TT - Cuba - Budget

Hey,

We're off to Cuba in August for 3 weeks, just woundering if anyone can advise on how much money we'll need, in dollars or pounds whatevers fine, bearing in mind will be doing it as cheap as poss,

Ta very much.

I spent three weeks in Cuba and came back to sweden one week ago. I found Cuba quite cheap. We stayed at casas for 12-15 US dollars per night in Havana, Trinidad and Vinales. If you don´t want to spend much money you have to get cuban pesos. We had pizza or sandwich with eggs on the streets for lunch. This was about 5 pesos (26 pesos are 1 US dollar). At some cafes in Havana you can get coffee for 1 peso or a beer for 10 pesos. For dinner I can recommend the spanish clubs in central Havana. We had shrimps for 3 dollars and lobster for 6 dollars. Hanoi os another good, cheap restaurant. I avoided paladares since they charged 7-8 dollars for a chicken dinner. Try to get your casa-owner to make dinner for you. We had some splendid dinners for about 4-5 dollars at those places. Fish, shrimps, chicken or lobster and A LOT of food. The breakfasts were also great at the casas for about 2 dollars including a lot of exotic fruits...
Me and my boyfriend ended up spending about 30 US dollars per day and person. This was including EVERYTHING; accomendation, food, souvenirs, cigars, drinks and busfares.
We loved Cuba. Have a nice trip.
Emma

Good message Emma, thanks for the useful info. Most of us travelling can't make this 50 dollars each day thing! Hope you had a great time.

Thank you for the reply really appreciate it, Emma. The advice is really good and will certainly use it...Heres to more good trips! Can't Wait!

Hi Emma, great info. Since you seem not to be accepting private messages, can you please give the info on the casas and spanish clubs you went here? Thanks!

day in Havana will get you an illegal casa. Local peso coffee (cut with pea husks) is horrible. Some things you just can't skimp on, imo.

$60/day for 2 would be the absolute cheapest you could do it on with little or no room to "splurge". If you like to see the top salsa bands, for example, forget it on that budget, imo.

Havana being the most expensive, everywhere else, cheaper. I strongly suggest you bring more than that, just in case.

Your budget really depends on what you want to do, or how little you want to do while there.

were absolutely legal casas with the blue triangle and reciepts. I don't have the addresses right now, but I will write them on the tree later. The spanish clubs were Andaluz on Prado, close to Malecon, and the other one were La Canaria a block from Prado, close to Parque Central. We were doing just fine on 30 US a day and person!

if s/he goes to Cuba on a budget as tight as max. USD$30./day. I'm not saying it cannot be done - I'm suggesting for MOST its simply unreasonable.

Better to save your money at home, and come suitably financed.

I also love way some posters (not our Emma!) introduce -but dont elaborate- the "we" part. Travelling in a GROUP is cheaper, almost everywhere: it's $60./day (for 2), in this meagre case.

"El Torro"
EA

bell80 [Fri 24 May, 15:03] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	Budget - (7 replies) Hey, We're off to Cuba in August for 3 weeks, just woundering if anyone can advise on how much money we'll need, in dollars or pounds whatevers fine, bearing in mind will be doing it as cheap as poss, Ta very much.
swedish_emma [Mon 27 May, 06:58] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	1. just came back from cuba I spent three weeks in Cuba and came back to sweden one week ago. I found Cuba quite cheap. We stayed at casas for 12-15 US dollars per night in Havana, Trinidad and Vinales. If you don´t want to spend much money you have to get cuban pesos. We had pizza or sandwich with eggs on the streets for lunch. This was about 5 pesos (26 pesos are 1 US dollar). At some cafes in Havana you can get coffee for 1 peso or a beer for 10 pesos. For dinner I can recommend the spanish clubs in central Havana. We had shrimps for 3 dollars and lobster for 6 dollars. Hanoi os another good, cheap restaurant. I avoided paladares since they charged 7-8 dollars for a chicken dinner. Try to get your casa-owner to make dinner for you. We had some splendid dinners for about 4-5 dollars at those places. Fish, shrimps, chicken or lobster and A LOT of food. The breakfasts were also great at the casas for about 2 dollars including a lot of exotic fruits... Me and my boyfriend ended up spending about 30 US dollars per day and person. This was including EVERYTHING; accomendation, food, souvenirs, cigars, drinks and busfares. We loved Cuba. Have a nice trip. Emma
edinboyd [Mon 27 May, 10:58] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	2. Nice One! Good message Emma, thanks for the useful info. Most of us travelling can't make this 50 dollars each day thing! Hope you had a great time.
bell80 [Tue 28 May, 11:53] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	3. Thank you Thank you for the reply really appreciate it, Emma. The advice is really good and will certainly use it...Heres to more good trips! Can't Wait!

daiquirigirl [Wed 29 May, 11:29] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	4. casas Hi Emma, great info. Since you seem not to be accepting private messages, can you please give the info on the casas and spanish clubs you went here? Thanks!
greslogo [Wed 29 May, 11:54] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	5. $12-$15 day in Havana will get you an illegal casa. Local peso coffee (cut with pea husks) is horrible. Some things you just can't skimp on, imo. $60/day for 2 would be the absolute cheapest you could do it on with little or no room to "splurge". If you like to see the top salsa bands, for example, forget it on that budget, imo. Havana being the most expensive, everywhere else, cheaper. I strongly suggest you bring more than that, just in case. Your budget really depends on what you want to do, or how little you want to do while there.
swedish_emma [Sun 2 Jun, 13:11] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	6. they were absolutely legal casas with the blue triangle and reciepts. I don't have the addresses right now, but I will write them on the tree later. The spanish clubs were Andaluz on Prado, close to Malecon, and the other one were La Canaria a block from Prado, close to Parque Central. We were doing just fine on 30 US a day and person!
E_Armand [Sun 2 Jun, 13:58] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	7. A solo Cuba newbie is in for a RUDE AWAKENING if s/he goes to Cuba on a budget as tight as max. USD$30./day. I'm not saying it cannot be done - I'm suggesting for MOST its simply unreasonable. Better to save your money at home, and come suitably financed. I also love way some posters (not our Emma!) introduce -but dont elaborate- the "we" part. Travelling in a GROUP is cheaper, almost everywhere: it's $60./day (for 2), in this meagre case. "El Torro" EA