It’s been about 5 months since we got back from our Cuban Vacation, and believe or not, I’m still getting tons of questions about the trip. I honestly thought that, by now, going to Cuba would not be as much as an anomaly but I guess I was wrong. There are tons of people who haven’t gone and would like to go but aren’t sure about a lot of the logistic. So I decide to create this post answering 10 things you should know before traveling to Cuba.
- Q. Am I able to use my credit or debit cards in Cuba. A. No!
Speaking from experience, you have to bring all of the money you think you’ll need in cash and even more specifically, Euros. It not that you can’t exchange US currency, it’s that in Cuba, they charge a higher fee to exchange US dollars. If you don’t bring enough cash there is little to no chance of being able to get funds while you’re there. Bank nor credit cards work at any ATMs or stores*.
We ran out of cash on our 4th out of 6 days being in Cuba. The way we were able to get fund was by getting a family member to Western Union our Airbnb host the money. This was a huge hassle. Only Cuban citizens are allowed to receive money through western union. Luckily for us we had an amazing Airbnb host who was kind enough to help us.
The moral of this story is bring more cash than you think you’ll need and don’t be like us.
*this tip is mostly for those traveling from the US.
2. Q. Where do you get the visa needed to travel to Cuba? A. Your airline carrier at the airport before you leave.
We travelled to Cuba on JetBlue and they sell the visa at the ticket counter when you check in. The visas were $50 each. Before booking your flight, check with the carrier you plan of flying with to see if they sell visas and how much it will cost.
3. Q. What should I choose for my reason for going to Cuba (when you are booking your ticket and getting your visa)
A. Just choose ” Support of the Cuban People”
Even if you’re just going for vacation or to explore, doing these things does support the Cuban People. Cuba is not a financially wealth country and tourism really helping to grow their economy. In all honest, it doesn’t really matter which one you choose though, we were asked to elaborate of give any proof.
4. Q. Where should I stay ? A. It depends on your preference
We stayed in old Havana,close to the Central Park, the hospital (a wifi hub) and lots of shops and restaurants. Our Airbnb was perfect for what we needed. Habana Central is a little less grungy than old Havana but it is further away from some of the best attractions, especially if you’re walking.
5. Q. Is it safe there? A. In my humble opinion, yes!
Because of a long history of communism and dictatorship, the Cuban people aren’t as bold when it comes to blatant crimes. We walked around at 2am in the morning and never felt unsafe or fearful. I would like to mention that there are some scammers that will try to get you to buy illegal Cuban cigars and try to get you to pay to go to a “festival” but as common sense would tell you, try to politely avoid these people and not engage them if they come up to you.
6. Q. Where besides Havana, should I visit in Cuba? A. Veñales and Vanadero
We actual got to spend a day in Veñales and it was a wonderful experience. Its more country than Havana and there you can tour tobacco farms, see the Indian cave and botanical garden. We didn’t actually make it to Vanadero (because of the story I told in Q. 1) but it is apparently a great beach town with a nice night life scene.
7. Q. Are things expensive there ? A. Absolutely Not. Things in Cuba are actually very cheap.
There are two different currencies in Cuba, The CUC, the nationally recognized currency and CUP, more of a local currency. Small food shop and take the CUP (24 to 1 US dollar) while most restaurants and service ( taxis, tours, souvenir shops) will only take CUC (1 to 1 US dollar). In some of these smaller shops, we would pay about 150 CUP ($6.25) for a full meal with drinks. In some of the fancier places, a gourmet meal could cost us about 50 CUC ($50) with multiple alcoholic drinks.
Most of the money you’ll spend is on food and tourist attractions. There is no shopping really (for clothes and shoes ) but there are tons of souvenir shops where you can buy local arts and craft and the like.
8. Q. How’s the wifi? Will I be able to use my phone? A. The wifi is little to non-existent but you can still make calls (for a fee ).
Most homes and establishments in Cuba do not have wifi access. There is only access in the hospitals, parks and some hotels. To access this wifi, you have to buy a wifi card that has a designated amount of time for internet use. Once you purchase the card you use the username and password on it to access the internet when you are in the internet locations I mentioned above.
Don’t expect high speed, fiber optic internet either. The internet you can get by purchasing these cards is comparative to dial-up at best.
The other downside to the wifi is that there are very few places that sell these internet card. On our first day there, we were told you could just get them at the hospital in Old Havana. When we got to the hospital, they we sold out. We then, with our limited Spanish, had to navigate to the other side of old Havana to get a card at a government regulated internet card purchasing office. As with most government offices (like the dmv or the passport office) the wait was very long, an hour and a half to be exact.
9. Q. What should I bring? A. Bug repellent!!!
One of the only things I didn’t like about my trip to Cuba, is that I came back with hundreds of bug bites! As an experienced traveller, I should have known better but I didn’t bring bug spray and I truly regretted it for at least a week after we returned home from our trip. The itching was unbearable.
10. Q. Is Cuba worth visiting? A. Yes, yes, and a thousand times, yes!
The Cuban people are some of the sweetest, most humble people I’ve ever met. They have an amazingly rich culture and are super enthused to share it with outsiders. The architecture that has been frozen in time is simply a marvel to see. Cuba is a place that you can go to relax and to explore and will spark the interest of most people. We loved it so much that We’re going to go back next year on a family vacation.
If you are looking for somewhere to go on your winter holiday, I can’t recommend Cuba enough. It’s a fairly inexpensive destination that you will want to visit again and again.
If you have any other questions or need any other recommendations, feel free to let me know in the comments
