Yes, of course.
Exception: "friends" under 18 years of age. Not permitted in our homes.
Your visitors will be asked to identify themselves (they know it).
New from July 1st, 2008: no visits if two tourists share the same room or apartment. If one tourist rents a room he/she may receive visits as has always been the case.

Yes, you should. Legally rented rooms are can be declared as your address in Cuba. All rooms offered by HolaCuba are in a possession of a valid rental license.

CUC is a shortcut for Peso Cubano Convertible. This is cuban currency used to purchase goods in numerous well supplied stores and kiosks (called shopping by the cubans). You will pay in CUC your Casa Particular, Hotel, Bus tickets (except city buses), Taxi, Air Tickets (both domestic and international) as well as the most Restaurants, Paladars und Bars. The value on CUC fluctuates daily, in April 2009 the exchange rate was 1.16 CUC for 1.00 Euro. Please hover the mouse on the top of this page to have more current rates of exchange displayed.

Three Peso Convertible (CUC)

Three Peso Cubano (CUP, moneda nacional)

You will be able to exchange the CUC for CUP in every CADECA exchange booth. The current exchange rate is 1 CUC = 24 CUP (peso). And you'll need pesos to purchase fruit and meat at the farmer's market (agromercado), post stamps, basic medicine such as aspirin, cinema tickets, city bus rides, local phone calls, ice, sweets, snacks from street vendors and other goods labeled as M.N. ('moneda nacional', which is CUP).

Upon leaving Cuba you'll be allowed to take out up to 100 CUP and 200 CUC to keep it you your next trip. At every airport, event after the passport control, you will find exchange kiosks where you'll be able to exchange CUC (but not CUP) back into other currencies.

For three reasons:
1. HolaCuba guarantees that your room has been rented with government license. You would compromise your safety walking the streets with you travel bags and searching for rooms.
2. Our addresses can be declared on the border upon entry.
3. In the high season there are no 20 CUC rooms available. Without a prior reservation from HolaCuba you would probably end up in an expensive hotel.

Citizens of most countries need a visa when they travel to Cuba as tourists. Tourist visa will be issued in a form of a loose tourist card, not a stamp in your passport. You will receive the tourist card either from the airline where you by your ticket or from the cuban consulate in your country. We do not sell tourist cards.

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of your entry to Cuba. The tourist card allows you to stay in Cuba up to 30 days. It can be extended one time in the immigration office (DIE).

Table of road distances in Cuba in kilometers

Yes. Unless you have a rare charter ticket with the departure tax included please save 25 CUC to be paid pay on departure. The counters are positioned after check-in but before passport control.

Unless it's a new artisan gift you do need a permission to export art work. Please contact Bienes Culturales, Calle 17 # 1009, entre 10 y 12, Vedado, Habana.

You may take out up to 50 cigars without any invoice. If you take out more then 50 you must have an invoice from a cigar store in Cuba.

Police 106. Fire Brigade 105

No.
Although you may exchange US-Dollars in a cuban bank, the exchange rate is 10% worse then any other currency. Cuba has introduced a kind of penalty rate (gravamen) on US-Dollars to recover some economic losses resulting from the US trade embargo.

Also, credit cards issued by US or US-controlled banks are not accepted in Cuba.