Although it is a safe and beautiful country, before you go you definitely need to take some time for planning your trip to Cuba.

For example, think about when to go to Cuba, between December and April is generally thought to be the best time to go: after the rains of the hurricane season and before the almost unbearable Cuban weather temperatures of the island´s summer months.

Determine your budget and plan your trip to Cuba accordingly. Cuba is not as cheap a holiday destination as Peru or Guatemala. Casas Particulares are your best option to keep costs down and are a great way to contribute directly to helping a family in Cuba.

Cuba has a double economy: Convertibles and Cuban pesos are used simultaneously. Although the Convertible is meant to be used by tourists, you´re free to change them for pesos and save a lot of money. Note, however, that Convertibles also buy you access to some of the tourist-exclusive commodities. See the Cuban currency page for more information.

Get the phone number of your Embassy in Cuba! Although we all hope you will not need it - and you probably won´t - it is better to be prepared than to be surprised.

Read more about those and more tips and ideas on planning your trip to Cuba!