DOC HOLIDAY

29 April 2006
DOC HOLIDAY

Q MY WIFE and I going on holiday to Cuba in May. Can you advise me which
currency to take - some people have said US dollars while others have
said euros.

I've also been advised that tipping is expected from the staff even
though the resort is all-inclusive. If this is so, would they expect to
be tipped in euros, dollars or pesos and how much should give?

Pete O'Sullivan, by email

A UNTIL last year, the only foreign currency tourists could use in Cuba
was the US dollar, which is ironic considering the animosity between the
two countries.

Confusingly, travellers' cheques or credit cards drawn on American banks
- such as MBNA or American Express - are not accepted anywhere on the
island.

However, the Castro government has since decided that the official
tourist currency - that is to say, the cash you'll use in shops, bars
and restaurants and to pay for taxis - is the Cuban Convertible Peso,
CUC. I have spoken to several tour firms and they all advise UK
holidaymakers to take sterling and change these for CUCs on arrival at
the airport or at hotels.

You get around 60 CUCs for every £1 exchanged. But as they are a
controlled currency useless outside Cuba, don't get more than you need.

However, Cuba is one of the cheapest of all the Caribbean islands,
particularly away from the main resorts.

Tipping (in CUCs only) is not expected, but most Cubans are so friendly
- and hard-up - that you might want to give the hotel porter, barman or
waiter a few pesos.

Unfortunately you'll probably be charged a whopping commission of up to
10 per cent when you change your money but, to be honest, if you are
staying at an allinclusive hotel you probably won't need much cash.

Clothes shopping is virtually non-existent -- Milan it isn't - but the
local rum and Cohiba cigars are a bargain.

Make sure the box is sealed with a warranty and a stamp saying Hecho en
Cuba totalmente a mano. (Made in Cuba totally by hand).

Presumably you're staying at one of the beach resorts such as Varadero,
ideal for a relaxing holiday. But you must make time to visit Havana.

It's a lively, crumbling city and there are so many colonial buildings
in the old town, in varying states of disrepair, museums and galleries
at every turn.

Don't miss a night out at the Tropicana, a fabulous outdoor cabaret -
you get your money back if it rains - which features stunning showgirls,
wine and a meal for around £20.

End with a nightcap at one of Ernest Hemingway's favourite bars. Try a
mojito in the Medio near the cathedral and a daiquiri at the Floridita.

Q WE are visiting Gothenburg in early May. Could you please tell us what
sort of weather to expect. Also prices of food and drink.

Mrs Jean Willcox, by email

A Well, it won't be Med weather, that's for sure. Take a woolly and a
flask. Prices in Sweden are dearer than the UK for most things, apart
from public transport. Expect to pay about £25 for the traditional
smorgasbord.

A beer will set you back about £5 and don't even think about wine.
Swedish no-frills airline Fly Me (www.flyme.com) has one-way prices from
Stansted to Gothenburg at £19.99, a lot cheaper than SAS.

Q COULD you please tell me if there is any way I can get from Liverpool
to Costa Almeria, on or just after May 22?

Joan Quine, via email

A To get direct to Almeria you'll have to fly from Manchester. Monarch
Scheduled (www.flymonarch.com) has a one-way flight departing on May 23
for £59.99 exc. taxes.

Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies to Granada from Liverpool. It has
one-way flights on May 23 for £14.99. Granada is two-hours on the train
from Almeria and costs around £8. Times are on www.renfe.es

DOC HOLIDAY

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