20 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Cuba

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I’ve just returned home from a really excellent trip to Cuba with Intrepid Travel, and my brain is full of things I want to write about it. This trip was a first for me- I’ve been traveling solo and independently for the last decade and this was my first group trip. It was strange not to do all of my usual research and itinerary planning, but also a nice change of pace while I’ve been busy with other things. Even if you’re traveling on an organized tour, however, there are plenty of things you’ll be glad you figured out ahead of time. With that in mind, here’s my list of 20 things you need to know before visiting Cuba.

1. Embracing Group Travel

If you’re an American, you’ll have to travel with a group (but it’s not as restrictive as you think). When I made my arrangements with Intrepid, it seemed like I would have to be under the watchful eye of a chaperon the entire time I was in Cuba. Honestly, I was kind of dreading that part of it. I’m used to solo independent travel and I thought it was going to be really limiting. I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case at all. There was one member of my group who didn’t seem all that interested in the scheduled activities and wanted to go off on her own and do her own thing most of the time. This was no issue, and the tour guide just told her when the bus was leaving to make sure she didn’t get left behind.

2. Essential Supplies: Tissues, Baby Wipes, and Hand Sanitizer

Bring tissues, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer. Leave your expectations for Western-style bathroom comforts at home. Toilet seats are luxuries, and you can’t flush toilet paper anywhere. Look for a little basket nearby to dispose of it.

My partner at the beginning of the trip: “Why do you always travel with baby wipes?”

My partner at the end of the trip: “Oh my god, thank you so much for bringing those baby wipes.”

3. Seize Clean Restrooms

Also, hold on to your spare change. You’ll need it for the restroom attendant almost everywhere. Most restrooms in Cuba will charge about .25 to use the facilities, and this includes a few squares of toilet paper. Don’t expect a roll in the stall itself- what you’re given is what you get. Now you understand why I suggested you bring tissues, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer.

4. Seize Clean Restrooms

I know I’m spending a lot of time talking about bathroom stuff here, but never pass up a chance to use a clean restroom when you find one. Public bathrooms just aren’t all over the place like they are in Western countries and you don’t want to be caught out. When you find a “good” bathroom (clean; has a toilet seat; has toilet paper, soap, and running water; you don’t have to pay to use it) you’ll be so excited you’ll tell the rest of your group to be sure and use the facilities.

5. Currency Awareness

There are two types of currency, and you really need to be able to tell them apart. Because one is worth a lot less than the other. As a tourist, you’re going to be dealing almost exclusively in convertible pesos, AKA CUC (pronounced “cook”). Cuban citizens are paid in monedas nacionales and many shops and restaurants that don’t cater to tourists will price their goods in that currency.

If you think someone is charging you $50 for a coffee, that’s a pretty good sign that their prices are in MN. You can almost always pay in CUC, however, but you’ll get your change back in MN. If you don’t wander off the tourist track very far, you probably won’t have to worry about that at all.

The only thing you need to watch is to make sure no one gives you MN as change when you’re expecting CUC. Just get in the habit of glancing at your money when it’s given to you and make sure all of your bills have a statue on them instead of some guy’s face.

6. Don’t bring American dollars.

You can exchange them, but you’ll be hit with a 10% tax for doing so. Change your American dollars into Canadian or Euros at the airport in the US- and don’t tell them you’re going to Cuba! If you do, you’ll have to wait around for them to dig up some archaic form for you to fill out.

7. Currency Exchange Tips

Also, don’t bother bringing bank cards. Especially American credit and debit cards- they won’t work at all. Cuba is still very much a cash-based society, so you need to bring as much cash as you think you’ll need for incidentals. If you’re going on an organized tour, this will be very little as almost everything will have been covered in your tour price.

8. Language Matters

You’ll want to know a little bit of Spanish. Even in the middle of tourist-heavy Havana, I found some restaurants where the waitstaff didn’t know a word of English. With my rudimentary grasp of Spanish and lots of pointing and gesturing I managed just fine, but the more you know, the easier you’ll have it. A lot of signs in museums are only in Spanish. Incidentally, I absolutely love the free app DuoLingo for learning or brushing up on a new language.

9. Internet Access Adventure

Internet access requires jumping through some hoops. First, you need to buy an access card. They cost about the equivalent of $1.50US if you stand in line to buy them at a telephone office, but you can also buy them for about $2.00 on the street with no wait.

If you see a local sitting on a park bench in a touristy area, chances are he either sells access cards or can direct you to someone nearby who does.

Once you have a card, you have to get to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Look for a group of people standing around on their phones. Don’t expect lightning-fast speeds. If you don’t use the entire amount of time you’ve purchased, be sure and log off or the meter will continue to run and you’ll lose your extra time.

