How to Travel to Cuba as an American in 2019

For years, Americans have not been able to set foot in Cuba, but when Obama first lifted the travel ban in 2013, I was intrigued! I’d seen and heard stories about the country for years, and made a mental note to figure out a way to get there before the opportunity gets snatched away again!

If you haven’t read my last post on Cuba yet, where I recap everything I did catch up here!

Disclaimer: Travel Bans are for Americans ONLY

For the rest of this post I will be referring to limitations set for Americans, so if you are from another country, this may not apply to you! I believe you can go to Cuba as a tourist with no issue, but of course look into this information for your specific country’s situation.

You Need To Choose A Reason To Go: Here’s How!

Lets get one thing straight:

U.S. Tourism to Cuba is still and always has been illegal. (at least since the 60’s, when the U.S. placed an embargo on exports to Cuba.) A common misconception is that under Obama, Americans were granted the ability to go to Cuba as tourists. WRONG. What Obama did, was allow us to enter the country under a set of 12 authorized categories. What Trump did, was remove ONE of those categories.

The following are the 12 original categories, now down to 11 after #4 was eliminated this year under Trump’s administration:

1. Family Visits
2. Journalistic Activity
3. Professional Research and Meetings
4. Educational activities/People to People Travel (Removed this year)
5. Religious Activities
6. Public Performances, Clinics, Workshops, Exhibitions, Athletic and Other Competitions
7. Support for the Cuban People
8. Humanitarian Projects
9. Activities of Private Foundations, or Research or Educational Institutes
10. Official Business of the U.S. Government, Foreign Governments, and Certain Intergovernmental Organizations
11. Exportation, Importation, or Transmission of Information
12. Authorized Export Transactions

Not as intense as the media made it sound right?

So again, keywords are important here. You can’t go as a TOURIST, AKA “for fun.” But can you TRAVEL there, AKA physically enter the country? YUP – you can, just go under one of those categories, and you’re all set.

The category removed was The Educational Activities/People to People. That eliminates group travel and cruises. I’d recommend choosing Support for the Cuban People, which is what I chose. Why? because its very broad and general and easiest to get your trip to meet those requirements.

What does the “Support for the Cuban People” Category Mean?

Basically, you can’t just go to Cuba and lie around on the beach all day, every day. (No Tourism remember!?) Support for the Cuban People means you will not spend your money in a way that benefits the Cuban government, as they do not get along with ours. All the money you spend should benefit the locals.

An easy way to do this is to stay in Airbnbs, eat at locally owned businesses, and keep a schedule of activities that interact with the people. The Department of State has a list of entities that as an American, you must avoid spending your money on. See the list of restricted businesses. Make sure you’re always checking back as it gets updated every couple of months.

Big takeaway: it’s all done on an honor system. They call these “reasons” a general license to go to Cuba, but that sounds more intimidating than it is. There is no physical document you have to provide to qualify for this “license.” It’s just a checkbox that you mark on a piece of paper before you board the plane, or you select it online as you’re booking your flight.

They may ask you in person as well why you’re going. Just keep declaring your reason. “I’m going to support the Cuban People.” You might get some chuckles or some winks from gate agents and customs officers like I did, but you’re good. (wink, wink!)

You should definitely keep records of your trip that prove it was legal. I’ve heard the U.S. government can ask you about your trip for up to 5 years after you leave, but most people aren’t too worried about it.

How To Book Your Flight

I was able to book my flight like any other, but I had to do it through a direct website. So, I went straight through unitedairlines.com. There’s no Cuba options on discount sites like Priceline. Bummer.

When you book, you’ll probably get a pop up or some page that lets you know tourism to Cuba is illegal, and you must specify why you’re going. If it doesn’t include this pop up, they’ll probably follow up with an email soon after with this information. For many, this is the part where you’ll declare your reason in a checkbox. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll be asked to do so on a slip of paper at the airport before you board your flight.

The Visa/Immigration Process

You will need to get a visa or travel card to get into the country. The price and process varies, depending on the airline you choose. The best way to get it, is the last airport you’re at before you get to Cuba. With United, I had to buy my visa at the connection gate. When I arrived in my connecting city (Houston) I went straight to my gate and purchased from the gate agent. The process was quick and painless and literally took 10 minutes. I paid $75 for the visa, was given the card to fill out, and done!

Important VISA Tips:

• Take your time and make sure you fill it out accurately. Apparently if you make a mistake, you’ll need to purchase an entirely new one! Thats a pretty expensive mistake!
• For your birthdate, be sure to put the DAY first, not the month. As Americans, we’re used to adding the month first. (See example image below)
• Hold onto your visa for the entirety of your trip. You’ll need it to enter and exit, just like a passport.

Health Insurance

In order to travel to Cuba, you have to have health insurance. They say its mandatory in order to go, but I’ve heard conflicting stories about how strict that is. Check to see if it’s included in your airfare. In my case, it was included in my ticket cost with United Airlines. (It was about $25) They did not check for it, as having a plane ticket was proof enough that I had insurance. If your airline does not include it, you’ll have to purchase it separately.

Where to Stay

You can stay in hotels that are approved, but one of the best ways to satisfy the Support for the Cuban People category, is by staying at an Airbnb or a “Casa Particular”, which is a phrase used there to describe bed and breakfasts/homestays. This way, you’re spending your time creating meaningful interactions with the people. Rules aside, I found the experience to be more authentic! I felt fully immersed in the culture, and not like a tourist.

