Avec mon compagnon nous partons bientôt à cuba en routard comme d'habitude et j'aimerais votre avis sur un séjour de 15 jours ; je connais surtout l'Asie et plus particulièrement la Thaïlande ; est ce un voyage facile , quels sont les problèmes que nous pouvons rencontrer en sachant qu'on ne parle pas tres bien l'anglais , est-il indispensable de louer une voiture par exemple? je vous remercie de bien vouloir dégrossir un peu notre voyage. chantal
Il serait bien d'avoir une idée de ce que vous recherchez dans ce voyage: plages, randonnées pédestres, excursions, histoire, etc. Arriverez-vous à La Havane ou Santiago? Si vous partez bientôt et songez à la location de voiture, il se fait déjà tard pour la réservation. Le parc automobile est restreint à Cuba. La location est dispendieuse mais vous offre la liberté.
Il y a les autobus Viazul qui desservent les villes. De bons autobus avec climatisation... poussée à fond!!! Tarifs et horaires au www.viazul.com. Les taxis collectifs sont populaires. A 4 personnes c'est une bonne solution pour le transport et revient pratiquement au même prix que l'autobus. On vous prend à la porte et on vous laisse à la porte de votre prochaine destination.
Cuba est un pays sécuritaire mais il faut quand même faire attention, comme partout ailleurs. Il y a des rabatteurs (jineteros) qui vous approcheront probablement pour vous offrir une casa où aller loger, d'être votre guide. Un non poli et ils vous laisseront tranquille. Ils ne s'acharnent pas comme dans certains autres pays. Une connaissance de base de l'espagnol est souhaitable car on ne parle pas anglais ou français partout. Dans les agences touristiques, on le parle dans plusieurs cas.
Vous avez un excellent système de casas particulares (gîte du passant) pour 25-35CUC/soir, dépendamment où vous êtes. Pour une liste, consultez: www.particuba.net ou www.cubajunky.com
Dans les villes vous avez les bureaux d'Infotur pour les infos touristiques, Cubatur et Ecotur pour l'organisation d'excursions. Aussi, les proprios de casas peuvent vous trouver un taxi si vous désirez aller faire une excursion par vous-même. Il vous attendra sur place.
Merci pour votre réponse détaillée.je peux vous préciser que je ne recherche pas particulièrement plages et randonnées pédestres mais plutôt une ambiance une rencontre avec des habitants de la musique de. Belles maisons une atmosphère et aussi une cuisine différente de celle que je mange en France et en Asie. Par contre sur le côté pratique j'espère qu'il n'est pas trop difficile de se déplacer d'une ville à l'autre. Ns ne pensons pas louer une voiture mais est il possible de louer un deux roues.mon mari est motard et souvent nous utilisons ce moyen de locomotion.merci encore pour tout ce que vous pouvez nous apporter.
Pour 15 jours je pourrais vous suggérer un itinéraire assez classique: La Havane-Viñales-Cienfuegos-Trinidad-Santa Clara-La Havane. Au niveau culinaire, à Cuba ce n'est pas très développé apart certains restos à La Havane. Il y a bien sûr la langouste et les crevettes qui sont communes. Pas de problème pour les déplacemnents en autobus viazul comme je vous l'ai mentionné dans la discussion précédente. Le seul hic sera de Viñales à Cienfuegos. Je crois que les autobus passent d'abord par La Havane ce qui rend le trajet plus long.
