FURTHER TRAVEL INFORMATION
Tour Guidebook and Packing Advice
On booking you will be sent detailed information on a wide range of topics including health advice, recommended clothing, money, visas and so on, to help you prepare for your holiday. If you have questions on these topics either now or after you have read this information, please contact us.
Geography & Climate
Cuba is a tropical island in the Northern hemisphere. It is 1250km long and covered with a variety of mountains, jungles, forests, rich farmland and golden beaches. Cuba has a warm and dry season from November to April, with average daily temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees. May to October is the rainy season, which is hotter and also prone to hurricanes.
Cycling Terrain
This tour explores Cuba on its back roads, which are almost traffic free and ideal for cycling. Some are in good condition, some are potholed and slightly rougher. There are also options to cycle on well maintained dirt roads or rougher tracks in a few locations. A touring bike, hybrid or mountain bike would all be suitable for this tour and the bike we provide for you, if you choose to rent from us, will be a mountain bike with slimmer, easy rolling touring tyres.
Accommodation & Food
The accommodation comprises of 4 nights in hotels and 4 nights in casas particulares. We visit many local cafes, restaurants and bars so you get a full flavour of local culture and cuisine. For meals not included there are many places to eat with prices ranging from £5-£6 in a decent café up to £15 or £20 in a very good restaurant (depending on the food you order), with drinks costing approximately £1.50 to £2.00 for water, beer and cocktails (rum is cheap, so a mojito won’t cost much more than a bottle of water!)
Cycle Rental (Included)
We can provide high quality, well maintained rental bikes in Cuba for this tour. These will be mountain bikes from Trek, fitted with slimmer, faster rolling tyres to allow them to run more quickly and easily on the backroads. The bikes are provided in the country, and will be ready for you when you arrive. Our tour leaders can help willth cycle mechanics and setup so will ensure that your bike is correctly adjusted for you. This extra care has made a big difference to many clients over the years – ensuring that they remain comfortable on the bike and get the most out of their cycling.
Passports’ & Visas
A full passport with a Cuban tourist card is required for entry in to Cuba, by UK citizens. The tourist card is obtained by sending copies of travel documents and a fee of £15 to the Cuban Embassy in London. The turnaround is very quick – usually the tourist card is sent back to you within 1 or 2 days. You can also get tourist cards issued by visiting the Embassy in person. Full details and a link to the application form are included in the emails that we send to you on booking.
Flight Options
This trip is timed to fit with the most popular flights to Cuba – on Virgin Airlines, KLM etc. We provide our tours at a flight exclusive price to allow you to select your own travel arrangements, if you prefer. However, we do work in partnership with a flight agent who has taken care of our clients for over 18 years, and is an expert at ensuring that cycles travel with you smoothly (if you want to take your own). If you book your own flights you should arrive in Havana on either day 1 or day 2 of the tour – full hotel details and directions will be provided. The tour ends on day 8 in Havana.