10. Cuban Culinary Delights

The food is a lot better than you’ve heard. Cuba is going through a culinary revolution at the moment, so there’s no longer a reason to dread mealtimes here. And no, you don’t have to bring your own salt and pepper.

The only not-great meal I had on the entire trip was in a Mexican restaurant across the street from my hotel in Havana. I wasn’t feeling well and wanted something super fast so I could get back to bed. In hindsight, I wish I had ventured a little further out in search of some Cuban food. Every Cuban meal I had for the rest of the trip was fantastic.

11. Vegetarian Considerations

Vegetarians should pack some granola bars. You won’t starve, but you also won’t find the same number of vegetarian options you would in many other countries.

It’s also not uncommon for tomorrow night’s dinner to be running around in the restaurant. This was cute when it was adorable baby chicks. Not so much when I heard a pig being slaughtered behind a restaurant where I had just ordered the roast pork. Also I no longer eat pork after that experience, so if you weren’t a vegetarian when you arrived, you might be when you go home.

12. Travel Essentials: Towel and Swimsuit

Bring a travel towel & wear your swimsuit under your clothes if you’re heading to the water. Changing areas at many popular swimming holes are nonexistent and I’m guessing you don’t want to have to duck behind a tree and change into your bikini while a bunch of other tourists wander around. I have this travel towel and it came in very handy after swimming under a waterfall to check out a bat cave (yes, Cuba is that awesome.)

13. Safety First

You’re going to feel really safe. When parents let their children play outside unsupervised at 11 p.m., you know you’re not in a dangerous part of the world. Crime is really low here, and it’s really nice to be able to just walk down the street and not be hassled or feel uneasy.

Take the same precautions you would anywhere else in the world, obviously- don’t walk around with your purse unzipped or your wallet hanging out of your back pocket because pickpockets exist everywhere, but violent crime is just not something you’re going to have to worry about here.

14. Private Accommodations Rule

Most hotels and restaurants are in private homes. Casas particulares and paladars are all the rage now that Cuba has loosened the reins on private industry, and they’re almost always a better choice than the government-owned hotels and restaurants. If, like me, you’re generally uneasy with staying in someone else’s house… get over it. I mean that with all the love in the world, of course. But really, it’s just what you do here, and the Cuban people are so hospitable, you’ll get over any initial weirdness if you have any. Trust me.

If you’re not on a tour and you need to book your own accommodation, you can research and book casas particulares on Airbnb

Using Airbnb is also a good way to be able to pay for your accommodation with a credit card ahead of time. If you want until you get to Cuba to find a casa particulare, you’ll have to pay in cash.

15. Museum Photography Fees

Prepare to pay camera fees in every museum you visit. Typically about the equivalent of $5 US for every museum. Even if your visit is included in your tour, they most likely won’t cover your camera fee. It’s worth setting aside the extra cash, though, because some of the museums are really photogenic.

16. Spend Pesos Wisely

Spend all your pesos before you leave– you can’t take them with you. You can’t change pesos into another currency outside Cuba, either, so there’s no reason to take a bunch home with you. There’s a currency exchange in the waiting area (after security) in the Havana airport, so you can hit the duty free shop and buy one last souvenir before you change your money back. If you use the airport exchange, note how they keep all of their different currencies in cigar boxes under the counter. So adorably Cuban.

17. Mandatory Travel Insurance

You have to have travel insurance. No really, you *have* to. Cuba requires it, and most tour companies won’t confirm your booking until you send them your insurance info. Apparently they do spot checks at customs, although I wasn’t asked for mine there. You shouldn’t be traveling without insurance anyway!

I use and recommend World Nomads, which has competitive rates and really good coverage. Whatever company you go with, make sure you print out your policy information and any other documentation you need before you go. Finding a place to print things once you get to Cuba will be next to impossible.

18. Offline Maps for Navigation

Because you won’t have Internet access most of the time, put an offline maps app on your phone. I used Maps.me and I’m so glad I did. During free time, I was able to search around me for interesting things to do and navigate my way there and back without getting lost.

I also starred a lot of things in the app that I wanted to save in Google maps once I got back to the land of constant connection. I would have forgotten most of them if I had relied on my memory.

19. Visa/Tourist Card

You’ll need a visa/tourist card to enter the country. Some airlines will include the tourist card in the cost of your flight, so check before you buy it that it hasn’t already been included. These can be purchased at the airport but if, like me, you don’t like leaving anything to the last minute, they’re super easy to order ahead of time online.

If you’re flying from the US, you have to show this to get a stamp at the gate before boarding your plane. Look for a podium at or near your gate with “check your Cuba paperwork here” or similar language. The flight crew won’t let you on the plane until your boarding pass is stamped by the person who checks your visa.

20. Passport Protocols

Prepare to show your passport to every hotel or casa particular you visit. The owner or manager will disappear with it for a few minutes and then return it, along with a guest log you’ll need to sign.