Country Information

Capital: Agana

Time zone: GMT + 10

Telephone services: Country Code: 671
Outgoing Code: International calls must go through the operator

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 911.

Tourist information: Guam Visitors Bureau, PO Box 3520, 401 Paci San Vitores Rd, Tumon, Agaña, Guam 96911 Tel: 646 5278/9 Fax: 646 8861.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except those entering directly from the USA. As for the USA

Visa information: See USA Entry.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink.

Currency: US Dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Credit cards are widely accepted. Travellers cheques in US dollars can be exchanged.

ATM availability: Over 30 locations.

Cost of living: Appropriate to all tastes and budget.

Languages: English and Chamorro. Japanese and Tagalog also spoken.

Weather: Tropical climate with rains July – Nov.

Electricity: 120 Volts AC 60 Hz.

Post: Up to 2 weeks.

Transport: BUS: A reasonable bus service is available on a limited number of routes. TAXI: Fare are metered. CAR HIRE: Available from most major companies. DOCUMENTATION: AN IDP is required.

Special information: Guam’s tourist industry is geared towards the Japanese market, which make up 80% of visitors. As a result other travellers will observe an abundance of Japanese customs in the tourist areas. Usual social courtesies should be applied.

Capital: Bissau

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 245
Outgoing Code: All outgoing calls must go through the operator

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present

Tourist information: Centro de Informação e Turismo, CP 294, Bissau, Guinea Bissau. Tel: 213 905 or 212 844

Passport information: Valid Passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Consult embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all (can be extended in central police station), except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Falciparum the most serious variety exists throughout the year. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. Protection from mosquito bites is the best defence, use a 33% deet based repellent.
Yellow Fever: Strongly recommended to all visitors. A vaccination certificate must be provided by visitors arriving from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia and Rabies.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Guinea Bissau Peso (GBP) = 100 centavos.
Travellers cheques can be cashed at major banks only. US dollars is the preferred currency. Credit cards are not accepted.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Guinea Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some hotels are very expensive.

Languages: Portuguese. The majority of the population speak Guinea Creole.

Weather: Tropical climate. May – Nov = Wet season. Dec- Apr = Dry season. Temperatures vary with altitude.

Electricity: Limited electricity supply on 200 volts AC 50 Hz.

Post: Post to Europe will take over a week.

Transport: FLIGHTS: The national airline provides regular internal flights. SEA / RIVER: most towns are accessible by ship. Coast hopping ferries operate from the North coast to Bissau. ROADS: Only 1/5 are tarred and suitable for all weather conditions. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is recommended though not legally required. A temporary driving licence can be obtained on presentation of a valid British Driving licence.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to Guinea Bissau

Capital: Georgetown

Time zone: GMT – 3

Telephone services: Country Code: 592
Outgoing Code: 001

Emergency telephone numbers: Ambulance – 56900 (Georgetown only).

Tourist information: Caribbean Tourism Organisation, 42 Westminster Gardens, Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RR Tel: (0171) 222 4335 Fax: (0171) 222 4325.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visas not required for full nationals of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, EU countries (except Austria who do require a visa). and Japan for stays up to 30 days. NOTE: Contact the High Commission for a up-to-date list of nationals requiring visas as requirements often change

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists throughout the year in certain areas in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. NOTE: Sleeping under a mosquito net and using insect repellents is recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from infected countries (contact High Commission for list of infected countries according to Guyana).Vaccination is strongly recommended to any traveller planning to travel outside the urban areas.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink.

Currency: Guyana Dollar (Guy$) = 100 cents. Limited acceptance of credit cards. Travellers cheques (in US$) are accepted, but can take a long time to exchange.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Relatively inexpensive. Most accommodation is located in populated areas.

Languages: English. Hindi, Urdu, Creole and Amerindian are also spoken.

Weather: Hot tropical climate with the most rain between Nov – Jan and Apr – July.

Electricity: 110 Volts AC, 60Hz

Post: 7 – 10 days. Post services can be unreliable so recorded delivery is recommended.

Transport: FLIGHTS: The only reliable means of travelling into the interior is by air. ROAD: All weather roads are concentrated in the Eastern coastal strip. Most journeys will involve crossing waterways with ferries, which may create delays. BUS: Regular but crowded services operate in Georgetown. TAXI: Recommended as a method of transport at night. A supplement is added to evening fares and for long journeys it is recommended that fares are agreed in advance.

Special information: Guyana, Georgetown in particular, are notorious for street crime. Do not expose valuable possessions at any time and avoid showing signs of wealth. Travel with caution after dark. Men should not wear shorts.

Capital: San Jose

Time zone: GMT – 7

Telephone services: Country Code: 506
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 104, Fire – 103, Ambulance – 225/1436 and 228/2187.

Tourist information: Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), Apartado 777, Edificio Genaro Valverde, Calles 5 y 7; Avenida 4a 1000 San José, Costa Rica Tel 223 1733 or Fax: 223 5452.

Passport information: Passport with a minimum validity of 6 months from date of arrival, except Canadian and US citizens with proof of identity for visits not exceeding 90 days. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Not normally required. Check with the embassy and consulate for the latest information.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Exists throughout the year in the Vivax variety in the rural areas below 700m.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia – do not bathe in untreated water, Dengue fever – Avoid mosquito bites (deaths from secondary infections have occurred).

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink

Currency: Costa Rican Colón = 100 centimos
Exchange: Gambios will give the best exchange rates.
All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques in US dollars only will be accepted.
ATM availability: Over 150 locations.

