In general Cuba is a very safe country. There are many police officers posted at most street corners ensuring that tourists are secure. Tourism is very important to Cuba’s economy and thus tourists are well taken care of.

Even so, there are some precautions travelers should take anyway. While armed robbery is extremely unlikely to take place here, travelers must keep in mind that pick pocketing and bag snatching is quite common, particularly in major tourist towns and on buses and trains.

For a quiet, trouble free stay it may be a good idea to follow some basic rules:

• The best way of dealing with money is through the use of traveler’s cheques. You can go changing these as you need money.
• If possible, leave all valuable items (jewellery, traveler's cheques, credit cards, airplane tickets, etc) in a hotel safe or security box at the place you are staying. Another option is finding businesses that offer safety deposit boxes and security services.
• Don’t leave luggage in an unwatched car.
• Carry only small amounts of cash.
• Take out a traveler’s insurance policy to cover any losses from robbery or misplacement.
• Travel in groups. It's more than OK to walk around after dark here, even downtown, but make sure there are at least two of you.