7 Things to Know When Planning a Trip to Cuba -

Cuba is a unique time capsule back to 1959, with vintage cars, buildings barely standing with peeling paint, and amazing architecture. Planning a trip to Cuba might seem like such a hassle, but I guarantee you it’s worth it. I’ve listed below some common and important tips to know when you decide you want to travel to Cuba, to make your life a little bit easier. Contrary to some, traveling to Cuba is not impossible. And you would definitely want to visit there while you can still get the historical and architectural Cuba feel, and before the normalized tourism takes ahold.

So, first things first…

#1. Getting a Visa

As you may know, tourism travel to Cuba is prohibited in the U.S., but traveling there is not impossible. To travel to Cuba, it’s required to have a visa. If you’re a U.S. citizen, your travel must fall into one of the 12 categories for authorized travel to Cuba. The categories are:

Family Visits
Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations
Journalism
Professional research and meetings
Educational activities
Religious activities
Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic, and other competitions, and exhibitions
Support of the Cuban people
Humanitarian projects
Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes
Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials
Certain authorized export transactions

I traveled under the “Support of the Cuban people” visa, which I think is the best choice if you’re traveling as an individual or small group (not an organized group). Traveling under this category, requires you to plan out your itinerary, full of activities that support the Cuban people. This includes activities such as: staying at an Airbnb and interacting with your hosts, eating at local restaurants, meeting with local businessmen, artists, tobacco manufactures, exploring museums, taking dance classes, going to art shows, and etc. Your schedule should include at least 6 hours each day of your visit full of these activities, so you are within regulations. You will also have to keep a record of your activities, such as receipts, for at least five years.You can purchase your visa through the airline that you book your trip with, which most will charge about $50 USD. The visa be can be purchased online or at the checkout gate/ticket counter on the same day you depart.

#2. The Money

You really want to plan ahead your activities and how much you plan to spend in Cuba before you leave, and bring at least $200 more than your planned budget, in cash. Cuba is mainly cash only! This is really important, because the last thing you want, is to run out of money in a foreign country. So, remember to bring more than enough cash. Things are fairly cheap in Cuba, such as food, cab rides and etc. You will not be able to access any of your funds unless you bring it with you in cash, there are no ATMs. There are a few banks, but to avoid this hassle of trying to find one that will accept your U.S. credit/debit card, it’s best to plan ahead.

In addition, to bringing enough cash, another helpful piece of information is to exchange your USD currency to Euros, prior to arriving in Cuba and preferably with your bank, for the best exchange rate. There are two types of currency in Cuba, the Cuban peso (CUP) and the Cuban convertible peso (CUC). Cuba is probably the only country in the world with two currencies, and this could be confusing to visitors of Cuba, but to simplify it: CUP is used primarily by locals and CUC is used in the tourism industry and the currency travelers to Cuba will need the most. The CUC exchange rate is pinned equally to the US Dollar, which means 1 CUC = 1 USD. Be sure when you receive change for spending your CUC, that you’re not given CUP back, because the exchange rate for CUP to USD is typically 25 CUP = 1 USD, which is clearly a bad rate.

#3. Accessing the Internet/Wi-Fi

Another important thing to note when planning a trip to Cuba is accessing the internet. It’s not going to be as easy as you may be used to accessing the internet anywhere else. The internet/Wi-Fi is not completely unavailable, but it’s likely not free, unless your AirBnb or hotel offers that luxury. To gain access to the internet, you will likely have to purchase a Wi-Fi card, which could typically cost around 5 CUC/$5 USD for a 5-hour card, and you will have to be in a ETECSA telecommunication center or new park to access the internet. You may find people gathered around a park, leaning against the wall, on their phones to connect to the internet.

You should also try to book many of your tours and activities prior to arriving to Cuba, to provide ease during your trip, due to the limited internet connection. So be ready to disconnect a bit on your trip, live in the moment, and take in the new experiences.

This brings me to the next item…

#4. Apps you should Download

Because the internet is not easily accessible in Cuba, it’s important to download certain mobile apps prior to arriving in Cuba. There are two apps that I would suggest to download before going to Cuba. The first one is the Maps.me Offline Map & Nav, this is important especially for navigating the city with limited or no internet connection. The last thing you would want, is to be lost in a foreign country, and this app provides GPS to users without being connected to the internet. After you download the app on your phone, you have to then download the map of Cuba. Thank me later.

Second, is the Google Translation app, it’s kinda obvious of the importance of downloading this app, especially if you’re not fluent in Spanish. It’s always good to brush up on Spanish before you go to any Spanish speaking country, but this app will definitely make communicating with Cubans easier. You will also need to download the Spanish dictionary, after downloading the app.

#5. Hotel vs Airbnb

There are some good hotels to stay at in Cuba, but personally I believe people would have a better Cuba experience staying at a Casa or Airbnb, and you’ll also get a better bang for your buck. Due to some legal restrictions, some hotels are illegal to stay at anyway. And interacting with your Airbnb hosts also counts towards the “Support of the Cuban people” travel visa. There are many other benefits of staying at an Airbnb. Of course, I can’t speak for all Airbnb hosts, but most are a good resource for navigating the city, transportation to and from the airport, booking tours, helping to make phone calls or providing cell phones, and providing recommendations on where to eat, drink and dance. Always read the reviews of the Airbnb and try to find verified or Super hosts, so you know exactly what to expect in regards to the location, A/C availability, Wi-Fi, and other things that are important to know. Staying at an Airbnb casa is one of the best ways to learn about how the Cuban people live and fully immerse in the culture.

#6. The Food

Cuban food is delicious and there are many good restaurants, although some may have various opinions. There is a lack of certain ingredients available in Cuba, such as certain spices, which some may think causes the food to be bland. I personally appreciate that the food is unprocessed, and without MSGs and preservatives. It’s simply whole, natural, and healthy. It’s also important to avoid government run restaurants and you should try to eat at private owned restaurants aka paladares. Private owned restaurants have a higher ranking, as far as the taste, than government-run restaurants. I definitely recommend focusing on and trying the famous Cuban coffee, fresh fruits and fresh squeezed juices during your trip.

#7. Bring Useful Gifts

Some things you can do that are ethical during your trip to Cuba is bringing useful items to give to locals. These things could be school supplies, clothing, painkillers, candy (the children loved and really appreciated this). We provided some of these items to our Airbnb host, who were able to share the items with locals and people they knew personally that are in need of them. We also took candy with us when we went out during the day and shared them with children we crossed paths with.