How to Pay for Things
The amount of cash you bring to Cuba will dictate your experience. The worst experience is that you run out of money (been there). If you run out of money you are assed out. While things are changing, there are no ATM’s and you can’t use credit cards. So bring more than enough cash and change it into CUC’s as soon as you land in the airport as finding a bank is extremely laborious. CUC is the tourist currency and pesos are the Cuban currency. The US dollar is weak – on average .85 CUC’ s to a dollar. All unused CUC’s can be changed back to dollars at the airport.
Getting Around
You will be cabbing it everywhere. A one way car ride from the airport to your destination is 25-30 CUC’s. Once you are in Havana the fare is usually $10 from Point A to point B. Experience a coco-taxi – a three passenger coconut shaped moped. After a boozy day or night, in preparation for your next adventure, you can enjoy a scenic ride while the air hits your face as you think to yourself “damn I am in Cuba.”
Renting an old school drop top is a must. They are typically rented by the hour and comfortably fit three people, max four. The majority of them are perched in front of the Hotel Nacional. Choose the one you want and just tell the driver to drive you around all the ‘hoods in Havana. Do not pay more than $60 CUC’s for one car per hour.
