourist can have a good time in Cuba on a reasonably low budget, but not on a first visit.. and nor would a first time visitor want to do it on a low budget! With contacts, perseverance, a sense of humour and alot of time.. yes, Cuba can be done reasonably cheaply..

Mr Beall, sure, it is possible to be a homeless bum in Cuba and spend almost no money.

Let's see, you can buy eggs on the street and pay 2 pesos each, six eggs a day for about half a dollar. And if you go to a neighborhood where there no tourists, because no tourists want to be there, like Alomar, you can probably find a Cuban who will cook you a pot of rice for another half dollar, so a dollar a day for food.

Possibly this family in Alomar or La Lisa will let you hide in a hallway for a few dollars a night. Since there are no tourists there are usually no police looking for illegal casas. Or you can sleep a t the train station.

Even if you squeeze yourself down to $5 a day, that is still about 10 times what the average Cuban has to spend, so I'm sure you can squeeze yourself a little further. Instead of rice and eggs, you can eat fongo that you steal on night foraging trips to the countryside.

Or, another idea, since you speak English, you can get ahead of the Cubans and beg other tourists for money! I believe that a good English speaking beggar should be able to beg food, and then you could sleep at night in Lenin Park.

As to the cost of living, ignore that! There are homeless bums in Tokyo, New York, and every expensive place in the world, so certainly you can find a way in Cuba

Please don't listen to the people that say this is impossible! Have a great trip!

PS- with a Cuban family, no hotel bills, all my food cooked for me, I can almost get my expenses down to about a thousand dollars a month, provided I don't travel much or take anyone out to dinner, even at the peso places. Of course I would be a cheap bastard if I didn't also spend some money fixing the broken refrigerator, buying light bulbs or shoes for the nephew that doesn't have any shoes. I hope this puts things in context for you.

JessieBlank: In recent years, my travels have frequently led to me traveling first in Central or South America, then immediately thereafter, in Cuba. Here are some basic differences in terms of what things cost:

In South and Central American countries, I typically pay US $15 to $25 for a room in the capital city. However, if I am willing to accept dorm accomodations, no security for stuff, bathroom-down-the-hall, etc., it is possible to find a place for as little as $5. Not so in Cuba. In Cuba, because of it being flatly illegal to stay anyplace that is not licenced to lodge foreigners, you will pay more like US$30 to $40 for a room (unless you share with a friend, in which case it would be only half as much). It is possible to find a room in Havana for US$20, and elsewhere on the island for a little less. But that's normally only if you agree to spend a week or longer in the same casa and pay in advance. Or have a close friendship with a Cuban casa owner, which you have established on previous visits.

STREET FOOD in Cuba costs about the same as you would pay in a South or Central American country. Cuban street food is safer but more monotonos, and not half as tasty as what you would get in most Central or South American countries. Cuban tap water is MUCH safer than what you will find from Mexico south. But that does not mean it's 100% safe. For a variety of reasons, Cuban water safety has deteriorated in recent years, and if you opt to drink tap water there, you should carry a good supply of meds to deal with any bugs you acquire. You might not; then again, you might. No guarantees.

TRANSPORTATION. In all Central and South American countries it is possible to travel long distances by bus for little money--or to hitchhike. Hitchhiking is not easy in Cuba because as with lodging, it is flatly illegal for a vehicle not licenced to transport foreigners to pick you up. Plus, there are thousands of Cubans hitchhiking already, and anyone (including tourists in rental cars) inclined to pick up a hitchhiker will normally chose Cuban hitchers (like women and children) over a foreigner. There is an inexpensive bus system in Cuba, but these buses tend to run infrequently and are always crowded. Sometimes a foreigner will be allowed on for the same pennies (moneda nacional, or CUP) paid by a Cuban. But more and more they are being required to pay in pesos convertibles (CUC). This is because Cuban fares are subsidized by the government in some small attempt to compensate for the very low wages Cubans receive. There is no reason for the Cuban government to subsidize a foreigner. So when you look at getting from place to place, you really don't know until you buy your ticket whether you will be charged a regular rate or the special discounted rate given to Cubans. If you pay the going rate for foreigners, it will be more than what you would pay to travel the same distance by bus in Central or South America--but less than what you would pay in your own country. Just about all the Cuba regulars on this branch would recommend, for those who don't want to pop for a rental car, to get around on the VIAZUL bus line. It is reasonably priced, comfortable, and uncrowded--and will not leave you spending hours of your vacation time cooling your heels in a grungy bus station or hanging on the side of the highway in blazing sun trying to hitch a ride from cars which are not allowed to transport foreigners.

