Traveling to Cuba
Travelers are usually looking for the newest place to visit. While this isn’t a “new” destination, it hasn’t been easy to visit Cuba for a long time. Now that the Obama administration is lifting travel restrictions, there will be lots of travelers wanting to be among the first to visit Cuba. There will also be many who have relatives they have wanted to visit in Cuba. It’s important to realize that Cuba at the present time does not accept U.S. credit cards and debit cards. There’s also a surcharge of ten percent to exchange U.S. dollars. You’re better off exchanging your money for euros, Canadian dollars or Swiss francs before leaving the U.S. as these currencies do not get charged the ten percent surcharge. How to carry all this currency around? Americans are not used to carrying a lot of money around, as they usually travel with credit cards or traveler’s checks. ATM machines are always available for us, so it doesn’t occur to us to carry a lot of money. The best way to carry a lot of money is to use a money belt that you can wear UNDER your clothing. There are money belt models that can be worn by men or women. These money belts are worn UNDER the clothing around the waist, around the neck, around the shoulder, or around the ankle! There are also socks available with zippered compartments that can be worn to carry money. Another style of money belt is worn around your own belt and it then flips up and under your slacks. There’s also a regular men’s leather or fabric belt with hidden zippers underneath. If you are staying in Cuba for a longer length of time, you might want to carry all or several of these models to hold the currency you’ll need. It’s fun to have a new location to visit and see, but it’s always important to do some research prior to your trip. You can also visit www.newsday.com/travel to see a virtual tour of Cuba to give you some insight prior to your trip.
Add comment May 20th, 2009
