Explore other destinations on Earth Cuba Budget Travel Guide

  Budget Travel Guide to Countries in the Americas EarthDocumentary World Travel Guides UNESCO World Heritage Sites  Compare Hotel Room Rates from different Booking Sites
Lady with Cuban cigar, Cuba.
Lady with Cuban cigar, Cuba
by Antônio Milena of Agência Brasil, which allows its content to be published under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Brazil License

Cuba Budget Travel Guide provides useful travel information for preparing a vacation to Cuba. Cuba is an island nation located in the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth and a few smaller islands. Cuba is the most populous nation in the Caribbean. It is a tropical country, and is prone to hurricanes.

Fast Facts about Cuba

  • Official Name: Cuba
  • Capital: George Town (29,000)
  • Population of Cuba: 45,000
  • Languages: English
  • Currency: Caymanian dollar
  • Religions: Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, others
  • Size: 260 sq km (100 sq miles)
  • Region: Caribbean


    Morro Castle (Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro) in Havana, Cuba.
    Morro Castle (Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro) in Havana, Cuba
    by Krasivaja, used under GNU Free Documentation License

    When to visit Cuba

    The best time to visit Cuba is between December and April - that's after the hurricane season is over and before the hot and sticky season starts. It is also the most crowded time as plane loads of Canadians and European are land on Cuba, pushing room prices up by 20%.

    What to wear in Cuba

    Lightweight clothing is fine around the year.

    Getting into Cuba

    The main gateway into Cuba is the Jose Martí International Airport outside Havana. Cuba's national airline, Cubana de Aviacion flights to destinations in Mexico, South and Central America, Canada and Europe.

    Cuba Entry Requirements

    Nationals of US, Australia, Canada and Britain need a visa to enter Cuba. The government of Cuba allows US citizens to visit; it is the US government itself that restricts its citizens from going to Cuba. For US citizens in particular, getting into Cuba is a sort of hide-and-seek game with their government and those wishing to go to Cuba anyway must first weigh whether it is worth the while to go through all the trouble.

    Where to stay in Cuba

    Click on the name of the towns listed below to view hostels and budget accommodation available for booking there.

  • Camaguey
  • Cienfuegos
  • Havana
  • Holguin
  • Isla de la Juventud
  • Matanzas
  • Remedios
  • Santa Clara
  • Santiago de Cuba
  • Trinidad
  • Varadero
  • Vinales

    Budget Travel within in Cuba

    The most reliable transport across Cuba is by taking the Viazul hard currency buses. The buses are over air-conditioned, so bring along a jacket. The website booking doesn't quite work, but you probably do not need to make advanced reservations either. Another option is to take the Astro buses, which ordinary Cubans use. These can be paid using their local currency. Their recently imported China-made coaches are as comfortable as Viazul's, and they operate a wider network too.


    The city of Trinidad, Cuba.
    The city of Trinidad, Cuba
    by Dieter Mueller, used under GNU Free Documentation License

    Things to see and do in Cuba

  • Explore Havana, where Old Havana is inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Walk through the well-restored old town, visit the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural. Go to Castillo de la Real Fuerza, one of the oldest forts in Havana. Go to the Plaza de Armas and visit the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales. Tour the Capitolio, built to resemble the Capitol of Washington DC. Visit the Museo de la Revolución.
  • For natural beauty, head to Pinar del Río to admire its mogotes, peculiar limestone outcrops. Visit the caves here, including Cueva del Indio.
  • Visit Santa Clara and see the monument and museum celebrating Ché Guevara.
  • Explore Trinidad, an elegant heritage town inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
  • Go to Torre de Manaca Iznaga, and view the Valley of the Sugar Mills (Valle de los Ingenios)
  • Go to Santiago de Cuba, and visit the Museo Emilio Bacardí, which contains antiques and fine art of a rum magnate.

    Money matters in Cuba

    The currency used is the Convertible Peso (CUC$) CUC$1=100 centavos. Banknotes are available in denominations of CUC$5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 while coins are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 20 centavos and CUC$1. The CUC is the Cuban version of hard currency - Cubans themselves are paid in the Cuban Peso, CUP. The CUC was introduced to counter reliance on US Dollars as the hard currency. Banking hours are from 8:30am - 12:00 noon and 1:30pm to 5:00pm, Mondays to Fridays, and 8:30am - 10:30am on Saturdays.



    • Find lowest price for your Hotel Room

    Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?

    The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!



    Great Travel Deals Wego.com

    Flight Checker

    Our Flight Checker helps travelers compare flights and get the lowest fare for their trips. If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.

    Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.





    Return to EarthDocumentary World Budget Travel Guide

    My message introducing God to all the world: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO TIM


    Bookmark and Share   Follow EarthDocumentary on Twitter

    EarthDocumentary and globe logo are trademark and service mark of Timothy Tye.

    EarthDocumentary logo © copyright Timothy Tye 2007-2010. Content and articles in EarthDocumentary are provided in goodwill and are believed to be correct at time of writing. While every reasonable care is taken to check and verify the information shared, EarthDocumentary disclaims responsibility for its use. Text in EarthDocumentary is available under Creative Commons Attribution/ShareAlike License meaning you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, adapt and make derivative works, as long as you attribute your resulting work and apply it under the same, similar or a compatible license. You may use the information on this website on your blog or website so long as you place a link back to the page in AsiaExplorers where it appears. Wikipedia and Wikitravel are cited as among the sources of references. Photographs appearing in EarthDocumentary are available according to the licensing terms specified in its caption. Photographs supplied by Panoramio are governed by the Panoramio API terms & condition, are for display only, and may not be downloaded for use. Photographs belonging to the author are the copyright of Timothy Tye and may not be reused without prior written permission from the author. Contact the author for permission and licensing of the photos.