Travel to Cuba? Visa?

Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.

Cheers,

Rob

In article .com,
wrote:
Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.

I am assuming that the Treasury people can't help you? There is a
group of people called "People to people" who invited me along on a
trip they were sponsoring with the Okay of the feds a couple of
years ago. You might google on them and call to see if maybe they
have some pointers. A place to start anyway.

--

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know that
hurricanes are dangerous.

--Yankee Viejo on misc.writing

On 10/27/2005 5:20 PM Kurt Ullman after palpating a Ginkgo,
electronically interjected:

In article .com,
wrote:


Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.



I am assuming that the Treasury people can't help you? There is a
group of people called "People to people" who invited me along on a
trip they were sponsoring with the Okay of the feds a couple of
years ago. You might google on them and call to see if maybe they
have some pointers. A place to start anyway.

--

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know that
hurricanes are dangerous.

--Yankee Viejo on misc.writing


Doesn't Cuba have a consulate or embassy in Toronto that you can contact?

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

"Brian K" wrote in message
.net...
On 10/27/2005 5:20 PM Kurt Ullman after palpating a Ginkgo,
electronically interjected:

In article .com,
wrote:

Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.

I am assuming that the Treasury people can't help you? There is a group
of people called "People to people" who invited me along on a trip they
were sponsoring with the Okay of the feds a couple of years ago. You
might google on them and call to see if maybe they have some pointers. A
place to start anyway.
--

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know that
hurricanes are dangerous.

--Yankee Viejo on misc.writing

Doesn't Cuba have a consulate or embassy in Toronto that you can contact?

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951


It may be different for US citizens, or ex-Toronto travel, but UK travel
companies (specifically Thos Cook) supply blank tourist visas with the
tickets, cost included in package. Fill in details and hand in to
immigration on arrival, with passports. Get half back and hand to
immigration (emigration??) on departure, with passports. Valid for 30
days, extendable for 30 days.

Envo

wrote:

Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.

Cheers,

Rob

You fill out an entry/exit permit while on the plane
and present it to Immigration along with your passport.

They give you the exit permit back. You need to turn
that over when you leave.

wrote:

Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.


If you're a US citizen and you have a US Treasury Dept. licence then you've
no probs. Just go to any travel agency in Toronto* and they can set you up,
it's just like travelling anywhere else.

As for visas, you simply get a Cuban tourist visa upon check - in, check
with the airline or travel agency for details...it's simple.

IIRC the Cuban Tourist Board has an office in Toronto, you can contact them.
For a general sense of what's available go here (this company's brochure
should be available at most any travel agency, there are plenty of others):

http://www.holasun.com/

Air Canada, Cubana Airlines, and various charter companies run scheduled and
charter services to various destinations, and you can get all - inclusive
packages pretty cheaply.

[*IIRC neither American Express or Simpsons - Sears travel agencies in
Canada can deal in travel to Cuba - they are both US - owned entities and
thus barred from doing business with Cuba]

--
Best
Greg

"Gregory Morrow"
gregorymorrowEMERGENCYCANCELLATIONARCHIMEDES@eart hlink.net wrote in
message ink.net...

wrote:

Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.


If you're a US citizen and you have a US Treasury Dept. licence then
you've
no probs. Just go to any travel agency in Toronto* and they can set you
up,
it's just like travelling anywhere else.

As for visas, you simply get a Cuban tourist visa upon check - in, check
with the airline or travel agency for details...it's simple.



How hard is it for American to travel to Cuba? Say I want to visit
Havana to drink me a Mojito! Will the U.S. government let me go?

How hard is it for American to travel to Cuba? Say I want to visit
Havana to drink me a Mojito! Will the U.S. government let me go?


Here we go again.....

Under U.S. law, it is legal to GO to Cuba. But you are not allowed to spend
any money there, and there's the rub. And that said, the US doesn't make it
easy for you to get there. It's not impossible, because you can go through a
foreign country (Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, etc), but if it strikes you to do
that, take plenty of cash (no US backed credits cards, etc.), cover your
tracks (don't walk off a plane from Havana and immediately go to a U.S.
flight), and be willing to deal with the circumstances if the US government
does find out. Quite a few Americans do it every year, but it has become
more difficult under the current administration.

Unrequested opinion: It's stupid. This ****ing contest has gone on 35 years
too long.

On 10/27/2005 7:25 PM Envo plucked Senior Frog's Magic Twanger and said:

"Brian K" wrote in message
k.net...


On 10/27/2005 5:20 PM Kurt Ullman after palpating a Ginkgo,
electronically interjected:



In article .com,
wrote:



Hello. I plan to travel soon to Cuba. Does anyone know what the
situation is with visas? That is, do I have to get one before I go or
can I get one when I land? I've been in touch with the Cuban Interests
Section in DC but have made little headway. Does anyone have recent
experience traveling to Cuba?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm traveling from Toronto with a
license granted by the Department of Treasury.



I am assuming that the Treasury people can't help you? There is a group
of people called "People to people" who invited me along on a trip they
were sponsoring with the Okay of the feds a couple of years ago. You
might google on them and call to see if maybe they have some pointers. A
place to start anyway.
--

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know that
hurricanes are dangerous.

--Yankee Viejo on misc.writing



Doesn't Cuba have a consulate or embassy in Toronto that you can contact?

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951




It may be different for US citizens, or ex-Toronto travel, but UK travel
companies (specifically Thos Cook) supply blank tourist visas with the
tickets, cost included in package. Fill in details and hand in to
immigration on arrival, with passports. Get half back and hand to
immigration (emigration??) on departure, with passports. Valid for 30
days, extendable for 30 days.

Envo




Envo,

It is extremely different for US citizens. We're not permitted to
travel to Cuba unless we get special permission from our government and
it's for cultural exchange, research, or humanitarian reasons.There are
no direct flights from the US to Cuba. While it's true that US citizens
can go to Cuba via Canada or Mexico it is "under the radar" and if
caught we can face stiff fines or jail. Ironic. When I was in grade
school they taught us that one of the differences between the US and
communist governments is that communist governments restrict the
movement of their citizens. Makes ya' go hmmmm. :-\

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

On 10/29/2005 2:15 PM Sarah Banick plucked Senior Frog's Magic Twanger
and said:

How hard is it for American to travel to Cuba? Say I want to visit
Havana to drink me a Mojito! Will the U.S. government let me go?




Here we go again.....

Under U.S. law, it is legal to GO to Cuba. But you are not allowed to spend
any money there, and there's the rub. And that said, the US doesn't make it
easy for you to get there. It's not impossible, because you can go through a
foreign country (Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, etc), but if it strikes you to do
that, take plenty of cash (no US backed credits cards, etc.), cover your
tracks (don't walk off a plane from Havana and immediately go to a U.S.
flight), and be willing to deal with the circumstances if the US government
does find out. Quite a few Americans do it every year, but it has become
more difficult under the current administration.

Unrequested opinion: It's stupid. This ****ing contest has gone on 35 years
too long.




Sarah,

I agree. The ironic thing is that in grade school we were told the
difference between us and Cuba, Russia, China is that the US doesn't
restrict travel of it's citizens. This not spending money in Cuba law
is a de facto travel restriction. Unless you're a Buddhist Monk or an
India Holy man, who travels without spending some money?

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951