le reseau de bus Viazul, payable en devises et a la disposition des touristes, est effectivement ancré sur la Havane : acheter ses billets bien a l avance
il n'y a pas de motos en location à Cuba, seulement des scooters chinois 50 cc dans des zones touristiques comme Vinales, Trinidad, Varadero mais pas la Havane
usage local réduit (contrat interdisant le hors zone)
pour le trajet Vinales Cienfuegos ne pas perdre de vue que la Cienega de Zapata est un marécage infranchissable, obligeant un parcours loin de la cote, sur l'autoroute depuis la Havane
Merci pour votre réponse détaillée.je peux vous préciser que je ne recherche pas particulièrement plages et randonnées pédestres mais plutôt une ambiance une rencontre avec des habitants de la musique de. Belles maisons une atmosphère et aussi une cuisine différente de celle que je mange en France et en Asie. Par contre sur le côté pratique j'espère qu'il n'est pas trop difficile de se déplacer d'une ville à l'autre. Ns ne pensons pas louer une voiture mais est il possible de louer un deux roues.mon mari est motard et souvent nous utilisons ce moyen de locomotion.merci encore pour tout ce que vous pouvez nous apporter.
Bonjour,
Nous arrivons de 15 jours à CUBA le 04 février. Pour rencontrer le "vrai CUBA", nous avons loué une voiture et nous avons sillonné l'ouest de l'île du nord au sud.
Un vrai délice, des rencontres, des paysages magnifiques. Par contre il faut la réserver plusieurs semaines avant. Le réseau routier est en assez mauvais état. Mais l'expérience est géniale.
Avec les taxis collectifs, c'st aussi possible d'échanger avec les autres passagers ou les conducteurs mais il faut avoir un bon niveau en espagnol. Nous avons déjà eu quelques difficultés avec notre anglais.
Bonjour Benoit
Avez vous un conseil pour la location de voiture ? (une agence, des tarifs?)
Nous partons début mai et je commence à me pencher sur la question.
Merci beaucoup!
La location est chère par rapport a ce que l'on trouve en France.
On a pris chez Novelacuba avec un bureau à la sortie de l'aéroport de La HAVANE.
ça c'est sûr ! néanmoins consultez bien ce que les guides papier vous disent quand vous louez une voiture afin d'éviter de mauvaises surprises ...Tant qu'il y aura plus de demandes que d'offres ...
IL FAUT TOUT VERIFIER, les papiers signés, l'état complet de la voiture. Nous avions donné la caution en cash pour éviter de laisser une empreinte bancaire. Ils ne sont pas pointilleux au départ de la voiture mais au retour c'est différent.
Nous avions pris des photos de la voiture pour être sùr en revenant.
Le gros avantage de la voiture est d'avoir sa totale liberté, on peut vraiment prendre son temps et prendre des chemins de traverses.
Hi everyone,
I’ll explain my situation.
Unfortunately, I lost my passport, and I only realized it two weeks before my departure for a humanitarian mission in Libya. I’m a nurse, and this mission really means a lot to me.
First, I applied for an emergency passport, but it was denied by the Val-d'Oise prefecture on the grounds that a planned humanitarian mission wasn’t considered an urgent reason.
So, I submitted a biometric passport application on July 20th. Since then, the tracking has been stuck, and the town hall can’t (or won’t) give me any clear information. Every time I call, I get a different story. The last update I received was that the passport had been produced since July 23rd with a status of "about to be shipped," but nothing since then.
I’ve managed to push my departure back to next Tuesday at the latest, but I’m starting to really panic.
Have any of you submitted an application around July 20th, especially in Val-d'Oise (95)? How long did you wait between the passport being produced and it being available at the town hall? Is it normal for this step to take this long?
This mission means so much to me. I had everything organized, and I’m also supposed to attend a friend’s wedding right after near the border.
Thanks so much to those who take the time to respond or share their experience. 😔
Can anyone tell me exactly if a passport "valid for the duration of the stay" is enough, or does it need to be valid for 6 months after the trip?
I checked the embassy’s website, but that info is missing.
Hi there,
I’ll be arriving in Seoul on November 18th after spending about a month in India.
Do you know if I’ll need to fill out any additional documents besides the e-arrival card?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Hi everyone,
I have to leave for Perth, Australia in a week, for 7 days, and I couldn’t get my international driver’s permit due to processing and delivery delays.
The information I’ve found about whether an international permit is required is contradictory. Some sources say you need one, others say you don’t.
