Viva Cuba

Please be advised that Cuba is a communist country and at times local restrictions are put in place at short notice, therefore the order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €324.50pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

A visa (Tourist Card) is required for entry into Cuba. British passport holders will need to obtain a tourist card for travel to Cuba. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa for you on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote Mercury Holidays. The cost of the visa is approx £70 per person. The visas take around 10 working days to issue and are only valid for 2 months from the date of entry. We therefore recommend that you apply for your visa 8 weeks before travel. However, please be aware that your passport will be required for the application so make sure that you will not need it during this time. Alternatively, you can visit the Embassy of Cuba in London: 176 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6PA. Your passport must be valid for at least 2 months after departing from Cuba. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.

For future travel to the USA

The US Government enforces restrictions on people who have travelled to Cuba since 2011. These travellers may not be eligible to apply for the ESTA Visa Waiver program when travelling to the USA, as a result, you may need to apply for a US visitor visa via the US Embassy.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

This tour is accessible to most people with a good level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves climbing of steep stairs and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The currency in Cuba is the Cuban Peso (CUP). You will be able to buy local currency when you arrive in Cuba. We recommend you avoid taking US dollars to exchange in Cuba as they are subject to an additional 10% tax. The best currency to take is either Euros or Sterling (in small denominations) since these are the most common major currencies and the exchange rates are generally quite reasonable. The notes should not be damaged as some places will refuse them if they are not in perfect condition. There will also be cash machines available throughout the tour in major cities where you will be able to withdraw money in the local currency. However, it is not recommended to rely on them as your sole source of funds as cash machines do not always work and may not be available in the more remote locations.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Please be advised that American Express Cards are not accepted or any Credit /Debit Cards from American Banks

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £300-£400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. Tipping is at your discretion; however, we would recommend approximately £28 per person for the duration of your tour. For any accompanying guides, we suggest approximately £3 per person per day and for the driver, we suggest approximately £1 per person per day. All tips will be collected by your guide at the beginning of your tour for your convenience. Tips are accepted in the local currency; however, it is asked that if you do not tip in the local currency and pay only with notes, as coins cannot be exchanged.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 9, and the maximum will be 40. If in the unlikely event there are less than 9 people booked on your tour date, you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Triple Rooms are available, but please note that these are on a request basis and the 3rd bed is a “rollaway” bed and may reduce the overall floorspace of the room.

Where an international flight arrives during early morning, we will endeavour to provide an Early Check In to your hotel, this is subject to availability. The usual hotel check in time is from 2pm onwards.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and dinner will be taken in local Cuban restaurants or at your hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Vegetarian and Vegan meals can be catered for. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed counties water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way as the UK. Bottled Water will be available to purchase at Shops, Hotels & Lodges.

On your arrival in Havana you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Cuba For Groups, holding a sign displaying: “Cuba For Groups”. The Mercury Holidays/Cuba For Groups representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.