Jetting off on a holiday that will involve staying in Cuba hotels could be made more pleasurable by learning a few words of the local language.

This is according to Sharron Livingston, editor of thetravelmagazine.net, who suggested taking a list of key words and phrases might help tourists communicate with locals.

"Preparation is key for when you travel ... Understand a little bit about the culture of a country, so that when you do go there you don't make any faux pas," she explained.

Phrases such as how much is that?, hello and thank you are great places to start and may prove useful on a daily basis.

Being open-minded and accepting of new traditions and experiences is the best way to get used to a city or country where the customs may be quite different to those elsewhere, Ms Livingston concluded.

Her comments came in response to research from TransPerfect, which revealed eating in restaurants, navigating public transport and booking hotels online were the places travellers came up against most communication problems.