Cost of living: More expensive than other central American countries but still cheaper than North America. All accommodation is graded.

Languages: Spanish. English is also spoken.

Weather: Coastal areas are much hotter than inland valleys. The raining season = May – Nov.

Electricity: 110/220 Volts 60 Hz. 2 pin plugs are standard.

Post: 6 – 10 days.

Transport: FLIGHTS: A number of operators offer domestic flights, but reservations can not be made out side of San José. ROADS: Generally very good standard but heavy traffic can make driving arduous. DOCUMENTATION: A national driving licence is required. BUS: Services operate between most towns but book in advance because overcrowding is common.

Special information: Christian names are preceded by Don for a man and Donna for a woman. Casual dress is acceptable for most occasions but beach-wear should be confined to the pool / beach. Muggings and theft from cars are common.

Capital: Helsinki

Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the last Sunday in September.)

Telephone services: Country Code: 358
Outgoing Code: 990 (for international enquiries from Finland dial 92020).

Emergency telephone numbers: Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:-Helsinki Police – 002, Doctor – 008 Ambulance and Fire – 000.

Tourist information: Finnish Tourist Board, 30 – 35 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5LP Tel: (020) 7839 4048 or 930 5871 (trade only) Fax: (020) 7321 0696.

Passport information: Valid passports are required by all except the following nationals providing they hold a valid ID card, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Not required by the following nationals: Nationals of Great Britain (holders of British Hong Kong passports do require a visa), Australia, Canada, USA, EU, Japan. NOTE: Many other nationals do not require visas – check with the nearest authority for a complete up to date list of visa requirements for Finland.

Health information: No information available at present.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: In common with12 Member States of the European Union (EU), here the Euro is the currency.
There are seven different banknotes and eight coins of the Euro.
Each participating EU country has coins with one common side and a reverse side specific to each country, while the banknotes look the same throughout the euro area.

All major credit cards are widely accepted. Travellers cheques are accepted throughout the country. US dollars are the preferred currency.

ATM availability: Over 2,000 locations.

Cost of living: Relatively expensive. Similar to other Scandinavian countries.

Languages: Finnish. Swedish and English may also be spoken.

Weather: The climate is temperate, but with considerable variation in temperatures. Summers are warm whilst winters Oct – Mar are very cold. The North has snow cover from mid Oct to mid May.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Plugs are continental 2 pin type.

Post: 3 days within Europe.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Cheap tickets can be found to the various airports throughout the country. RAIL: Cheap and efficient, various discount schemes operate depending on status e.g. group travel ‘Interail’ and ‘Scanrail’. ROAD: A well developed road system, use of horns is frowned upon and signs will indicate warnings of reindeer and other wildlife when collision are possible. BUS: An excellent network of routes are available offering cheap offers to specific groups. CAR HIRE: Normally drivers should have at least 1 years driving experience. DOCUMENTATION: Usually National or IDP is required with insurance. A ‘Green’ card is recommended.

Special information: Finnish people often appear reserved, many do not enter into idle chatter easily. They are always helpful and are known to be warm and friendly once you get to know them. PHOTOGRAPHY: Check with the Russian Embassy if you wish to take photos near the Western border. During the summer mosquitoes and gnats can be nuisance, especially in the North where a good supply of repellent is recommended.

Capital: Havana

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 53
Outgoing Code: 00. (From Havana only. All other international calls must go through the operator.)

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 26811

Tourist information: Cuba Tourist Office, 167 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6PA Tel: (020) 7240 6655. Fax: (020) 7240 6656.

Passport information: Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the length of stay. Return ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Holders of a tourist card. Nationals of Barbados for stays of up to 1 days. Nationals of CIS (except Uzbekistan), Czech Republic, Hungary, Mongolia, Namibia, Slovak Republic. Nationals of certain countries travelling on certain kinds of official business. – Enquire at the consulate.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Low risk present.
Other Health Risks: Rabies

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink.

Currency: Cuban Peso (Cub$) = 100 centavos.
At official tourist shops purchases can only be made in US Dollars.
Exchange: Should only be made at authorised money exchanges as there are severe penalties for black market money exchanging.
NOTE Keep all exchange receipts which will be required when making purchases. Do not enter the place or date details on any cheque until ready to make the transaction or the cheque will be refused. The import of local currency is prohibited. Generally a maximum of Cub$ 10 can be reconverted to foreign currency when leaving on presentation of an official exchange form.
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. US Dollars (but not drawn from a US bank) and Sterling are accepted in travellers cheques.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Not as expensive as some of the other Caribbean Islands.

Languages: Spanish. English and French may also be spoken.

Weather: Hot all year round. Raining season May – Oct. Hurricane possible Aug – Nov. Cooler between Nov – Apr.

Electricity: 110/220 volts Ac 60 Hz. American style plugs are used except for large hotels, which may use European type plugs

Post: Can take up to several weeks.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Cubana operates scheduled services between the main towns. It is essential to book in advance. Avoid flights on older soviet aircraft as some risk is involved. Transatlantic and some regional flights are serviced by more modern DC-10 aircraft.

Special information: The tourist industry is rapidly developing with a growing tolerance of Western influences. Visitors should be alert for bag snatchers and other street theft especially in the area of Old Havana and major tourist sites. Do not carry large amounts of cash. Avoid restricted areas and military zones which are NOT always well signposted. Shorts should only be worn at the beach or pool. The penalties for drug trafficking are severe.