how to get from Tampa to Cuba? (Miami, Havana: legal, airports)

[danutea]

hey! i'm moving to tampa from europe for 6 months and i want to do some traveling while i'm there. do you guys know how to get to cuba from florida? any cheap ways?
thanks!

[Krulik]

Things might change with the new Obama administration. However, it used to be that you could not easily go directly from anywhere in the US to Cuba. Most people who would want to go to Cuba would do through Canada (Cuba is a very popular destination for Canadians) or through Mexico.
There might be better ways, but I don't know them.

[goofykid]

Sure you take I-75 till it ends in Mee-ami, Northern Cuba.

Seriously though I've been there twice and I never had to go through other countries. That was only if you went more than once in one year. The only airliner that went there from the U.S. was American Airlines and only out of Miami. It was the fastest plane ride I ever been on 30 min what your up your already descending. Who knows maybe now more airliners and airports go there after the Obama negotiations.

I'm surprised you haven't found any planes from Europe that go to Cuba. I saw many Germans and British tourist at some resorts when I was there.

Let me know if you find out more information Good Luck

[ferret111]

From Florida to Cuba? Nearly impossible, unless you have family over there or, occasionally, if you're a journalist. You'd have to go through Canada or Mexico. I don't think it's legal to use US currency over there, either.

[danutea]

haha. dont think you can use US currency anywhere but the states maybe that's why they have cuban peso in cuba.
yeah.. i've heard that it's incredibly popular among canadians..
BUT OKEY. so as i understannd there's a direct flight from Miami to Cuba?

[compelled to reply]

57 Chevy raft. See? Even compelled to reply can use really low brow humor.

[Krulik]

The MIA-HAV flights are long gone. Currently, there are talks to start flights from Los Angeles (LAX-HAV) once a week, primarily for people with families in Cuba. The easiest way still is through Canada or Mexico.
Here is an article about the planned flights from LA:
The South Chicagoan: Direct flights (well, sort of) soon available to Havana

[danutea]

great! thanks a lot!

[Pragmaticus]

Originally Posted by TampaOrNotTampa

The MIA-HAV flights are long gone. Currently, there are talks to start flights from Los Angeles (LAX-HAV) once a week, primarily for people with families in Cuba. The easiest way still is through Canada or Mexico.
Here is an article about the planned flights from LA:
The South Chicagoan: Direct flights (well, sort of) soon available to Havana

I am not sure where you get the idea that the Miami-Havana is long gone. There are still flight. Not only havana there is a once per week flight to Camawey. But all these are for Cubans who visit their relatives or others with special permit. For the OP like you said Canada or Mexico might be better way.

[bentlebee]

We had to be there a few years ago for a sport event that our kid had to play but we cancelled to go. We had to travel to Mexico first and go from there, which incl. long lay overs and for as close Cuba is the trip is so long. No dollars were allowed to pay with in Cuba, although I think some people would love to have them and we had still some Euro's so that could have made it easier, but stil we decided not to go....

Maybe in a few months or years it will be a lot easier to get there, but still your money will go to a communist government as a friend of mine who was born in Cuba just as her whole family, has stated to me and their family won't go there and refuses to pay a dime to the advance of that regime...I get what they are telling me.