You actually get more bang for your buck staying at a house rather than a hotel. Because everything is so outdated due to the embargo, hotels aren’t going to be as fancy as they cost! You can literally spend $200 on a hotel room with bad lighting and furniture from the 1950s, or get an Airbnb for $30 a night and get the coolest experience. PLUS, if you didn’t hang out on an aesthetically pleasing balcony in a Havana apartment, did you even GO?

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ABOVE: A hotel lobby in Cuba

BELOW: Balconies at two different Airbnbs. (Cheaper and MUCH more authentic and fun)

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The Currency

Cuba has 2 currencies. The CUC and the CUP. CUP is for the locals who live in Cuba, while the CUC is for “tourists.” You will use CUC. (Cuban Convertible Peso) Cuba has a closed currency, which means you will not be able to get the money anywhere but there. You’ll have to wait until you get to Cuba to exchange your money to CUC.

YOU NEED TO WITHDRAW CASH IN THE U.S. BEFORE YOU DEPART.

This part is very important so listen up: As an American, your debit/credit card will not work in the country, so you will need to withdraw all cash needed BEFORE you get to Cuba. You will not be able to swipe your card anywhere or withdraw money from an ATM there. You’ll need to estimate and pre-plan how much you think you’re going to spend as you’ll need to take all the money you’ll need for the entirety of your stay.

How much does it cost to go to cuba?

Not much! The average monthly salary there is equivalent to about 20-30 U.S. dollars. So once you get there, your money will go very far! Below are some rough estimates for ya based on my last trip.

Ticket: $200-$400 (My ticket with United was $250, and that covered the Cuban health insurance too)

Food: Full entrees range from $5-$10 at the most authentic places, but if you go to a more touristy place they trap ya for about $11 – $15 or more. (I would still consider that inexpensive, but that’s a rip off in Cuba!)

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Left: My breakfast plate. Cost: $4.75 Right: Sandwich: $1.00

Above: Breakfast (with beverages) for 5 people! (Total Cost: $36.75)

Many Airbnb hosts in Cuba offer to cook you breakfast, for a fee. It’s usually about $5 per person. Say yes to this! It’s cheap, it’s homemade/delicious, and again, it helps to support them.

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Above: Breakfast prepared by the host at two different Airbnb homes

Drinks: Most alcoholic beverages ranged from $2-$5, and soft drinks and water were typically $1-$2!

Transportation: The most you’ll spend there is on Taxis. If you stay in Havana, taxis from within the city won’t be much more than $10. If you take a 30 minute ride (for example from the airport to Havana, that ranges about $30-$35. It’s a ripoff if they say $40 or $50!) If you take a taxi to another town, it will always cost more. There’s also a bus you can take, its called the Viazul. We never used it, as it was ALWAYS full, but its cheaper, at just $10 to get to another town.

Make sure to agree to a price before getting in the car. Most cars didn’t have meters, and the ones that did, didn’t turn it on. You can bargain with them, and it helps if you or someone you’re with knows Spanish. They always gave us better deals when I asked, because I knew the language and could negotiate better.

TIP: Traditional yellow taxis are cheaper. ($4-$8) The classic cars (which are actually taxis too!) are more. ($10 and up) It’s best to always go for the yellow ones.

Obviously you HAVE to ride in a classic car at least once for the experience, (Hello, you’re in CUBA!) but try to limit how often you use those if you’re on a budget. My suggestion is to skip using them as taxis and actually spend the money for a tour (about $40) in a classic car where you can take the time to sight see Havana in style! Some drivers are even nice enough to get out of the car and let you get all the instagram worthy photos of yourself posed in it! I talk more about my experience in a car tour in my last Cuba post.

Is Cuba safe?

I know, the fact that we’re not even technically allowed to be there is kinda scary right? It definitely raised a few eyebrows when I told people where I was going. But I’m happy to tell you, I was pleasantly surprised to discover through prior research that Cuba is actually one of the safest cities in Latin America! Our taxi driver told us we could walk around at any hour of the night, and “nothing will happen to you.”

After my experience, I truly believed that. The neighborhood buildings are old and run down, and people like to hang out in the streets at all hours of the night, which can look and feel a little sketchy, but its really not. That’s just part of their culture – they just like to stay out late and chill!

The main thing you need to worry about, are pick pockets – which is an issue anywhere you travel. (And I’d say you’re more likely to get pick pocketed in Europe!) Overall, I was impressed with Cuba’s low crime rate. As a military brat, I’ve had my share of international travel and Cuba is the safest place I’ve ever felt. I was more comfortable walking those Cuba streets at night than I am here in Chicago.

Why you should go

Despite all the new rules, I think more and more Americans should make the trip to Cuba. If we continue to go and spend money at these local businesses, we’re helping so many locals put food on their tables. A Cuban man walked up to me and said they love when Americans visit. He said, “our governments hate each other, but WE don’t.” By “we” he meant me and him. He believes that if we Americans keep on visiting and fellowshipping with Cubans, we’ll show our governments how to get along. I don’t know if that’s possible, but isn’t that a nice thought and a good place to start?

Some Documentaries I watched to educate myself before going:

• Cuba and the Cameraman (Netflix)
• The Cuba Libre Story (Netflix)
• Lots of Travel Vlogs! (YouTube) My top favorites are the two linked below:

Stay on the lookout for my third post on Cuba coming soon, where I’ll discuss Dos and Don’ts, plus even more tips and stuff you NEED to know before you go!

DID THIS POST HELP CLARIFY HOW TO GO TO CUBA? WOULD YOU CONSIDER GOING EVEN WITH THE NEW RESTRICTIONS?