Havana Travel Guide 2026: Money, Blackouts, and Getting Around
by RuinMyTrip Editorial · Aug 1, 2026
A practical guide to navigating Havana's cash-only economy, chronic power outages, and Cuba entry rules for American travelers.
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Getting around Havana mostly means walking Habana Vieja's compact colonial core, then switching to a classic-car taxi or a coco taxi for longer hops to Vedado or Centro Habana. Negotiate the fare before you get in, direct bookings with drivers parked on the Malecon or at Parque Central run $25 to $35 an hour, while the same ride booked through a platform or hotel desk can run $60 to $100. Centro Habana has the highest concentration of budget casas particulares, often $25 to $35 a night for a private room with en suite bathroom in a Cuban family's apartment, while a mid-range room in Old Havana with reliable AC and a private bath runs $35 to $50 booked directly.
Money is the single biggest planning variable. Because US-issued cards do not work anywhere in the country, budget your entire trip in cash, dollars, euros, and Cuban pesos are all usable, and change money at casas or private exchanges rather than relying on the official bank rate, which sits around 110 pesos to the dollar. Factor in the tourist card cost too, $50 to $100 for the pink card US citizens need versus $25 to $30 for the green card other nationalities use, and buy it before your flight since airlines will deny boarding without it.
The power situation should shape your itinerary more than the calendar does. With rolling blackouts hitting 12 or more hours a day in Havana during the ongoing 2024-2026 grid crisis, book accommodations that mention backup generators or battery inverters, keep devices charged whenever the grid is up, and treat consistent wifi and hot water as a bonus rather than a given. For food, paladares, Cuba's private restaurants, consistently outperform state-run restaurants on both quality and price, with a full meal running $15 to $25 a person. For connectivity, buy Nauta wifi cards at an ETECSA office rather than a hotel desk to avoid the standard three-to-four-times markup, and expect 4G coverage to be workable in central neighborhoods but unreliable elsewhere.
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