We have said repeatedly since we returned that Havana is a unique destination and the kind of experience that each of us should live at some point.
Knowing about the political system in the country, for a long time we lived with the impression that this exotic island and so beautifully located in the heart of the Caribbean is a difficult destination to reach, and for this reason Cuba was not a priority for us.
However, when we least expected it, at a time when we had no plans to go to Latin America, we found ourselves going to Mexico, to Cancun. Later, seeing how close Havana is to Cancun, we decided to venture for a few days on the colorful streets of Havana.
Ever since then, I saw planning this trip as a challenge (you know how much I love challenges, right?) to which I could not say “no.”
Knowing how much we worried and how complicated this whole thing seemed with planning a vacation in Havana, I thought I would come to your aid and offer you all the information I gathered and all the steps I took from when I started preparing the trip to the Havana-Cancun flight.
Thus, in the (practical) travel guide for Havana we talk about transportation, tourist visa, accommodation, currency and internet.
UPDATE 2025: All references to the old currency, convertible peso (CUC), are no longer current. Currently, Cuba no longer uses CUC, but only pesos.
Travel Guide to Havana – Visa, Transport, Accommodation, Currency and Internet
Flights
We had the choice between flying directly to Cancun and from there to Havana or flying directly to Havana and from there to Mexico. In the end, we opted for the latter option because the plane tickets would be a few hundred euros cheaper.
So, for the flights to Havana, we opted for Air France, and as the route we chose Milan-Paris-Havana. For a round-trip ticket on this route, we paid 600 euros, during Christmas.
How was the flight with Air France? HORRIBLE! It was our first time flying with Air France and we promised ourselves that it would be the last time. We definitely do not recommend Air France, especially for a 10-hour flight.
Visa/tourist card
Citizens need a visa/tourist card to enter Cuba. This is extremely easy to obtain from the Cuban embassy, online or even from the Cancun airport. Regardless of the way you get the visa, it will be single entry and will allow you to stay in Cuba for 30 days. Because we want to speak strictly from our experience, we will tell you about the two ways in which we obtained this tourist card.
From the Cuban embassy (by mail).
We sent the necessary documents (passport valid for at least 6 months, flight reservation, copy of health insurance, receipt confirming payment of the visa fee – 47 euros), and in a few days we received the passports and visa.
Important! Air France does not allow passengers to board without a Cuba visa. Before applying for a visa, contact the airline you bought your tickets from and check if they offer you a Cuba visa on the plane or if you need to have it upon boarding.
From Cancun airport
Because the visa is single entry I needed another visa, and this time I got it directly from the airport. – Unfortunately, not all airports/airlines allow you to get the visa directly from the airport, but if you fly with Interjet you can get the visa from the airport, at the check-in desk. In this case the visa costs 350 pesos/person (approx. 17 euros).
Good to know! If you are flying to Cuba from the United States of America you need to apply for another type of visa. This is just as easy to get, but it is more expensive (approx. 80 USD)
Entering Cuba – formalities
Despite the political regime in Cuba, entering the country is quite simple and fast, if you know what to do. Naturally, the first thing we did was to go through passport control (it's a matter of a few minutes); a few steps from the border control is the security control, which was even simpler because we didn't have to remove liquids or electronics from our bags, but just put them through the scanner; and before leaving we had to fill out the "blue form" that no one told us anything about.
This is exactly what I was referring to when I said "entering the country is quite simple and fast, if you know what to do". That wasn't the case for us... After a long flight in which we hardly rested at all, the Havana airport seemed like even greater chaos, a madness that overwhelmed us.
At first we were happy that we had quickly gone through all the formalities, but at the exit a police officer was waiting for us who asked for the blue form. We asked him what it was and where we could get it, and he sent us back without giving us a clear explanation.
We turned around nicely and started asking left and right about the famous blue form, until we noticed that each person was pointing at a corner or part of the airport. Eventually we started asking tourists who were filling out various forms (there is another type of form that we didn't need) and we got the blue form. We were a bit nervous, but we learned our lesson, and the second time all the formalities took much less time.
What is the "blue form"? - It's a blue paper, as the name suggests, where you fill in your passport data and the goods you bring with you into the country (laptop, camera, tablet, etc.), respectively their value (with an approximation). It's a paper that no one looks over, especially if you have a small hand luggage.
Good to know! So that you don't end up like us and quickly go through all these formalities, when you pick up your luggage at security control, ask for a blue form (we asked the person who was standing at the scanner). You'll see that there are a bunch of such forms on the table next to it. 😀 Also, if you are a family, it's enough to fill out a single form.
Currency
Currently, Cuba uses two currencies: CUP for locals and CUC for tourists. I must admit that when I first heard about this, it seemed crazy to me and I even thought that there would be chaos in our minds, but it wasn’t like that. Things are quite simple.
As a tourist, you will use CUC in 99% of cases because the prices in tourist restaurants or cigar/rum shops are in CUC. Wherever you go and whatever you buy, you will pay in CUC. It is true that there are places where prices are in Cuban pesos (CUP), especially in places where locals buy pizza, sandwiches or fresh juice, but it is not really relevant for you as a tourist because you will be asked for the value in CUC (most of the time multiplied by 10).
Instead, I would advise you to have a few CUPs with you (no more than 100) if you want to try street food in Havana, which we recommend. Otherwise, CUC dominates everywhere when it comes to tourists: at restaurants, tours with local guides, cigar and rum shops, souvenirs, vintage car tours, internet, etc.