CAMPING is possible but facilities are limited. Of the 100 or so campismos (Cuban version of a campground) scattered around the island, only some accept foreigners. And of those which do, only some will give you a low rate of, say, US $7. Many now charge foreigners 15 CUC (which is more than that in US or Canadian dollars). The real difficulties in using campismos as a cheap place to stay on the beach is that:

(1) it's hard to get to them, as there are normally zero public transportation going to those places. (Cubans get there on buses from their school, club or place of work--not an option for foreigners).
(2) you don't know till you arrive whether you will be allowed to stay at all, and if you are, what it will cost.
(3) these campgrounds are FOR CUBANS, repleat with round the clock music blasting from huge outdoor speakers, thus creating an atmosphere not pleasing to many foreign campers who might otherwise tolerate the ultra-basic conditions.

The following quote, from Poster #11: pretty much nails it:

"A tourist can have a good time in Cuba on a reasonably low budget, but not on a first visit.. and nor would a first time visitor want to do it on a low budget! With contacts, perseverance, a sense of humour and alot of time.. yes, Cuba can be done reasonably cheaply."

Lurker > WHAT A YOKE .....jejeje

This may not be entirely relevant but my experience has been that Havana at the top end tends to be cheaper than cities elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba, generally considered one of the "top" hotels in Havana, is definitely less expensive than the equivalent "top" hotel in Mexico City, Santiago (Chile), Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires.

La Guarida, one of the "top" paladars in Havana, at around CUC20 per person for dinner is a little more pricey than equivalent restaurants in the cities listed above (though not necessarily the "top" restaurants in those cities).

Transportation is definitely more expensive in Havana given how cheap taxis are in many (but not all) of the above cities but is definitely cheaper than, say, Jamaica.

Rum and cigars are definitely cheaper in Havana but other items such as t-shirts tend to be the same or more expensive than the above cities in Latin America.

Count me in as another agreeing with what #3 Rickie says (hey, there's a first time for everything). I just got back from my first trip and counting 5 days in a CP, 3 days in a medium priced hotel, and food, drinking, and a moderate amount of being hit up for anything and everything, I spent about $1250-US/$1400-Cdn. And I would describe myself as being somewhere between "cheap" and "prudent" with my money-- so it's not like I was blowing through money like sh*t through a goose. I.E., being sort of careful, but not being cheapskate with your Cuban hosts.

I think you need about $200-US a day to be safe. Or more, if you want to spend without thinking about it too much, or if you'll be doing partying with Cuban friends. It sums it up pretty well, that joke that goes "Do they have ATMs in Cuba?" Yes, they're called "tourists"!

I echo the agreement of all the others experienced in traveling to Cuba have already said, #2. I stay for a month or more and rent a private house and the cheapest rental car I can find. Even knowing lots of people and having been there many times, the house and car alone cost about $80CUC/day. I don't go to clubs much and we cook at home 90% of the time so we can include the "family" as much as possible. We take excursions about once a week and save our money for things like clothing and refrigerators and food and such. It still comes out to about $140-180CUC/day.

To shave that back to even $100CUC/day would have me not wanting to go. That I admire the Cubans for their resilience in the face of the struggle that is la vida in Cuba does not mean I want to immerse myself into it with them.

That I admire the Cubans for their resilience in the face of the struggle that is la vida in Cuba does not mean I want to immerse myself into it with them.

Absolutely. Plus, if all we're going to do is suffer with them--- how happy would they be to see any of us? It's a lot more fun to hang around with partying people than to have people suffer with you!

To all great dissenters... haha

In my post I never meant to give any sort of expert advice... I'll be the first to admit of my ignorance that I must face this upcoming July. I do appreciate all of your advice, and your dissent... it all will come together to really shed light on a lot of what I have to expect.

I still am however, confident this can be done... with at least a "below average" budget... surely under 100 usd/day? Above I didn't really include the viazul buses within the budget (although I had factored it in elsewhere) so that right of the bat is going to jack up the daily prices. Another thing I wanted to make clear, is that i do not intend to depend on the cuban peso ENTIRELY. In fact, I don't plan on depending on it at all... rather taking advantage of it here and there, wherever I can save a couple of bucks.

