My recent trip to Havana was not my first visit to Cuba – I was last in Havana back in the summer of 2005 and sadly due to a hurricane passing the island, I did not get to see anything and because of this, I do not remember too much about my stay at all hence why on my latest visit in March 2019, I was determined to see as much of Havana as I could in the three days that I was there.

As it had been so long since my previous visit, I had no idea of what I needed to do or to know about visiting Cuba. Thankfully many Google searches and my amazing colleagues told me what I needed to know. And now after my visit, I feel I can add my knowledge, experience and what I learnt and write this blog post to help anyone who is planning a trip to Havana or anywhere else in Cuba.

Here are my tips and advice for your trip to Cuba:

You Will Need a Tourist Card to Visit Cuba

All tourists to Cuba (including children and infants) are required to purchase a Tourist Card (Tarjeta de Turista) before boarding your flight. In the UK where I live, you can order your green Tourist Card in advance directly from your tour operator or airline or from the Cuban Embassy in London. The Tourist Card must be completed without mistakes and presented to Cuban immigration officers when entering and leaving the country.

Different rules apply for US Citizens and when flying directly to Cuba from the USA when you must purchase your pink Tourist Card in the USA even if you are another nationality and living in another country – you can buy this Tourist Card on the day of travel directly from your airline. If travelling from the USA to Cuba, you will also need to declare your reason for travel (there are twelve different permitted categories) and “Tourism” is not one of them.

Travel Insurance is a Must

Travel insurance is essential no matter where you are going but is mandatory when travelling to Cuba. Make sure to carry your proof with you as you might be asked to present it at immigration. If you cannot show proof of travel insurance, you will be required to purchase cover from a local company.

Bring Cash and Lots of it to Cuba

There are two currencies in use in Cuba: the Cuban Peso (CUP) which is used by locals and the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) which is used by tourists. Cuba is a cash based country and very few places (with the exception of the larger hotels in the tourist areas) accept credit cards and US credit and debit cards are not accepted anywhere including American Express cards issued in any country. Do not rely on using ATM’s to get cash as there is no guarantee that they will even work and your card might not be accepted if they are. Cuba is not as cheap as you think it will be so it is better to take a lot more cash than you think you will need and bring it back home with you rather than not bring enough and be stuck with no money as you’ve run out.

You cannot obtain Cuban currency outside of Cuba so you will need to exchange your money once you arrive – there are Cadeca exchange counters in both the arrival and departure areas at Havana Airport. I did not need to exchange money as soon as I arrived and did so the following morning at my hotel in the centre of Havana. There are also banks and Cadecas that you can visit but there most likely will be long lines. It is better to exchange smaller amounts frequently rather than being stuck with a lot of CUC cash at the end of your trip which you can only exchange back at the airport and not at all once you leave Cuba.

Make sure to bring British Pounds, Euros or Canadian Dollars with you to exchange and do not bring any US Dollars as there is a 10% surcharge to exchange them. When changing your money, make sure to ask for some smaller bills (there are 1 CUC, 3 CUC, 5 CUC, 10 CUC, 20 CUC, 50 CUC and 100 CUC notes) as this will make your life easier when out and about as getting any change for high value notes when taking a taxi for example might be hard. When paying with CUC, make sure the change you get back is in CUC (the notes say “Pesos Convertibles” on them) and not the much lower value CUP.

Do Not Expect Great Internet Access

As internet access is so limited in Cuba, it is incredibly easy to completely switch off and enjoy a digital detox whilst you are there. Wifi is only available at some of the more expensive hotels (usually only in the lobby and not the rooms) and certain public parks – you will easily notice these when you see a lot of people standing around staring at their phones!

To use the internet, you will need to purchase a wifi card from one of the ETECSA shops (there will probably be a long line) or from your hotel if you are a guest – these are usually 1 CUC for 1 hour and on the back of a card is a username and password. You will also see people selling cards near the public wifi parks and you will be more than likely be approached and asked if you want to buy a card though these will usually be double the normal price or more.

I had no problems accessing any website whilst in Cuba but you do need to be patient as you will see the “Unable to join network ETECSA” message a lot and you will also lose your connection frequently and have to log back in again. You can continue to log in and out until your time is up – you can log out simply by turning off the wifi on your phone or other device.

I honestly thought I would be crying out for wifi during my stay in Havana but the truth was the only times I really missed it was the occasional moment when out and about when I picked up my phone out of habit to look something up before realising I could not. I was given a code for twenty four hours of wifi for my three night stay when I arrived at my hotel which does not sound a lot but when I left, I still had over half of my allowance left.

Also despite being able to use my mobile phone to make calls and send text messages, I had no data network whilst in Cuba.

