I am starting this post on a plane on our way back home, after 2 weeks stay in Cuba.
For those of you, who is only considering to go there, I want to share my practical tips about where to go/stay and what to do (or sometimes better not to) as well as personal (still very fresh) impressions and my honest opinion regarding Cuba and its lifestyle in general.
For those of you, who is only considering to go there, I want to share my practical tips about where to go/stay and what to do (or sometimes better not to) as well as personal (still very fresh) impressions and my honest opinion regarding Cuba and its lifestyle in general.
It will be series of posts, dedicated to different towns and topics, so those who are interested or just curious, - please, stay tuned!
I hope this will be helpful.
Enjoy!
I hope this will be helpful.
Enjoy!
x
PART I
INTRODUCTION / GENERAL INFORMATION
Planning your trip
After you’ve chosen to go to Cuba, I guess the next thing to figure out is whether you want to go on a preordered “package” or as an independent traveller.
For us (my partner and I) it was an easy decision to make, as we normally like to plan trips ourselves and enjoy fully discovering countries we visit. We also give preference to many outdoor activities such as hiking, canyoing, horse riding etc. instead of spending our vacation on the beach in the resort area (and that is what most tourist agencies offer).
Let me just say: there is nothing wrong with “all inclusive 5 star stays” in Cuba, however I believe that you will not be able to get a full idea and experience real Cuba in that way. I also think, that if you prefer to have a beach relaxing holiday and if you are travelling from Europe, it is definitely not worth spending that much on tickets and travel that far, you can get way much better service for a better value and enjoy the sun somewhere in Spain, Italy, Greece or pretty much anywhere else.
(Unless, of course, you are travelling from USA or Canada and it is fairly close by.)
Perhaps our journey wasn’t that easy and smooth as we wish it would be, and believe me, there were really hard times when we found ourselves counting hours and thinking: so far this is our worst holiday (but I will cover emotional aspect later)…
However visiting several Cuban towns and provinces in different regions (and yes, we did get a little bit of a beach time as well! :) , meeting people, dealing with certain things and getting to know what the life is there was a challenge and definitely a real experience.
So my personal advise is to still travel independently and discover real Cuba. With a little bit of planning and enthusiasm it might be not as scary as it sound.
For us (my partner and I) it was an easy decision to make, as we normally like to plan trips ourselves and enjoy fully discovering countries we visit. We also give preference to many outdoor activities such as hiking, canyoing, horse riding etc. instead of spending our vacation on the beach in the resort area (and that is what most tourist agencies offer).
Let me just say: there is nothing wrong with “all inclusive 5 star stays” in Cuba, however I believe that you will not be able to get a full idea and experience real Cuba in that way. I also think, that if you prefer to have a beach relaxing holiday and if you are travelling from Europe, it is definitely not worth spending that much on tickets and travel that far, you can get way much better service for a better value and enjoy the sun somewhere in Spain, Italy, Greece or pretty much anywhere else.
(Unless, of course, you are travelling from USA or Canada and it is fairly close by.)
Perhaps our journey wasn’t that easy and smooth as we wish it would be, and believe me, there were really hard times when we found ourselves counting hours and thinking: so far this is our worst holiday (but I will cover emotional aspect later)…
However visiting several Cuban towns and provinces in different regions (and yes, we did get a little bit of a beach time as well! :) , meeting people, dealing with certain things and getting to know what the life is there was a challenge and definitely a real experience.
So my personal advise is to still travel independently and discover real Cuba. With a little bit of planning and enthusiasm it might be not as scary as it sound.
Tickets
There are various companies you can fly with. Prices and more suitable options can be compared on skyscanner.com .
We flied with AirEuropa via Madrid, the durability of the flight was approximately 14-15h each way.
To get an idea, please see flight details below:
The ticket price was £1568 per two (purchased on 13th September 2015, travelled on the 8th November ).
Useful tip: as the flight from Madrid to Havana is fairly long (up to 10h) it is worth investing and book seats nearby. You really don’t want finding yourself struggling with a person you don’t really fancy during 10h flight :)
Visas
Depending on your passport, you might need to make a visa. In order to process, besides a valid passport, you need to have flight confirmation with you as well as confirmation of first 5 nights in casa/hotel.
Get in touch with your Cuban Embassy for further details. In UK, we have paid for visas £15 each.
Travel Insurance
It goes without saying that when travelling to Cuba it is best to sign up for a Travel Insurance.
If you already have it, make sure that it covers Cuba as well.
We did Travel Plus Pack with with my Barclays Bank, however be aware that they will cover medical expenses starting from £50 only.
Our insurance also provided us with access to Airport VIP lounges (complimentary food, free wi-fi etc.) , which was also quite useful and nice in both London Gatwick and Madrid airports.
