How to travel to Cuba as an American
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a US citizen, you cannot travel to Cuba for vacation. Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute. However, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued general licenses for 12 categories of travel. You can view the general license categories here and select the one that applies to you.
Getting there
An easy 1.5 hour flight gets you from Tampa to Cuba. We recommend booking any flight to Tampa, staying in Tampa the night before, and then taking the 6am Southwest flight to Cuba. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you take this advice:
If you have bags to check, expect to wait in the check-in line for about an hour. Many people will bring large suitcases filled with dry foods, over the counter medicine, and clothes. If you don’t check bags, just ask to skip the long line and expect a 20 minute wait.
Some places will suggest getting your Visa online in advance. If you’re flying from Tampa to Cuba, you can just get your visa for $85pp at the ticketing counter when you check in. It takes less than 5 minutes.
At check-in, you’ll be asked what your travel purpose is. MAKE SURE you follow the travel guidelines. For example, if you are traveling on a general license you will have to state your reason, such as you are there to support the Cuban people. This is also important to remember when you come back into the country. If homeland security believes you traveled for vacation, they will detain you.
If take the 6am Southwest flight sit at the front or back of the plane. It’s tempting to want to sit at the exit row, but you’ll be the last one out of the plane because there’s a back exit that lets passengers off. This is important because you don’t want to be last in line at immigration. Immigration at Havana airport can be the longest part of your trip if you’re stuck in the middle on the plane.
Transportation & how to get around
You have many options to travel across Havana and the country at large. Here are a few:
Of course, the classic cars. They have been refit several times.
Fun fact: it costs Cubans spend about $2000 to refit an old classic car. This is a lot of money for them, but those that invest in it typically are considered lucky and rich because they can gain tourist dollars directly. Most cars are owned by the government and leased by Cubans, whereas classic cars are owned by individuals.
Local Rideshare App: La Nave (only if you have an Android app)
Hitchhiking is completely normal, in fact if a car is government leased, it’s required to pick up a hitch hiker
General note: Gas is fairly cheap ($0.30/liter) so cabs are typically cheap in US terms. They can range from $10-$20 depending on where you are going in the city.
Culture & considerations
Visiting Cuba as an American is a fascinating experience due to the stark differences that the two political climates facilitate. Most Cubans are well aware of American customs, traditions, and even geography. They aspire, in many ways, to connect with Americans. Here are a few things that Americans should keep in mind:
Since COVID getting access to food and medicine has been very difficult for the Cuban people- bring dry goods and over the counter medicine such as Tylenol
People with skills typically make more than those with education. Mechanics make more than doctors. Landlords make more than scientists.
“Paladar” restaurants are family owned, so look for those signs or ask around in order to support the Cuban people. All other restaurants are government owned.