Cuba Travel Tips: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

What do you need to know before a Cuba vacation?

There are some topics you should research thoroughly before your Cuba trip, or you’ll be in for some unpleasant surprises. The country is far less developed than most destinations you may be used to, and there are many peculiarities for tourists.

The following topics need a lot of explanation, which is why we’ve written dedicated articles for each one:

• Entry requirements and documents for Cuba
• Internet and Wi-Fi in Cuba
• Paying and currency in Cuba
• Safety in Cuba

Getting to Cuba

There are direct flights to Cuba from major European cities, with some of the best connections running into Havana. The flight time is approximately 10 hours from Europe.

You can find cheaper flights if you make a stopover in a city like Madrid or connect through the USA. We always book our flights through Skyscanner.

Search for flights to Cuba on Skyscanner

Accommodations in Cuba

There are basically two types of accommodations in Cuba: hotels and Casas Particulares.

Casas Particulares are rooms or apartments rented out by private locals. Often it’s a room in someone’s home or a self-contained apartment. This is the more authentic and more affordable way to stay in Cuba.

Hotels are more luxurious and up to European standards. However, they come at a price, and if you’re unlucky, you might end up in a real dump. So make sure to read the reviews before booking.

Where do you search for accommodations in Cuba?

If you search for hotels in Cuba on Booking.com, you won’t find a single one. So you’ll need to look elsewhere.

You can find Casas Particulares on Airbnb. Book before you travel — Airbnb doesn’t work from within Cuba itself.

That’s why you’ll need a VPN to book anything through Airbnb while in Cuba and to use the app properly. Our recommendation is NordVPN.

Get NordVPN

Download the VPN before you leave home, because the Apple App Store and Google Play Store don’t work in Cuba.

For hotels, your best bet is to use hotel comparison sites like Holidaycheck or Check24. You can also book directly through those sites. That said, we’d recommend reserving directly on the hotels’ own websites whenever possible.

Getting around Cuba

The infrastructure in Cuba is poor. All towns are connected by roads, but those roads are full of potholes.

Most Cubans can’t afford cars or long bus rides. That’s why you see just as many horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and scooters on the roads as buses and cars. Traffic moves accordingly slowly.

Getting around by public bus

If you’re doing a road trip through Cuba, your magic word is: Viazul. It’s the only bus provider that connects the tourist destinations with each other. There’s usually one bus connection per day, and every town has a bus terminal.

You can buy tickets online through Viazul or at the terminals. Important: tickets can only be paid for by credit card. This means locals have almost no chance of riding the Viazul buses — so it’s basically only tourists on board.

Note: Book Viazul buses at least three days in advance. Otherwise you might find them fully booked.

Getting around by taxi

The alternative is taxis. With taxis you have more flexibility with timing and the rides are faster. However, they’re also much more expensive.

Example: With Viazul, the ride from Havana to Viñales takes just under four hours and costs 12 euros. A taxi ride costs around 90 euros per cab and takes approximately three hours.

Getting around by rental car

Renting a car is especially worthwhile if you want to explore places well off the main tourist trail. You can drive wherever you want, whenever you want. The roads are safe but often in poor condition, so be ready to swerve around a lot of potholes.

Book a rental car for Cuba with TUI Cars

Getting around cities

Highlights in cities like Havana or Santa Clara are great to explore on foot. In many tourist towns like Viñales or Trinidad, it’s also worth renting a bicycle to check out the surrounding highlights.

Alternatively, there are taxis of all kinds. The cheapest and slowest are bicitaxis — bicycles with seats in the back for passengers. The same concept also exists with a motor, so the drivers don’t have to pedal and things move a bit faster.

More comfortable are regular taxis. The coolest option by far is the classic cars that are often used as taxis. These are the priciest, though, since they’re also one of the most popular attractions in Cuba.

Travel season and time zone in Cuba

Cuba doesn’t have four seasons — instead, there’s a dry season and a rainy season. The dry season from November to April is the best time to visit — especially for a beach vacation in Cuba, such as in Varadero. Most days are sunny and daytime temperatures hover around 86°F (30°C).

During the rainy season from May to October, heavy showers fall almost every day — usually not until the afternoon, though. So you can still travel to Cuba during these months, just be aware that it’s more humid, hotter, and it’s hurricane season.

