What is the best way for an American to travel to Cuba?

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Tropicales

There are a couple of ways.

With a travel licence:

If you presently residing in the US, then you would need to obtain a travel licence from the OFAC. If you have immediate family living in Cuba, then you'll qualifty for a travel licence for visiting family.
There are also other categories which qualify for a travel licence. Check the site for this:
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/cuba.shtml

Without a travel licence:
http://www.cuba-junky.com/cuba/vamos_UStravelinfo.htm
When unlicensed travelers go to Cuba from the US they normally have to go through a third country. You will frequently see this referred to as the "Gateway" on various boards. The most common gateways to Cuba for unlicensed US travellers are Toronto, Montreal, Nassau (Bahamas), Cancun and Mexico City, and less frequently used Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and Montego Bay. In most opinions Mexico and in particular Cancun are the gateways that offer the least risk of detection because:

** Unlike Canada and the Bahamas, a traveller leaving from Mexico does not pre-clear US Customs and Immigration. You will not clear Customs/Immigration until you arrive back in the US. In Canada and the Bahamas you will go through US Customs and Immigration at the airport in Toronto, Montreal or Nassau.

** Cancun is the most popular destination for US tourists in the Caribbean. There is absolutely no reason why US Customs/Immigration would suspect you have been anywhere else but Cancun.

** You can enter Mexico and re-enter the US using only a certified copy of your birth certificate and a government issued photo id, such as a driver's license (BC/DL) In other words you do not have to show US Immigration your passport upon re-entry to the US. Probably half or more of US tourists who travel to Cancun use this alternate form of identification as their travel documents.

You should take the following steps in travelling back/forth:

Enter Mexico from the US using your BC/DL
Mexico does not stamp passports on exit, although you will need a passport to enter Cuba.
Cuban Immigration does not stamp the passport at the present time, so do not worry about a Cuban stamp.
When you arrive back in Mexico from Cuba you will probably have to present your passport. The entry stamp that is placed there should be the only stamp you receive on your trip. Some people recommend presenting the passport with a $10 bill inside to avoid the Mexican entry stamp. If you use the BC/DL to re-enter the US this step is unnecessary.

After you arrive in Mexico make sure you strip all HAV luggage tags from you checked baggage.
Throw away your Cuban tickets, boarding passes and any other paper evidence of your Cuban trip.
Do not list Cuba as a Country visited on the Customs Declaration form.
Do not bring back any high profile Cuban souveniers like cigars, rum, t-shirts.
Use your BC/DL when you clear Immigration in your arrival city.

The fine by the way if you are unfortunate or careless enough to get caught can be negotiated down to $1000 or less.

Ludd Zarko

On airplane, and waiting until big bad old fidel has joined its ancestors

island.lizard

This question get's asked about 100 TIMES A MONTH on here.. and you can view all the 10,000 or so answers to this IN THE ARCHIVES for Answers because I'm tired of writing this crap every time someone is too lazy to LOOK IN THE ARCHIVES which have about as much about AmeriKans going to Cuba as you could ever care to read.

gabrielalaura74

go to Canada or Mexico then fly out to Cuba

Riki

if you live near a major Canadian city, prices are very inexpensive. Checvk the sites below for air only or AI

casey s

exercise your democratic rights and get your stupid politicians to change their stupid laws. But then Cuba would be full of obese Americans so maybe forget what I said.

!!!!!!!!

Go to another country. example: dominican republic then from there go to cuba

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