Everything You Need To Know To Travel Well In Cuba!

Cuba is surprisingly easy to travel IF you plan ahead. So I'm going to help you with the details that could make or break your trip to this fascinating country. 

1. Money. 

American credit cards are not accepted in Cuba. Your ATM card and your debit card will also not work in Cuba. So you need to take cash and enough cash to last you the entire trip. 

First, try to pay as much as you can before you arrive in Cuba. You can pay for your airbnb.com when you book. You can pay for some tours online before you arrive. If you plan to visit the Tropicana, you can buy your tickets online before you arrive. Depending on your spending habits, you can plan for about $50 per day. Breakfast costs 4-5 CUC. Dinner costs 10-15 CUC. Transportation is expensive in Cuba. Taxi to the airport is 30 CUC. Shared taxi to Trinidad is 30 CUC. Taxi from the Castillo de San Carlos de la Cabana to the main plaza in Havana Vieja costs 10 CUC. 

There are two types of currency in Cuba: one for tourists CUC and one for locals CUP. 

CUC have monuments on them so check your change. You will not be able to spend CUP. 

Every cambio/bank in Cuba charges the same exchange rate and commission so go ahead and change your money at the airport. There is a change booth inside the Southwest terminal that has a smaller line than the one outside. 

Besides the exchange rate, there is a 10% commission charged so, for example, we changed $500 and received 432 CUC (less $50 commission and an exchange rate of 89 CUC per $1). 

I would recommend changing a substantial amount at a time because banks close at different times each day and there are lines at all of them. 

  

2. WIFI

If you can't live without WIFI, you may not want to travel to Cuba right now. The WIFI system is not great. Here's how it works. You have to buy a WIFI card good for 1 hour for 1-3 CUC. You can buy the cards from the Telefonica for 1 CUC, but you will wait in line for about 30 minutes OR you can buy them in any local park or plaza for 2 CUC. Your Airbnb may also sell them for 3 CUC.  Then you log onto the network and enter the pin off your card. You have to remember to turn off WIFI access after you are done or your clock will keep ticking on your card. 

Sometimes the WIFI just stops working altogether and you just have to wait. 

3. Transport 

Transportation in Cuba is expensive. However, there are a few things you can do to save money on taxis. The best thing to do is find a shared taxi. This means that instead of a taxi just taking you or you and a friend, the driver will find two more people to fill the taxi. Now the cost is shared by four people instead of two. Your Airbnb host can call a shared taxi for you. You can use these to get to Trinidad from Havana or to Vinales or anywhere else you may want to go. 

4. Water and Food 

Do not drink the water in Cuba! You can either buy a Lifestraw from Amazon which will filter the water for you. OR you will need to buy bottled water. Most places will sell big bottles of water for 2 CUC. However, if you can find a water or grocery store, they will sell a bottle for .80 CUC so stock up. The rule on food is if the restaurant looks clean, it probably is. If it looks gross, don't eat there. 

Next post: FREE walking tours and the best place to buy souvenirs