Download Offline Maps Before Your Visit

As you will have no mobile data or wifi when out exploring and sightseeing in Cuba, make sure to download the free Maps.Me app and save the offline map of Havana or whatever part of Cuba you will be visiting. As it works offline you can use it for directions when out and about and you will not get lost as you will always know where you are. On the map bookmark your hotel or Casa Particular, any landmarks you want to see as well as any bars and restaurants you want to visit. This app will truly be a lifesaver for you in Cuba and I personally used it everyday I was there.

Learn Some Spanish

Spanish is the official language in Cuba and whilst some people in Havana and the other tourist areas do speak some English, the majority do not so it is a good idea to learn a few words of Spanish to help you get by. The basics you should know are Hola (Hello), Adios (Goodbye), Buenos Dias (Good Morning), Por Favor (Please), Gracias (Thank You), Lo Siento (Sorry) as well as learning your numbers. I also downloaded a free offline Spanish translator app in case I needed it.

Take Some Snacks From Home With You

Whenever I travel, I always like to have some food in my hotel room to snack on if I get hungry – especially early morning or late at night. Before my trip to Havana, a colleague told me to pack snacks in my suitcase as I would be very grateful for them whilst I was there and they were not wrong. You will not find the normal supermarkets, grocery or convenience stores that you see everywhere else in the world in Cuba and you will definitely not see any of your favourite snacks from home whilst you are there – in fact I did not see anywhere at all where I could have bought any crisps, cookies or chocolate during my entire stay in Havana. Being a typical Brit, I also took my own tea bags with me as I cannot survive without several cups of tea each day!

Make Sure to Pack What You Need for Your Entire Stay in Cuba

Normally if you forget to pack something when travelling, it is usually very easy to buy at your destination but this is not the case for Cuba – things that you would not normally class as essential are essential here. The best way to say this is bring everything that you think you could possibly need to Cuba as you will not be able to get it once there – this is the one time when it is definitely better to overpack! Make sure to bring all of your toiletries and products that you use, sunscreen, make up and a first aid kit with all the medications that you could need (such as painkillers and anti-diarrheal tablets) whilst there.

All Other “Good to Know” Information about Cuba

If you have any sensitivity to cigar and cigarette smoke, be aware that you will probably suffer in Cuba as you are able to smoke in a lot of places that we are used to being smoke free elsewhere. Over my three day stay, I was aware that I was walking into a cloud of smoke each time I left and arrived back at my hotel when walking through the lobby to get to the elevators and I honestly felt ill on my last day in Havana and for several days afterwards.

Also in Havana, the air quality is incredibly poor from all the exhaust fumes and pollution from the old cars driving around the city. It really felt like there was no fresh air to be had when outside – all of this was made worse because I spent my three days in Havana exploring the city mainly on foot. I left Cuba with the same cough that I get after spending any time in China. If you have asthma or any allergies, be prepared and make sure to carry your medication with you.

Before my trip I read many blogs online which stated that in Cuba, the plug they use is the flat two pin plug which is the same as the USA but I also saw a handful of blogs which said the voltage was 220v and to bring a UK plug. Not knowing what to believe I took both plugs with me which was a good decision as all the power sockets in my hotel room were 220v and used the UK plug. The best advice is to bring a universal travel adapter with you to cover all possibilities.

If exploring on foot as I did for my three day stay, make sure to wear sensible footwear such as trainers as the pavements are very uneven with plenty of potholes everywhere. Keep looking at where you’re walking as there’s nothing more embarrassing than tripping over a giant crack in the pavement and nearly falling over flat on your face in front of a large group of people – trust me on this one!

Do not drink the tap water in Cuba – use bottled water instead. The last thing you want is an upset stomach whilst you are there.

Even though I spent the majority of my three day trip by myself when out of the hotel exploring Havana, at no time did I ever feel unsafe. Pickpockets can be common as with any other city around the world so I took the usual precautions of holding my bag in front of my body at all times but especially when in the busy squares and streets and I did not carry any large amounts of cash with me.

Make sure to agree on the fare before getting into any taxi in Cuba. I asked my colleagues as well the staff at my hotel (who were incredibly helpful) what was the maximum I should expect to pay as this information helped when negotiating with the drivers.

And finally, be prepared to hear the song Guantanamera everywhere you go!

Cuba is not the easiest place to travel to when comparing it to other destinations but it is truly one of the most different and fascinating countries I have ever visited in my life and there is definitely no where else like it in the world. Despite being in the Caribbean, the city of Havana feels like a world away from the beaches that you immediately think of but in a good way. It is different but it is beautiful and there are challenges but with a little bit of knowledge and preparation, you will love Cuba.

Have you been to Cuba and have any good tips you can share? Please let me know in the comments below…

Since this blog post was written back in 2019, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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