Mexico & Cuba Adventure: Your Visa-Friendly Guide
Planning a trip to Mexico and Cuba? Here's some helpful info, especially if you already have a valid US visa.
Flying into Mexico: Smooth Sailing
I hopped on Aeromexico from the US to Mexico City. Great news: they offer free Wi-Fi for apps like Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, and Zalo! If you need full internet, you can purchase it, but I found it unnecessary.
Mexico Entry with a US Visa
When you arrive, follow the "Foreign Nationals" lane. The immigration officer will ask your reason for visiting and how long you'll stay. Just say you're traveling and plan to stay for a few days. Have your return ticket from Mexico and your hotel booking ready (some might not even need to see the hotel booking).
Getting Your Tourist Card for Cuba
After entering Mexico, head to the Aeromexico ticket counter (Terminal 2, 2nd floor) to buy your tourist card for Cuba. It costs around $19 USD. If you arrive at Terminal 1, don't worry. There's a free shuttle to Terminal 2, and the shuttle stop is inside Terminal 1.
Entering Cuba: The Wi-Fi Challenge
Once in Cuba, connect to Wi-Fi and fill out the online declaration form. It asks for information like your name, how much money you're carrying, and what items you have with you. Just focus on the important details, like your name and the amount of money. Submit the form to get a code. The immigration officer will scan the code, and you're done!
Internet Woes & Roaming
Here's the catch: internet access is slow. I paid for Wi-Fi ($5 / day), but it wasn't very fast. For work, I needed better internet, so I used roaming with a Viettel SIM card. It cost me about 2 million VND in 4 days (expensive, but it worked!).
Also, Cuba is under embargo, so many services are blocked. You'll need a VPN to access Google, Microsoft, and other services.
Overall Experience: Positive
Apart from the internet situation, everything was great! It's safe to travel, even at night.
I stayed at a Casa (a homestay run by local people). I loved it – clean and the host was very friendly. The price was $30 without Wi-Fi, $35 with Wi-Fi. Breakfast was available for $5 - $8 per meal.
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