Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Most travelers tend to go to Cuba during the Christmas and Easter holidays, but July and August are also popular times to visit. During these high seasons, Cuba is subject to overbooked hotels, inflated prices and crowded attractions. July and August are also uncomfortably hot and muggy months in Cuba. A much better time to visit is between January and May, when the weather is pleasant and the island is not swamped with tourists. Hurricane season in Cuba is June through November. It is probably best to avoid coastal destinations during those months.
Entering Cuba is easier than its reputation would make you think. All tourists require a passport, ticket that gets them out of the country and a tourist card. You will also need to tell immigration where you plan to stay. Americans cannot fly directly from the United States to Cuba. Cuba's biggest airport is the José Martí International Airport, located 15 miles southwest of Havana. Most people who want to go to Cuba from the United States fly to Jamaica first and then transfer to an airline that services Cuba such as Cubana de Aviación, Air France or Air Jamaica.
It is important to note that there are two types of currency in Cuba, Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) and Cuban pesos (CUP). Most tourists will deal only with CUC. You can only obtain CUCs in Cuba with an extra 8 percent commission charged by the Cuban government, but they will only convert euros, Swiss francs, British pounds and Canadian pounds; American dollars are charged an extra 10 percent. No other currencies are accepted. You should also exchange back to your native currency before returning home because CUCs are useless outside of the island.