Money in Cuba: cash, cards and what to carry

The currency

Cuba’s currency is the Cuban peso, written CUP. The second currency many older guidebooks describe, the convertible peso or CUC, was withdrawn in 2021, so ignore any advice built around it.

In practice, visitors deal with more than one currency. Many private restaurants, guesthouses and drivers quote in, or accept, euros or US dollars, while small local purchases are made in pesos. Exchange rates differ depending on where you change money, and they move, so ask your guide or host about the current position when you arrive.

Cash: what to bring

Bring euros or US dollars in cash, enough for the meals, drinks, taxis, tips and extras of the whole trip. Notes should be clean and undamaged, because torn or marked notes are often refused. A mix helps: small notes for tips and taxis, larger ones to change.

Keep the cash in two places, use the hotel safe where there is one, and carry only what you need for the day.

Cards and cash machines

Cards issued by US banks do not work in Cuba at all, whatever the logo on them. Cards from other countries are accepted in some hotels and shops, but connections fail, power cuts happen, and a card that works on Monday may not on Tuesday. Cash machines exist, mainly in the cities, and are unreliable for the same reasons.

Treat any card as a back-up, not a plan.

Paying in advance

The simplest way to reduce the cash you carry is to pay for the large items before you travel. Hotels, journeys, day trips, transfers, the e-Visa and insurance booked with us are paid by card when you book, so the money you take to Cuba is only for meals, drinks, tips and whatever you decide on the day.

It also means the costs that matter most are fixed before you leave, whatever happens to exchange rates in the meantime.

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Tipping

Tipping is customary in Cuba and makes a real difference to the people who look after you. Around ten per cent in restaurants is usual where service is not included; guides and drivers are tipped at the end of a day or a trip; and small amounts for porters, housekeeping and musicians who play at your table are appreciated.

Outside Havana

Away from the capital the advice holds even more firmly. In smaller towns such as Trinidad and Viñales, guesthouses, restaurants and drivers work almost entirely in cash, and a cash machine may be some distance away or out of service. Take what you need for those days with you from Havana.

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