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Planning a trip to Cuba? Here you'll find our day-by-day itinerary (From Havana to Trinidad and the cayos), plus all the practical info to organise your journey: currency, visa, e-SIM, health, plugs and useful numbers.
Cuba is at UTC-5 (with daylight saving), about 6 hours behind central Europe. The climate is tropical: the dry season (November-April) is the best time, warm and pleasant; from May to October it is very hot and humid and is hurricane season, with possible tropical storms that can strain infrastructure. Pack light clothing, repellent and a poncho.
Updated: June 2026
You need a passport valid for more than 6 months and the tourist visa (the 'tarjeta del turista'), now in electronic form (e-Visa): obtained via the flight's tour operator, online or at the Cuban consulate. Valid travel health insurance is also COMPULSORY and may be checked on entry. Important note: visiting Cuba makes you ineligible for the US ESTA (you will need a US visa for future trips to the USA).
The currency is the Cuban peso (CUP). This is the most important point: BRING CASH in euros or US dollars, because due to the US embargo the credit cards of many banks (especially those linked to US networks) do NOT work, ATMs are unreliable and often out of cash. The exchange rate is very volatile: change small amounts at a time. Declare foreign-currency sums over USD 5,000 at customs. Budget cash for the whole trip: you will not be able to withdraw reliably.
Due to a severe energy deficit, Cuba suffers frequent and long power cuts nationwide, even in Havana: blackouts can last entire days. Bring a charged power bank, a torch and keep your phone charged; outside the cities even fuel can be scarce (stock up). Many casas particulares and hotels have generators, but not all. It is part of the experience of a country in difficulty: travel with flexibility and patience.
The language is Spanish, spoken fast and musically. English is understood in the tourist sector (hotels, guides, casas), much less by ordinary people: a few words of Spanish help enormously and open the hearts of the Cubans, who are warm and sociable.
No mandatory vaccine. Healthcare is state-only and quality has worsened greatly: hospitals with precarious hygiene and often lacking materials; those for foreigners are better but must be paid for. Insurance covering medical expenses and repatriation is COMPULSORY and essential. Dengue, Chikungunya, Oropouche and Hepatitis A are present: use mosquito repellent, drink only bottled water, no ice, and eat cooked food or peeled fruit. Bring a small personal first-aid kit (medicines are scarce here).
The only operator is the state-run ETECSA. Connectivity is slow and limited: you can buy a tourist SIM (Cubacel) or an ETECSA eSIM with a data package, but the signal is weak and the internet is often patchy, worsened by the blackouts. Download maps, documents and bookings OFFLINE before leaving. Consider Cuba a chance to disconnect: updating social media will be hard, and that is fine.
Voltage is mostly 110V/60Hz (in some hotels also 220V), with type A and B 'US-style' sockets (flat blades) and sometimes European type C. Bring a universal adapter and check the voltage before plugging in non-dual-voltage devices. Given the frequency of blackouts, a power bank is almost essential.
💡 The golden rule for Cuba is just one: BRING ALL THE CASH you will need, in euros or dollars, because cards often don't work and you won't be able to withdraw. Add health insurance (compulsory), a power bank for the frequent blackouts, repellent and plenty of patience. In return you get a unique country, suspended in time, among music, vintage cars and people of rare warmth. Travel in the dry season (Nov-Apr).