Me and the guy traveling with me are very young... 19 year old students, to be exact. Although my Spanish is very minimal, his is quite fluent... and I do assume this will help us time to time? At the same time, the Cuban we will meet up with on the island is actually the director of psychology studies at some university outside of Holguin... and he is from a sort of "travelers to travelers" message board... thats target audience is really more young and broke travelers. I have e-mailed a lot of other members of the website who have traveled to Cuba and met him... (most from Europe, none from the US) and they all have only positive things to say about him. He understands that when we go, we want to experience the "real cuba"... socialism... everyday life... and the cuba that is not found in high price touristy places (I'm taking up creative writing/journalism, and this kind of experience is exactly the kind of thing I desire to write about). His philosophy is that because he is not allowed to travel by law... by having people from a variety of cultures and nationalities come visit him... it's almost like he gets to travel as well.

Now, could this all be a crock of shit, and could he be just "sealing the deal" in order to have us come down and spend a lot of money on him? Possibly... But he's doing a damn good job at it... and after talking to the guy for about a year now, (and the travelers who have met him there), I have to admit I have sort of grown to trust him.

Also, he will not be with me the entire trip. I'm meeting him about halfway through in Holguin, and he's only spending about a week with me in Holguin and Santiago (where he has people HE can stay with, rather than with us in the CP). Although he is finding me the Casas in these cities, as well as in Havana... and could very well be getting a cut in it... he knows we're on a tight budget and the prices he's quoted me have been very "doable."

Somebody above mentioned that the reason peso bars, clubs, etc are not worth it... is because of the time issue. And with only two weeks on the island, I definitely wish to take advantage of all the time I can. After thinking about it... I think my best bet will be to spend a little bit more money in Havana and Trinidad... and then go cheap once I meet up with my "fren", since he already has talked about the peso bars the locals go to? What do you guys think? Also, this is going to be a complete 100% "bum cuba" sort of trip. We are considering swiming with the dolphins in Guardelavaca (sp?), and going to the Tropicana in Santiago. Both of these I have invited my Cuban friend. I figure splitting his price with my American friend, will make the extra cost not all that terrible... at least worth the trouble that I'll be saved on my Eastern half of the island.

I guess when I get back on August 10th... you guys will have to look for a post and see if I made it or not... haha. Once again, thank you all for the advice.

19? Well that explains the rose-colored glasses.

I hope your fren is all that he appears to be and that there actually is a University "some University outside of Holguin".

It might help to assist you if you would tell us what website your are talking about. I'm not sure why you have been reluctant to mention it thus far.

mrbeall:

Considering some of the naive comments in your first post--"a whole island of alluring culture thats been cut off from the United States for the last 50 years" has got to be one of the funniest things I have read on this branch in some time---you have gotten minimal ridicule and some pretty solid advice from posters who range all across the socio/political tourist spectrum. I would strongly recommend that you re-read the posts of Yorgos (#8) and ttjpdo (#16) as they probably have the best grasp of how to do Cuba on a budget without becoming a social parasite.

An experienced budget traveler can do Cuba cheaper on a first trip than $65-75CUC. But at 19 I doubt you are there yet. The peso economy will not be your economic saviour and your yet to be met Cuban friend could very well become a financial millstone. Take at least 50% more than you have budgeted because the last thing you want to do is run out of money in rural Cuba. Good luck

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<hr>Compared with other Latin American countries how expensive is Cuba? Lodging, food, travel ect.... is [possible] to go there on a budget.<hr></blockquote>
That was the OP's question. Only ttjpdo attempted to answer the question. Whether something is 'expensive' or 'cheap' to Someone is entirely subjective and therefore meaningless unless some context - namely PRICES - is provided. Several posters get half-credit, but can anyone else compare prices or budgets for Cuba & other Latin American countries, as the OP requested?

Rough estimates are sufficient. Approx. Dollar (Euro) costs per day work, too. I read "budget" as THE CHEAP, but maybe cost-sensitive independent travelers can afford €55./day? For backpackers, Cuba is __ (2X more?) more/less expensive than Mexico or Panama, Guatemala, Brazil, Argentina, etc. ?

I suspect that Cuba is just 'more expensive' than Central American destinations. (Not certain; havent been to C-A since the late 1980s.) But I think Cuba is NOT expensive for the CARIBBEAN. Most importantly, its not as cheap as potential travelers think, imagine or hope: take more money, just like everyone sez!

p.s. gray, that was a slam on the cheapskate Dutch, I presume LOL. Augustus was Lithuanian!

"... I'm meeting him about halfway through in Holguin, and he's only spending about a week with me in Holguin and Santiago (where he has people HE can stay with, rather than with us in the CP)..."

mrbeall, I hope you're not assuming a "Cuban director of psychology studies at some university" is going to travel with you for free, just because you're a cool guy, and he digs foreigners. He's entitled to a daily guide fee, and you (of course) will be taking care of all his expenses. That's going to add up to some $$$.

