Here are a few notes from a recent experience



TLDR Don�t go

� sufficing CDC 24-hour test requirement: The list of hospitals provided by the US consulate doesn�t warn you that you can�t pay for the test. An antigen (rapid) test is needed to come back to the US, not the PCR since it must be no more than one day old. So, I went to the Clinico International in Vedato, since it�s closest to Central Havana, but you have to have a Cuban friend with their MCL Card so they can pay for your test. Any cash (including euro) or American bank-issued Credit card is not accepted (as in many stores). I was lucky to meet a British family who helped me pay for my test. There was a lot of stress involved. They purposely mismanage the lines in Cuba, and it was crazy. I came at 8 AM left at 6 PM. I�d suggest going to the other Clinic in farther Havana instead, indicated by one of the nurses there; she said that the one called Siboney, in Playa, will be able to accommodate the American credit card/money holders. So go directly there. Be prepared to waste your whole day there. Everyone cuts the line; it�s by design, so make sure to know everyone in front of you and after you.

� You can�t shop in stores where they sell with an MLC card, even though the prices are in dollars (MLC), and you can�t shop with Euros or Pesos (CUP) either, only the MLC card.

� Streets exchange rate for 1 dollar is 75ish pesos, but do it with caution, don�t think to do it in a bank, the official bank rate is 25 or 24 I don�t remember exactly, ask for the owner of the Casa where you are staying (I�m sure you know that you can�t stay in a government-owned hotel)

� Don�t buy anything Duty-free on your way back. My 4 liters of rum and cigars got confiscated/destroyed by US Customs. And I�ve been kept and thoroughly questioned and given the lecture and made to sign papers; I still have to figure out what it was. Document how you support Cuban people and how you�re not on vacation. I�ve said that I had no problems bringing stuff for personal use before, and they�ve said that the rules were changed since

� If you want to take chances and bring anything from Cuba and shop in Duty-free at the airport, get Cuban Pesos. The shop that was selling with pesos was multiple times less expensive than the one operating on Euros. For example, 7 y/o Havana Club rum was 450 CUP+25CUP for the bag, and the same rum was 28+2.80 Euros for the bag. But like I�ve mentioned before, everything got destroyed, including expensive cigars, and I told them that it was for personal consumption ten times. To my question, if my global entry status will be affected, they�ve answered that they don�t know

� I was supposed to celebrate a New Year with my Cuban friends in Varadero, but I cut my trip short because of a family emergency and flew through Tampa back. Maybe it has to do with this particular airport since I didn�t have any problem with CBP before.

� If you want to go to Varadero from the HAV, book with Viazul in advance; the busses are full, Cuba recently had reopened internal travel, and Cubans can travel through the island visit their families in provinces

� On the bright side, everyone is vaccinated in Cuba, four times boosted and wearing masks, and probably numbers are low if you believe what the communist government is saying.



� Cuba is almost closed for tourism, no tours, very few restaurants, but they�re planning to reopen slowly. I had the direct JFK-HAV ticket from the JetBlue promotion from almost two years ago, was pushing it forward many times, and had to take it or lose it, and I took many school supplies and clothes for my Cuban friends (I keep JetBlue plus credit card so I can take a piece of luggage for this purpose) and I didn�t expect to be a such a nightmare, especially for this CDC and CBP requirement/experience