1. Money: Have you ever had a friend or family member wire you money? Yea me neither and I'd love to keep it that way. I've heard some horror stories from friends who visited Cuba and ran out of money before the trip was over. "Your money just disappears." Cuba does not yet accept American credit or ATM cards so cash is king. Overestimate and lock the extra cash in the hotel safe. Booking through CubaToDo was helpful since our visa, airfare, hotel (with breakfast included) and airport transfers were paid-for in advance. You'll need $25 at JFK for departure tax at check-in so be sure you add that in to your total budget. Seriously, bring way more than you could possibly need so you can avoid a potentially very stressful situation. If you do end up running out of cash, there is a trusty Western Union at the airport.

2. Exchange USD for EUR: Before your trip - exchange your USD's by ordering foreign currency through your bank. Most US banks offer this free of charge and you can just pick up your cash at your local branch. There are two different types of currencies in Cuba - one for tourists (CUC), one for locals (CUP). Tourists are able to pay with either but I'd personally recommend sticking with CUCs. In my experience, Cubans preferred CUCs to CUPs and some actually rejected CUPs all together. You get more CUC if you use EUR vs. USD and they actually charge a 10% fee if you try to swap USD's for the CUC straight up. Download the XE Currency app to get an idea of how much you should be walking away with. I prefer that app as it works when your offline and in Cuba I stayed in airplane mode the entire trip. For accurate budgeting prior to your trip, check out the Banco Central de Cuba for the most accurate exchange rates. We were able to exchange our money at the Saratoga so we exchanged a small amount at the airport for tips and then exchanged as needed at the hotel.

3. Pack Light: JetBlue has a 20 lb. limit for carry-on and they will weigh your bag at check-in so try to weigh your luggage before you leave. Cuba is very hot so pack summer clothes and extra sunblock. Remember, if you forget anything you probably won't be able to buy it in Cuba so pack thoughtfully when it comes to toiletries and medicine. You will likely be smoking cigars and drinking a fair amount of sugary mojitos so I'd suggest bringing something to settle your stomach (or cure your hangover in the morning).

4. Educate Yourself: You will enjoy your experience more thoroughly if you read up on the history of Cuba prior to your trip. You'll want to know all about the Cuban Revolution, Cuban-US relations and who the important political figures are that you'll see all throughout the country (before posing for potentially offensive instagrams in front of them).