Cuba, the crocodile-shaped island, located in the northern Caribbean, famous for its world-known salsa dance, Che Guevara, and Fidel, Cuban cigars, and cars, is the dream destination for many travelers. But, there are few important things you should know before buying your flying ticket.
Take cash with you, a lot of cash
Cuba is still mostly a cash economy and American credit and debit card do not work in Cuba. So if you don’t want to remain with empty pockets, taking cash is the best option, a lot of cash. The best solution is to take Euros or GBP Sterling, and not American dollars, because the exchange rate will be awful, plus you have to pay a fee every time. Aussie dollars aren’t accepted there either. In Cuba, there are two types of banks – Banco de Cuba, which are proper banks that give better rates, and Cadeca, which are currency kiosks.
Print out any travel documents and buy Travel Insurance
The internet isn’t that great in Cuba, so you should have your travel documents ready and printed. Travel insurance is a must if you are traveling to Cuba, so the best option is to buy it in your country. They do spot checks at Customs, so if they notice that you don’t have it, they’ll make you buy travel insurance there.
Download apps which work without internet
As we said earlier, the internet still isn’t the best there, so you surely won’t be able to catch Wi-Fi.
For example, if you don’t want to be bothered with paper maps, download Galileo Offline Maps which doesn’t need an internet connection; it only uses your phone’s GPS. The best thing is that you can set this app to record your movements.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhVzMykg3HD/?tagged=havana
Don’t drink tap water; don’t eat at really cheap street restaurants
If you don’t want to spend your holiday in bed, then you should always buy bottled water and eat food from restaurants. Cheap street food is made by local products of the lowest quality.
Travel by bus or taxi
The public transport in Cuba is well organized so you’ll be able to travel all around the country without any problem. But, if you decide to travel by bus, you should now that isn’t possible to book tickets online. You must go to the bus station at least one hour before departure. But if you didn’t get a ticket, the other solution is to take a taxi or shared taxi ride. Taxi drivers offer a shared taxi ride to the most popular cities in Cuba. The price is same as the bus.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhV3OGUg978/?tagged=havana