Travel journal
Know before you go
Guides and practical advice for Cuba, Mexico and Argentina: when to go, routes that work, entry rules, money and what to pack. Written and kept up to date by the team that plans the trips.
FeaturedGuides
The best time to visit Cuba
Cuba has two seasons rather than four, and the difference between them shapes the price, the crowds and the kind of trip you get. Here is how each one actually feels.
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GuidesHavana in 48 hours
Two days is not enough for Havana, but it is enough to see it properly if you stop trying to see all of it. A plan for the old town, the seawall and Vedado.
DestinationsVaradero or the cayos: choosing your Cuban beach
A long peninsula of sand a couple of hours from Havana, or a chain of islands reached by causeway. The water is superb in both; the holiday is not the same.
DestinationsA week in Yucatán: ruins, cenotes and the drive between them
The peninsula is flat, the roads are good and the distances are shorter than the map suggests. A seven-day route through Maya sites, cenotes and colonial towns.
Food & cultureMendoza at harvest
From late February to April the wine region stops being scenery and starts being work. How to time a visit, where to spend your days and how to get between the wineries.
DestinationsPatagonia, and how much of it you can actually see
The region is larger than many countries, and travellers routinely underestimate it. What fits into a week, what does not, and when to go.
Before you goWhat to pack for Cuba
Cuba is not a place where you can count on buying the thing you forgot. A short, honest list of what to bring, what to bring for others and what to leave at home.
Before you goWhat decides the price of a room in Cuba
Why the same room costs different amounts in different weeks, what a nightly price assumes about who is in the room, and how to get the most from your budget.
Before you goEntering Cuba: e-Visa, insurance and forms
Three documents and one online form stand between you and the arrivals hall in Havana. What each one is, who arranges it, and when.
Before you goMoney in Cuba: cash, cards and what to carry
Cuba is one of the few places left where the card in your wallet may not help you. How money works on the island, and how to carry enough without carrying too much.
GuidesA first trip to Mexico: where to start
Mexico is too large for one trip, and the first decision is the most important one: which part. Three routes that work well for a first visit, and how to choose between them.
GuidesArgentina in two weeks: three routes that work
Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, and two weeks goes quickly. Three routes that fit the time without turning the trip into a series of airports.
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