Could anyone let me know if an international driver’s permit is necessary to rent a car in Australia (Perth), or if a French license is enough for a 7-day rental?
I’m a bit embarrassed because I need to travel to Quebec from February 27th to March 13th. I’m a regular visitor to Canada—this will be my 10th trip since 1997, plus a year as a permanent resident (2000–2001) and a cross-country run from Vancouver to Halifax in 2011. So, I’m definitely not a terrorist!
But since our last trip in July 2015, they’ve introduced this eTA thing. Seems more like a way to make money than to actually secure Canada, if you ask me, but anyway, that’s not the point.
I applied for an eTA for myself, my wife, and our two kids. They all got approved within hours, but not me! I was asked to create a GC key and then an IRCC account, which I did. Normally, you get news within 72 hours, but since Monday, January 15th, nothing!
In the "message" section of the account, it says "explanation letter (required)" with a deadline of January 25th, but I can’t find any explanation anywhere—despite searching the Canadian government website and Google. No links, nothing!
I’ve emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. I’m thinking of calling the Canadian embassy in Paris tomorrow. Even though I’m not stressing yet, it’d be a bummer if everyone else got to go without me!
If anyone’s had this issue before or knows what this explanation letter is about, I’d love to hear more.
hi there
I’m heading to Seoul in September, and to do that I need to get a travel authorization that we apply for through K-ETA....... turns out I can (barely, I admit) fill out the form up to the address of our "stay location," but every address I’ve entered has been rejected by the system. I’ve tried my hotel, the Lotte Hotel (which is well-known in Seoul), the airport—basically, I’ve entered at least 20 addresses, all rejected....
So, to anyone who’s successfully gotten the authorization, could you tell me which address you used to get that "elusive" approval?...
Question for those who’ve done it:
In theory (French national), I’m visa-exempt for a 30-day tourist stay, but on France Diplomatie it says on this page
Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
Hi there,
Just a question that’s probably been asked before (though usually the other way around for my situation :))
My wife and I are heading to the US.
On her ticket, it only has her maiden name (e.g., Martine DUPOND).
On her passport, it’s written as Martine DUPOND épouse AVRY.
No issues for travel, I hope I did the right thing with the ticket?
Then for the ESTA, is just Martine DUPOND enough, or do I need to include the "épouse AVRY" part like on the passport?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car.
I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky!
Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Best regards,
Arnale
I saw on the French Embassy in Peru’s website and the Peruvian Consulate in Paris’s site that the rule is to have a passport valid for 6 months *after the arrival date* (not the return date).
I arrive in Peru on August 13, 2019 (for about twelve days), and my passport is valid until February 16, 2020.
That’s 6 months and 3 days after my arrival date in Peru. In my opinion, I’m good to go.
But could I still be denied entry if they say I don’t cover the return date or that I’m too close to the 6-month mark?
I read on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that it’s possible to apply for a temporary driving permit in China, valid for 1 month.
I’m planning to rent a car (without a driver) to explore part of the country next August, so I was wondering:
Has anyone here already gone through this process upon arrival?
How long do the formalities take on the spot?
Is it possible to handle these steps in advance, before arriving in China?
Hi there,
My departure is slowly approaching, and now that I’ve got my Russian visa sorted, I’m fine-tuning the rest of my trip to Tajikistan. Since the Tajik visa is no longer required for stays under 30 days (for French nationals), I’ll need to visit the Ministry of Interior (OVIR) to register within 10 days of entering the country. No big deal, though, since I had to go there anyway to apply for my GBAO permit. 😉 However, I’ve *seen* several reports from travelers (mostly motorized) mentioning that you need an entry permit for Kyrgyzstan, which has to be arranged in advance at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you’re *stuck* at the Kyzyl-Art border (with no Wi-Fi, of course, to try and sort it out). The most recent report was from a year ago, so I’d love to know if this is still the case and if it’s indeed at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) where you need to go for this pre-authorization.
Does anyone have any recent info on this?
Thanks in advance!
