How can an American (like me) travel to Cuba?

Question

Does anyone know how an American can travel to Cuba?I know there is an embargo on Cuba placed there for no good reason only to keep the cubal people stuck in poverty.There must be a way for an american to travel there.A nation's laws should end at it's borders and as long as another country welcomes you in and you don't break any laws I don't see what the big deal is?

I read somewhere that now the USA is punishing it's citizens who travel to cuba by fineing them ten thousand dollars.I don't know if they want the money all at once or will accept payments.But I really want to go to Cuba,can someone advise me on how to do this?

Answer 1

There are several ways you can go to Cuba legally.  Do not go via Canada, Mexico or Bahamas as it is illegal, you can be fined alot, and the U.S. does monitor them indirectly.  If you fly via those country, you need to layover and preferrably depart a few days later from another city.  Otherwards, do an open jaw ticket, roundtrip with 2 different cities in that country (like Mex. or Canada).

If you are in specialized fields, like medical, music & the arts, the media or political, then you can go.  The only other way you can go is to take a Humanitarian trip which is what I did about 3 years ago.  It is no different than an excorted tour and includes your air from Miami, hotels there, food and some drinks, and your tours.  You even have free time to go to a few places and shop.

It may be a bit expensive for some people.  In 2004 we paid about $2,500 for a week and there are acouple tours going this spring & in the fall for about $3,200 from Miami.  Since everything is included, you don't need much money except to buy a few extra drinks and shopping.  $200 was the limit when we went, but we took a lot more than that.  We even were allowed to bring cigars back.

It was a great trip and may be going back again in the next year or two.  The people were friendly and alot of fun.  The nightlife was good and things were quite inexpensive.  The hotels we stayed in and visited were 4 & 5 stars.  The food isn't the greatest as they don't have much as far as beef and vegetables.  One thing nice about it......no American fast food restaurants to be seen.  We can get that here.  I liked it best of all the 15+ Caribbean islands I've been to as it is very unique and not commercialized.

Its our ???? government that doesn't allow us to go.  Yet we can go to Russia, Viet Nam, Iran, Libya, China, etc.  DUH!!

At the same time I went an associate of mine went via Cancun with a group of tour operators and travel agency owners for 1night, met with Castro who was promoting U.S. travel there.  That is something you don't hear about from the media.  

Hopefully, they will open Cuba up soon; like after Bush or the Republicans get out of office.  They are getting close to doing so.  If you're serious about going, I can give you the tour company that puts the 2 tours together.  I don't know the website or email address offhand, but I got it saved someplace and would be glad to give it to you.  You can contact me at [e-mail]

Answer 2

I an mexican, don´t know much about your laws, but I think what your gov does not want its cityzens to spend dollars in Cuba. I think there are no airlines from US to the island, so, come to Mexico first, you can fly from US to Cancun, there are fligths from there to La Habana, or ferryes, There are fligths from several cityes in Mexico to Cuba, but Cancun is only minutes away. By the way, if you get to go to Cuba, check the similarity between cubans and americans, you both are so similar!, wait and see when the differences between cubans and americans dilute, you will form the most solid parthnership, american capital and cuban ingenuity, you will see   Esteban   [e-mail]

Answer 3

I think the rule is that Americans cannot spend money there....which is impossible if you go there. Check with the treasury department to get permission if you know someone or have a purpose . I know Sean Penn went and met with Castro.

Answer 4

YOU CAN GO TO SANTO DOMINGO AND GOP FROM THERE  THES THIDS SITE I THINK ITS TRAVELTOCUBA.COM WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFO. GOOD LUCK

Answer 5

Fly to Cancun and then catch the next airplane to Cuba.  When you go through customs and immigration in Cuba, they will stamp your visa on a separate piece of paper which you can throw away when you get back to Mexico.

Of course, you will need a PASSPORT... because you can't do this with your voter's ID card or your Driver's License... you MUST have a Passport... but you already have one, right?

Answer 6

yep, there is no logistical barrier once you get out of USA, I think there are flights from Cancun.

but....when you return to USA, ICE will ask you, which countries have you visited?

