Read & travel at your own risk!

First off, people have been traveling to Cuba for years. There is this idea that Cuba was cut off from the entire world and absolutely nobody traveled there for over 50 years. Well I hate to break it to you, traveling to Cuba doesn’t make you a trailblazer by any means. Just because US citizens (minus Cuban Americans) couldn’t go, doesn’t mean Canadians, Australians, Mexicans, Colombians, all of Europe, or any other country I forgot to mention didn’t take advantage of the beautiful Caribbean destination of Cuba.

However, going to Cuba is still a very new thing to us sheltered Americans who don’t know how to travel compared to people from other countries. In fact, we hardly take advantage of all the amazing places right here at home let alone travel abroad, but we’ll save that for another day.

I’m here to help ease the mind when thinking about traveling to Cuba by sharing pre-travel tips, requirements, how to’s, must do’s, must definitely do’s, and any piece of info that I think is relevant to help point you in the right direction before going to Cuba. Please note I’m writing this before having dealt with any of the in person airport travel experiences or physically stepping foot on Cuban soil. I plan to updated and provide feedback after my travelers but for now, everything I’m about to tell you is something I’ve done in preparation or researched online.

Getting the easy stuff out of the way…

Yes, you can legally go to Cuba from the United States under 12 extremely vague restrictions, including people to people education and journalism (my 2 classifications). Yes, you have to have a passport and no, you’re not going to get stuck there, although that might not be the worst that could happen. Yes, you do have to do a little prep work before going. Yes, there is internet but it is still a country that’s been behind the times and you could experience a 24 hour period away from WiFi, but you’ll get over it. No, it’s not as dangerous as you might think (I’ve heard), but yes, don’t be an idiot traveler and respect the situation you’re in. Cuban cigars are legal to bring back along with Cuban rum. Now that we got that out of the way, there are a few more details that require further explanation, or at least I think they do.

Does Cuba require a VISA for entry?

Yes…well, kinda. It’s not the kind that takes weeks, or sometimes months and a headache to acquire. In fact, a majority of the large airlines sell them at the departing gate at the airport. I can verify that United & American both sell the UTC VISA at the gate. If you happen to be flying an airline that doesn’t, such as Alaska as of 2/2/17 (a quick Google search goes a long way) you can purchase and expedite a Cuban VISA here: https://cubavisaservices.com. Definitely not a piece of your pre-Cuban adventure materials to overlook.

Do I need any special vaccinations?

Other than the standard vaccines we are commonly given in the US (the Hep family of shots, Polio, MMR, etc.) I haven’t been advised or heard of needing anything special for Cuba. I’d recommend getting the Hepatitis A vaccine taken care or figuring out if you are immune because this the type easily contracted from mishandling food and dirty prep stations. If you don’t know if you’ve had the vaccine in awhile, don’t stress it because along with myself, a large portion of the US population is immune to Hep A. The only other thing I read about is the Zika virus, but I think that’s a bunch of nonsense.

What about health insurance? I’ve read you must have medical coverage to be let into the country…

Correct! Most, if not all major airlines include 30 day medical coverage in the price of the airline ticket. I’ve read that you should carry your airline ticket with you at all times in the unfortunate instance you have to receive medical treatment. I don’t know if you’ve been living under rock but Cuba has been a Socialist country for years and there is free healthcare for all Cubans and very inexpensive pick up rates for travelers. If you happen to be flying to Cuba with an airline that doesn’t provide the health coverage, it can be purchased for as low as $25 for 30 day coverage. Happy Googling if that is you!

Travel Insurance?

I’ve been told to never travel without it and actually, you must have it to gain entry to Cuba. However, I’ve also heard & read they don’t check when you go through customs. Travel at your own risk. I am!

Hay dos types of Cuban currencies…?

See what I did there? Integrated a bit of Spanish into my feedback. Anyways there are two types of notes used in Cuba, one for locals, and one for travelers. I’ve heard you can use both while there but make sure you know the difference as if you mix up the two, you could be giving someone way more, or getting back way less than you’d like.

Cuban Convertible Peso is used by travelers and the tourism industry in Cuba.
$1 US = $1 CUC

Cuban Peso is used by locals and can be used by travelers in the streets for souvenirs, small eats, public transportation, or anything not directly related to tourism.
$1 US = $1 CUC = $25 CUP

Money Exchange?

Convert your US dollars into Euros, Canadian Dollars, or Mexican Pesos before leaving for the airport. Trust me on this one, I spent about 2 weeks calling around and trying to get the best rates and read every blog or article on the topic and watch quite a few videos on how this works. Unless things change, don’t take dollars if you don’t have to. However, you can take dollars directly to Cuba but 10% off the top goes straight to the government which doesn’t include the conversion fee at the bank or business you go through. plus whatever conversion fee they slap you with. Traveler be aware that US issued debit and credit cards will NOT work in Cuba. Therefore you must take as much cash as you will need for your entire trip. I’m budgeting $100 CUC a day and of course, bring a little extra.

Packing tips?

Just like anywhere else, pack light, pack slim, layout all your clothes, remove 50% of them, and bring twice as much money as initially planned. I’ll let you know how that goes when I get back. We’ll be semi-backpacking so no suitcases for this adventure.

Where to stay?

I’ve read Cuba is not a huge backpacking country and hostels are slim pickings. However, casas particulares or translated as private homes, are extremely popular and one of the most recommend things to do while in Havana. You are able to stay with a local family for a night or two Cuban style. Talk about submerging yourself into a foreign culture. I also plan to book quite a few of the accommodations ahead of time for a few reasons:

#1 Internet is scarce and not as common as other places
#2 Booking accommodations through AirBnB or hotels prior leaving frees up some of the cash you will have to bring
#3 We are only going a week, I don’t have the pleasure of taking my sweet-ass time with absolutely no plan, opposite of how I traveled Panama for 21 days on a one way ticket
#4 I won’t be traveling solo as mi amigo senor Griffin will be joining and having a semi-plan will keep us semi-on-track to make it back home…if you know what I mean
#5 We plan on experiencing at least 1 of the nicer resorts in Havana for a night or two and putting $250+ on card before hand versus cash will go a long way
#6 I intend to spend a little extra on the finer things Havana has to offer as it will be my 28th birthday the morning I leave, so Happy Bday to me!

Bringing Back Cigars & Rum?

I’ve read you can bring back up to $100 worth of Cuban Cigars for personal use. Definitely maxing this out and most likely trying for a few extra for the kids…joking! Kids using tobacco is terrible. Regarding the rum, I’ve be on 50+ flights over the last decade and I can recall checking a bag once. Unless travel rules and regulations change by 2/11/2017, I don’t see myself bringing back any Cuban rum. However, there is the case I come across the mini personal bottles and bring a few of those back…but that’s a long shot.

 

Tips & rumors I was exposed to pre-Cuba adventure:

• Bring enough cash to support your entire trip, Cuba ain’t cheap!
• Stay with the locals
• Don’t plan too much, but have a semi-plan
• Take a stroll down the sea wall, walk and take a ride in an old Chevy or Ford taxi
• You will be lonely at night…says some random European girl with a travel blog
• Exchange to Canadian dollars or Euros before flying out
• Sit on a porch and smoke a cigar with a local
• Repeat previous bullet point and add in a rum drink
• Bring back cigars
• Rent a scooter
• Go to Vinales
• Learn to Salsa

Being scared of the unknown is the best way to grow and develop! A perfect example would be traveling to Cuba. Post travel feedback to follow.