Traveling to Cuba as an American is like jumping through hoops(环)．To help you better prepare for your trip，here are what you need to know about traveling to Cuba．You will need to obtain a visa to travel to Cuba．You’ll need to apply for the visa associated with your travel purposes，such as religious or medical travel，family visits，or people-to-people travel，which is the most common type of visa attained by Americans．

Because of the U.S. restriction，banks have not yet been able to establish a foothold in Cuba，meaning it’s a cash-focused country．You can exchange currency at the José Martí International Airport or at your hotel．Keep in mind that there is a 10 percent fee to exchange U．S．currency for Cuban currency．You’ll also want to be sure to carry change for tips．

You can reserve a hotel room in Cuba online．Then you can call to confirm your reservation．You can also book through a travel agency．However，payment can be tricky：even if you pay for your room through your travel agent，the restriction may prevent your payment from reaching your hotel in time(another reason to book well in advance)．Come prepared with enough cash to cover the cost，just in case．

If you expect to find the blue waters, volcanic landscapes and beautiful villages of other nearby islands，you’11 be disappointed．But beauty is not hard to find here．Old Havana—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—is home to splendid architecture and a bit of paladars (privately owned restaurants)．Limited economic opportunities have led Cubans to be creative in other ways．You can’t go two blocks without coming across street paintings，art studios and joyful ballet music．