If you are truthful and say Cuba....you are in trouble

If you lie....you are lying to federal officer...and if found out, you will be in trouble.

and get real, the reason the Cuban people are stuck in poverty is because of the atrocious Communist regime of Castro.  We (and they) can only hope that with the old mass murderer fading from the scene, Cuba will throw off its yoke and start progressing to a free, fair, and prosperous society.  If you go, your dollars will only support the repressive Cuban government and do nothing to relieve the misery of the Cuban people.

Answer 7

I heard you could fly to Cuba out of Canada. Good Luck...why anyone would want to go to a country that frowns at Americans is beyond me.

Answer 8

It's frustrating, isn't it? But US citizens do travel to Cuba...what is 'illegal' from the US standpoint is that you're not allowed to buy anything in Cuba. Travel isn't SO much the illegal part, although with all the propaganda going on, you are made to feel that way.

A US citizen can LEGALLY get into Cuba by acquiring permission and a license from the US government under certain circumstances.

If you have immediate family in Cuba, you can go. As well, travelling for volunteer work, educational and/or teaching purposes, religious, humanitarian, medical...and such, allows for legal travel...and you can fly DIRECTLY from US into Cuba as well. Many seem to think that's not possible, but planes do actually fly into Cuba from the States.

As others have mentioned, you can always travel via another country such as Canada to get into Cuba. And because (as everyone else said too), Cuba doesn't stamp passports (usually, and make sure they don't for you), entering into the States again wouldn't be a problem. But as long as you don't leave paper trails.

Cuba does not have issue with you as a US citizen travelling to their country, it's just the US that does.

See these links below in regards to what you can do and how not to worry about travelling to Cuba and having trouble.

I really hope you can go.

Cuba is gorgeous and most of all the people are wonderful....warm, kind, generous-hearted, hospitable.

Answer 9

I don't believe that there is a straight travel embargo. My very basic understanding is that the law penalizes a US citizen for spending money in Cuba. Without specific permission from the US government to travel there, your trip will be scrutinized. Furthermore, I believe that there is a presumption that you spent money on such a trip and must prove otherwise (prove how you supported/sustained yourself while there without spending your money on food, shelter, etc.) in order to avoid conviction.

Keep in mind that this precludes a trip to Cuba that originates in a third country (instead of the US) because when you return the question will be about money spent, not about where you flew from. So be wary of Canadians (and others) encouraging an easy answer by flying from Canada. For example, Silentnonrev (above) is incorrect. Period. And putting aside the fact that he's wrong, what he is saying doesn't even make sense. If the only barrier was that you couldn't fly directly to Cuba from the US, that would be a ban on airlines, not on US citizens. This is not about airline regulation.

I have always wanted to visit (in fact my goal was to make it there before F. Castro was out of power) and have not yet found a way that is not risky. In my mind it is not worth the risk, and I am not willing to accept a conviction as the price of travel there. To each his own, I guess.

If you go, good luck.

Answer 10

Make friends with a Haitian person or someone living in Haiti or who has friends in Haiti. You can travel to Cuba from Haiti no problem that way.

Answer 11

i know you can fly from canada or a number of islands in the caribbean (puerto rico excluded).  you cannot get any booking info or actually book a flight using your u.s. address or email account.  you will have to set up an email account in another country.  i have read that cuba is good about not stamping your passport if you are an american.  a friend of mine does a lot of business in canada and every time he reenters the U.S. they ask him if he enjoyed cuba.  i have heard that it is gorgeous, nostalgic, and the people are wonderful.  if obama becomes president, maybe all of this bullshit about travel to cuba will be over.

Answer 12

You can come to Jamaica and go from here.  We have regular flights.

Answer 13

In Canada there are several  charter companies providing regular flights to Cuba both air only or AI. Air Canada and Cubana Air also provide scheduled service.  By the way, Lynn is incorrect Cuba welcomes Americans and likes Americans it's the American government they don't like which of course puts them in step with much of the world.  Cuba does not stamp passports so you don't have to be concerned by that.  Check the sites below for some pricing and info.  I do  hope you go it's a wonderful country with wonderful, proud people.