Time zone in Cuba

Cuba is in the Eastern Time Zone and observes daylight saving time, so depending on the time of year, it’s 4–5 hours behind the UK and 6–7 hours behind Central Europe. Check the current time difference before you travel so you can plan calls home accordingly.

Outlets and electricity

You’ll need an adapter for Cuba.

Cuba uses outlet types A and B. The voltage is 110 volts. However, many accommodations also have Type C and Type L outlets installed, which also run on European voltage — so if your accommodation has those, you can plug straight in.

We never needed a voltage converter, but it doesn’t hurt to bring one along just in case.

What to pack for Cuba?

Packing smart for Cuba really matters. There are a few things you simply can’t buy there — drugstore and toiletry items in particular are hard to find.

Our packing list for Cuba

• Important entry documents (read our article on entering Cuba)
• Enough cash and a credit card (read our article on paying in Cuba)
• Vaccination record and driver’s license if applicable
• Mosquito repellent
• Sunscreen
• Other toiletries (e.g. creams, tampons, razors)
• Travel adapter & voltage converter if needed
• Enough clothing (mostly summer clothes, but pack something warm too)
• Flip-flops, swimwear
• Comfortable, sporty shoes
• Sun protection (e.g. a hat)
• Rain protection (e.g. a poncho)
• Small backpack and fanny pack

Beyond that, pack whatever is personally important to you — a book, a travel guide, a neck pillow, or medications. Medications are actually fairly easy to find at pharmacies in Cuba, which is reassuring.

Food and drink in Cuba

Overall, there is little variety when it comes to food in Cuba. You can’t just pop into a supermarket to grab a snack or sit down at a café for a cappuccino.

The Cuban population doesn’t have access to a wide variety of food. Everything imported is expensive and out of reach for most locals. As a result, most people survive on basic staples they can somehow afford.

Note: You cannot drink tap water in Cuba — unless you boil it first.
If you want to eat out, you have two options:

1. A simple eatery with low prices and always the same dishes. Usually pizza, sandwiches, rice and beans, or meat.
2. An upscale restaurant with more variety and higher prices. These are typically frequented only by tourists.

If you stay at Casas Particulares, many hosts offer homemade breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We always got incredibly delicious food there and mostly ate at our accommodations — honestly, this was one of the highlights of our trip.

More luxurious hotels typically offer a buffet with a very large selection of dishes — much larger than anywhere else in Cuba.

Typical drinks and food in Cuba

Here are a few pointers on classic Cuban dishes:

• Congrí: Rice and beans, Cuban style.
• Ropa vieja: This beef stew is an absolute classic.
• Yuca con mojo: Yuca with sauce and a whoooole lot of garlic.
• Tamales: Cornmeal tortillas with various fillings.
• Cerdo asado: Grilled pork.
• Pizza cubana: As street food, Cuba typically serves a small, round pizza that’s often topped with just cheese.

And these are the drinks you’ll want to try:

• Rum: The spirit that forms the base for most cocktails in Cuba.
• Mojito: The classic with rum, mint, and lime — and yes, it really does originate from Cuba.
• Daiquiri: Made from rum, lime juice, and sugar, it was named after a settlement in Cuba.
• Cuba Libre: Cola, rum, and lime — as Cuban as it gets.

Shopping in Cuba

You’ll quickly notice that there aren’t really any supermarkets in Cuba. Instead, you’ll see small kiosks or open windows on every corner where people sell small items — that’s where you’ll find the basic staples.

Actual supermarkets are expensive and rare. They offer more variety and carry imported products. To pay, you’ll need your ID and a credit card.

Language and communication in Cuba

The official language of Cuba is Spanish. That said, you can get by well with English, since many Cubans speak English or at least the basics.

Some Cubans — especially older locals — don’t speak English, though. If you really want to connect with people, knowing some Spanish goes a long way. It’s worth picking up a basic vocabulary before your trip.

Vaccinations and illnesses

There are no mandatory vaccinations for Cuba. Recommended vaccines include those for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Dengue fever, Typhoid, and Rabies. Before your trip, speak with your doctor about what they recommend for your specific situation.

Malaria and Yellow fever are not present in Cuba.

Otherwise, gastrointestinal illnesses or stomach problems can occur. The most important thing: don’t drink tap water in Cuba. Boiling it first makes it safe to drink.