Telephoning from Cuba is quite economically disadvantageous. We advise you not to use mobile phones because the rates start from 5 euros per minute (better send only SMS).
You can call from Cuba with the telephone of the hotels, where the rates, although not exactly cheap, are more advantageous and are around 3 euros per minute.
The phone calls made from abroad to Cuba are the most expensive in the world.
If you call Cuba for example from Italy you need to use the international code +53, the telephone code of the city and the telephone number.
For example: if you call Havana, you have to add to the international prefix (+53) the prefix of Havana (7) and the telephone number (+53 7 x xxx xxx xxx, where x are the telephone numbers).
The cost of calling in Cuba is very expensive. You have to remember that internal calls between mobile phones in Cuba have a cost in CUC for both callers and receivers.
Mobile phones work well using CUBACEL roaming. The signal is spread throughout the island, especially in the most touristic areas. Attention, however, to the cost of roaming which is very high: therefore we recommend to disable data traffic to avoid unpleasant surprises.
You will have the possibility to buy at a cost of 3 CUC per day a prepaid sim valid 45 days and extendable.
It is necessary that your phone has GSM 900mhz technology to be able to insert the card. You can sign the contract directly at the airport.
You will also have the possibility to rent a mobile phone with 6 CUC more per day. In addition, you will need an initial phone charge in Cuba for more than 10 CUC.
The main Cuban telephone company is called ETECSA and most public telephones operate via prepaid phone cards of 10, 20, 30 and 50 convertible pesos that can be purchased from hotels, at post offices, airports and telephone centres or ETECSA points.
If you use a public phone to call abroad you will need to type the number 199 followed by the country code and telephone number.
You may need to use the landline phone at hotels from which you can safely make national and international calls, or in a Casa Particular where you can call abroad only with the option “pay by consignee”.
Now that you know all the details of how to phone from Cuba, how to receive calls and how to stay connected to the people you love most, you are ready to organize your trip to Cuba!
If you need more information about the use of the internet in Cuba read our article now!