Cheers,
Terry

"Several posters get half-credit, but can anyone else compare prices or budgets for Cuba & other Latin American countries, as the OP requested? "
Bolivia 12-15 euros per day, Peru 20-25, Mexico about the same (but buses add upt here), Nicaragua 15, Guatemala the same, Panama about 20-25. Cuba should be around 40-50 euros per day for an experienced budget traveler who visits it for the first time and shares a room with a friend.
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<hr>surely under 100 usd/day?<hr></blockquote>
Well, yes. It is not very easy to spend 100usd per day unless you try to to splurge, especially when you are sharing a room.
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<hr>Somebody above mentioned that the reason peso bars, clubs, etc are not worth it... is because of the time issue<hr></blockquote>
No, these things have no time problem. CUP transport is that demands a great deal of time, which you do not have.
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<hr>We are considering swiming with the dolphins in Guardelavaca (sp?), and going to the Tropicana in Santiago. Both of these I have invited my Cuban friend<hr></blockquote>
Remember that each of these items will cost you more than your daily budget.

Thank you, Yorgos.

Daily travel expense in Cuba is two- to three-times MORE EXPENSIVE than other Latin American countries. (Hard to believe that Bolivia & Nicaragua are THAT cheap, but I find your information has always been superior.)

Would you say that Cuba is nearly HALF as expensive as some Caribbean destinations, or 'among the cheapest' that tourists might visit?

I think the TripAdvisor site is so-so, but admit never using the Cuba forums. At quick glance, it seems very oriented to A-I 'suburban Canadian' types: no harm in that, but should a BACKPACKER rely on a package holiday-goer's advice?? (Is that like Debbie's - someone mentions Debbies & I have NO IDEA what that forum is like.) I also presume 'voyhabana' is the avatar referred to above, fwiw.

Very much doubt that TripAdvisor site provides any extraordinary insights into 'cheap Cuba travel.' Do others disagree?

#20... the website I was talking about is www.hospitalityclub.org.<BR><BR>Like I said, he's had quite a number of students travel and visit him... and not only have they left positive comments on his profile, (it sort of works like ebay)... but I've also talked to a few of them online and they've all said he was a pleasure and huge convenience to have during their stay. They did mention that if I plan to do expensive touristy things while I'm there... then I cannot expect him to attend with me. However two of the people I talked to specifically said he was not pushy... and even footed his own bill in a lot of the peso bars. At the same time, after telling him that I wanted to go swim with the dolphins in the Bay of Naranjo... he at first refused to go, and said he could arrange transportation there but that we should go alone... because he didn't want us to have to spend so much money on him.

I forget the name of the university he works at... but I do remember looking into it after he told me the name once, and it is an actual legitimate uni... this is why he has such good access to the internet... and last time I talked to him he was very busy preparing for his student's final exams.

Like I said, I have developed a sort of trust in him. It could very well be that this is dumbfounded and I'll end up getting screwed financially... but I do believe his heart is in the right place.

#21... thank you for the advice, your comments as well as the comments you mentioned, have convinced me to take more money than I had initially planned. I have done a lot of budget travel in Italy, France, Spain, the UK, and Australia... but never anywhere like Cuba. Yes, I am new to this.

And #26... if you find Jorge on the tripadvisor forums he can answer a lot of your questions. He really did tie up a lot of loose ends, for the a lot of things work in Cuba... however he will, without a doubt, try to recommend one of his tour guides in Cuba, which cost a fortune. The activities he recommends are also a little bit more designed for the high budget travelers... so although he is very knowledgeable about things like customs, money conversion, and common cuban practices... it sort of stops short after the information.

mrbeall, it seems your e-friend WILL hang out with you for free, just because you're a cool guy, and he digs foreigners. If others have gone before you and honestly reported their experiences were so positive, let no one here tell you otherwise. I do find my Cuban own friends reliable and trustworthy - apologies if some of us sounded cynical & snarky.

Although my own friends NEVER "ask" for anything, there's an implicit expectation that we all discover sooner or later. It doesnt bother me because its a universal, the same reason that 'rich people' get so much attention (targeted) btw. OPORTUNIDAD. In the extreme cases, WildBill (spill some rum on the ground) used this old expression against aggressive, persistent street touts : "Tun-too-run-too." My friend laughed at this expression and offered another, "Yo no soy munequito, chico!"