Where to exchange money? - I think the best option is to set a budget for each day spent in Havana (we will soon post a detailed article about the costs we had in Havana) and exchange all the money at the airport. This way you get rid of a worry and you don't have to look for exchange offices (cadeca) around the city.
We exchanged at the currency exchange located outside the airport (from the exit on the right).
Although you would think that it is much more advantageous to exchange USD in Cuba, my advice is to leave them at home and take euros with you. Due to the political problems that the two states have had over time, the Cubans charge a 10% exchange fee for dollars. In this case, the most advantageous would be to exchange euros.
Transportation from Jose Marti Airport to Havana
Regarding the transfer, things are as simple as "hello" (or should we say "Hola"?!). Because we didn't want to bother with public transportation, which we don't know if it exists or works, we took a taxi. Normally, a taxi ride from the airport to Old Havana costs between 25-30 CUC, an enormous amount considering the distance, but you can try to get a better price.
Anyway, don't worry about not being able to find a taxi when you get to the airport because it's an entire industry. You won't even take the first step outside the airport because someone will come and ask you if you want a taxi.
Let me make a quick side note, our guide told us that a taxi driver earns better than an accountant or a teacher. We don't know if it's true, but at 30 CUC/trip I tend to think there's some truth to it.
Accommodation - private home or hotel
When we started planning our trip to Havana, we took a look at booking.com, fixated on the idea that in Havana we would get a four-star hotel, at a reasonable price...we just expected everything to be cheap.
Reality hit us from the first second we opened the site, when we saw the prices at Hotel Inglaterra and a few other hotels in the city center. The hotel prices are astronomical and in no way worth the bags of money you would pay for a single night.
So we turned to casa particular and Airbnb, which turned out to be a very inspired choice. The fact that we stayed at some locals' homes allowed us to interact more with them and have a more authentic experience, and for this reason we recommend that you also use Airbnb/ casa particular.
Casa particular is a fairly new concept and somewhat typical for Cuba. In other words, casa particular means that you will rent a room from a Cuban at home, where you will either have the entire apartment to yourself or share it with the owners.
Practically, this is the way in which the state helps citizens to some extent: they are allowed to rent out their homes for modest amounts (we found rooms for 10 USD/night).
Because Airbnb works very well in Cuba as well, we opted for two apartments located in Havana Vieja. We needed apartments that could accommodate four people and that were in good locations, as close as possible to the old city center. The first apartment, House Sara, was our favorite.
We spent the first 4 nights in this apartment and we say it was our favorite for several reasons: the hosts, a nice couple, were exceptional and helped us with everything we needed (recommendations, advice, stories and information about Cuba), the location was unique, and the apartment was extremely nice.
We only spent the last night in the second apartment, and despite the fact that it was nice and perfectly located, we were not very happy with it or the hosts. Unlike House Sara, where we felt at home, the second apartment was “colder” and gave us the impression of being in a hotel. Certainly, if I had to choose again, House Sara would win by a wide margin.
In conclusion, if you want to live an authentic experience or if you are traveling on a budget, casa particular/Airbnb is the ideal option.
Internet
Like basic food, internet is also a paid service. That's why when I say that in Cuba you will do a social media detox, I am being as serious as possible. In other words, in Cuba the internet is limited and works on a paid service in certain locations in the city, which, let's be honest, are not that many.
How does the paid internet work? - The ETECSA card comes with a username and password and gives you an hour of internet (you can connect as many times as you want until that hour is up). All you have to do after buying the card is look for a place with wifi (a market, a street or a bar). This is basically the most problematic part of the internet: you can't find it everywhere!
Some places with internet that we discovered: 1. Near the Hotel Inglaterra, on Boulevard de San Rafael; 2. La Floridita Bar (only with cards bought at the bar); 3. At the airport, after security/passport control.
How much do internet cards cost and where do we buy them? - Officially, you can buy internet cards at ETECSA offices, but the lines seem endless (at least at the one on OBISBO). At ETESCSA, a one-hour card costs 1 CUC. Unofficially, you can buy cards on the street, from locals. A one-hour card costs 2-3 CUC. We went with the second option, for obvious reasons.
Although life without the internet seems impossible these days, we really enjoyed this disconnection from all things social media, not to mention that it wasn't that hard to live without Google or Facebook. In 5 days we used 4 internet cards/2 people, 2 of which we used at the airport.
How to get around the city without internet - Tips and Tricks
- Offline maps - Google Maps offers you the possibility to download the city map offline and thus you can use your GPS even if you don't have an internet connection. We have been doing this for a very long time.
- Pocket guide - a small pocket guide can help you make an ad hoc itinerary or learn something about the main tourist attractions in the city.
- Do your homework - in Havana you have to come prepared from home. Look up all the information you think you will need (about accommodation, currency, internal transport, restaurants, etc.) and come to Cuba prepared. What's more, I advise you to print all your reservations (Airbnb with the full address, plane/bus tickets, guided tours, etc.), because you will not have access to your email whenever you want.
This article seems to be longer than I thought it would be, but I really wanted it to include all the information we gathered that would have been extremely useful before we left for Havana. I hope you find my little practical travel guide useful! Soon we will discuss the travel budget for Havana and about restaurants, street food and the Havana Food Tour.