Traveling to Canada from Cuba can be both easy and rewarding. Here are some tips to assist you in planning your Cuban vacation.
Canadian citizens need a tourist card to enter Cuba. Package tour operators and most airlines provide you with your tourist card. If not, you may apply for a tourist card through the Cuban consulate in Ottawa. You will need a valid passport, return or onward ticket, and hotel reservations. Tourist cards are valid for 90 days and may be extended for another 90 days once in Cuba.
There are numerous direct flights from Canada to Cuba on both commercial and charter airlines. Cubana Airlines and Air Canada fly from Montreal and Toronto. Charter airlines fly to Cuba from several cities in Canada, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. Air Transat is one of the largest charter airlines servicing Cuba.
Bring film and batteries, as these can be quite expensive in Cuba. Good quality soap, deodorant, hand creams, as well as tampons, can be hard to obtain in Cuba, so bring enough with you to last through the trip. Over the counter medicines such as ibuprofen, as well as prescription drugs, can also be in short supply.
If you're traveling during the wet season of May through October, bring a light rain coat and umbrella.
Some travelers also like to bring gifts to give to locals they meet on the island. Recommended gifts include pencils, pens, and notebooks for children, and gently used clothes or toiletries for adults.
It is also advisable to use a money belt and carry a photocopy of your passport with you.