How long to go for
Partly because the ticket price as mentioned above and also due to you will have to spend more or less 1 day travelling and jet-legged after it is worth going for at least 10-12 days. It also depends on your route and how many places you are eager to visit. Take into account that no matter whether you will be travelling within the country by bus or car, main towns are still located far from each other (4-7h road) and, frankly, the roads are not the best, so getting from point A to B will take time, too.
Now, if a had a time machine, I would have planned our route differently (so hopefully my tips will help those of you, who is in process), however I would still go for at least 12 days.
When to go?
There is a tropical climate in Cuba, with dry season from November to April and wet season between May and October.
We have travelled from 8th - 22 November, and it was still raining 2 or 3 times
Where to stay: casas or hotels?
Again, it is entirely up to you to decide, however there are certain cons and pros you have to take into consideration when choosing your way of staying in Cuba.
What makes it more difficult though, is that if you plan your trip independently, it is fairly hard to make a research and compare hotel/casa prices, as there is no information on booking.com.
What makes it more difficult though, is that if you plan your trip independently, it is fairly hard to make a research and compare hotel/casa prices, as there is no information on booking.com.
Yes, you can find some options eventually, however most prices are on request and also you have to really make sure the information source is fully reliable.
We were lucky enough, as our friend had travelled to Cuba recently, and she has given us contact details of a native friend of hers, who, then, recommended us one Casa, but as they were fully booked, we were directed to a local online agency
cubabookingroom.com , where you can browse all listings and request a reservation/additional information on rooms, houses, apartments, BnB’s etc. in Havana, Trinidad, Vinales, Varadero, Cienfuegos and Playa Larga. So this is how long and complicated the process was!
And now I have to say special thanks to Tamara for initial recommendation and support during the whole planning process, and of course, a massive thank you to Gretel, - a lovely specialist, that not only helped me to book almost all cases in Cuba, but also assisted with transportation issues, given tips on how to plan the route and has been very efficient, providing me with information almost 24/7 (also remember about the time difference with UK!).
And now I have to say special thanks to Tamara for initial recommendation and support during the whole planning process, and of course, a massive thank you to Gretel, - a lovely specialist, that not only helped me to book almost all cases in Cuba, but also assisted with transportation issues, given tips on how to plan the route and has been very efficient, providing me with information almost 24/7 (also remember about the time difference with UK!).
I now look through all my emails and there were so many points to be precised, so Gretel, if you will read this, - I want to thank you once again, I can highly recommend your agency and you in particular to those who has just started their planning process.
Going back to the topic of Casas vs Hotels, I believe it also depends on your budget, as cases are a way less expensive option. They (casas) will cost you around 25-45 CUC (max) per night for a double room (starting from £20), breakfast is not included.
Going back to the topic of Casas vs Hotels, I believe it also depends on your budget, as cases are a way less expensive option. They (casas) will cost you around 25-45 CUC (max) per night for a double room (starting from £20), breakfast is not included.
I will mention certain cases and hotels in my future posts about particular towns we have stayed in.
What I can say, is that staying in casas can definitely be part of discovering The Real Cuba, as each Bed and Breakfast place will provide you with a completely new and unique experience, will allow you to meet and get to know the life of local people, eat their food, talk to them, soak the atmosphere… It wasn’t always comfortable I must say, however I believe it was still probably worth it, as there are so many memories, interesting characters and stories to share particularly about cases, so I’d say, - go for it! But just try to make sure that you find a good one :)
Transportation
Once you have figured out and confirmed your route, now it is the right time to decide how you will move across the country.
An application Rome2Rio will help you to find out how long will it take to get from one town to another and compare the prices when travelling by taxi or bus, e.g.:
An application Rome2Rio will help you to find out how long will it take to get from one town to another and compare the prices when travelling by taxi or bus, e.g.:
Havana - Trinidad
Bus 5h 53min £16 (per one)
Taxi 4h 6min £110
As you can see from above, you do save a little time when using a taxi, however the price difference is too big. Renting a car or travelling by taxi can be profitable just in case if there are 4 people travelling together, otherwise, - I would recommend to use a bus.
When already in Cuba, you have to buy/collect your tickets at the Viazul (main bus company) station at least 1 day in advance, make sure you have your passport or valid ID form with you.
When already in Cuba, you have to buy/collect your tickets at the Viazul (main bus company) station at least 1 day in advance, make sure you have your passport or valid ID form with you.
It is also possible to buy tickets in advance online and collect them from the station.
However I would definitely advise to book Airport Pickup/drop off in advance. Gretel from cubabookingroom.com can help with that.
Get a travel guide
I normally research information in the internet and then print it all out, however I would highly recommend to still get a book: most tourists whom we’ve met in Cuba used Lonely Planet travel guide.
Unfortunately some information is already out of date, but it is still packed with useful tips and will tie everything you have to know together.
This is it for the first part. Next time we’ll talk about Havana.
Unfortunately some information is already out of date, but it is still packed with useful tips and will tie everything you have to know together.
This is it for the first part. Next time we’ll talk about Havana.
To be continued…
