Free Travel Advice and Tips >>> Traveling in and around cities

Traveling in and around cities

Inside the cities, you can get around on city buses or taxis. Buses cost between 1.00 and 1.50 Soles ( US$ 0.30 - 0.40). In cities, a taxi costs between 7 and 8 soles (US$ 2.00 - 2.40) in the capital, normally less in other cities. The word "Taxi" doesn't always mean a car. It can also refer to motor rickshaws, bicycles, and motor bikes for hire. Taxis are distinguished between "formal" taxis, painted usually in yellow, and marked as such, and "informal" taxis which belong to particulars who part time taxiing by placing a sticker on their windshield. This ones are a little more risky and are best left to the locals, especially if you can't speak Spanish. Radio taxis are also available, but can cost 2 to 3 times what a street cab costs. Fares are not metered nor fixed, but are bartered with the driver before entering the vehicle. Ask your hotel, hostal or guide how much you'd expect to reach a certain destination, in order to get a reference. There is no tipping at taxis. "Micros", short for microbus, are small minivans or Coaster buses, also known as "combis" and "custers". Bus stops are useless, they exist but in practice the driver won't stop unless you call him to. What do exist are fixed routes. The route it takes are usually glued to the windscreen or painted on the sides. If you want to catch a bus, simply stand in a corner and raise your hand for it to stop. Most buses will stop, whether they are overfilled or not. While traveling, the ticket collector will ask you for the fee. When you want to get down, you usually must approach the ticket collector and notify him you want to get down. He'll yell at the bus driver to stop. Buses are most usually cramped and very dirty, and you'll be hard pressed to find any sort of help among them, unless you are traveling in a small town or during off peak hours. Buses are known to stop in the middle of nowhere to pick up an extra passenger, so be very careful when getting down. A rule of thumb is "right foot first" (the ticket collector sometimes yells that to passengers who are about to disembark). Take a mental note: Micros, the small bus versions are known for being quite dangerous. Despite government programs trying to reduce their numbers, do take this advice into consideration and try to avoid traveling in them. Most car accidents happen because of them trying to cut someone off to get "one more customer".

Traveling by Bus

Some main roads, especially along the coast are paved, however there are still a lot of dirt roads in very poor condition. In rainy season, landslides happen and may block even major roads.

Inter-city travel can be performed by bus, and a couple cities have train connections. Buses and trains start from fixed points, either the terminal or a company's agency. You should try to buy a ticket a day in advance, so that you'll find a seat. If you come directly before the bus departure, you do risk finding no seats available.

If you happen to be taller than 1.80m, you'll probably find yourself in a very uncomfortable ride. Peruvians average 1.60m tall, so seats are placed accordingly. You may try to get the middle seat in the rear, but when the bus gets into dirt roads, the rear usually swings heavily.

First-class express buses, complete with video, meal service, and checked luggage travel between major cities. In some cases, you may need to present a passport to purchase a ticket. Also, make sure that your luggage is waterproof, because sometimes it is transported on the roof of the bus and it may rain.

Do try to avoid bus companies that allow travelers to get into the bus outside the official stations. Not only are they badly managed, they can be dangerous, because of either unsafe practices or highway robberies, or both, which are not uncommon on those kind of rides. Female travelers going on their own should pay special attention to this. Take a time to get information at your hotel, hostal or tourist information booth before embarking on a ride.

Traveling by Train

Even when traveling by train, you should buy your ticket in advance. If at all possible, buy 1st class or buffet class (still higher), or you may risk getting completely swamped by luggage. People will put their luggage under your seat, in front of your feet, beside you, and just about everywhere where there's some place left. This will make the journey quite uncomfortable, you won't be able to move any more and you'll lose the view of the beautiful landscape.

There are only three passenger rail lines in Peru:

* Cuzco - Machu Picchu

* Cuzco - Juliaca - Puno

* Arequipa - Juliaca

Traveling by Foot

Apart from the world famous Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, there are lots of hikes you can take along the Sierra, preferably in the dry season. The best place to do this is in Huaraz, where you'll find lots of guided tours and/or equipment for rent. The thin vegetation in the higher Sierra makes off-trail hiking quite easy, except where the altitude affects you. You'll be hard pressed to find good maps in Peru, it's best to bring one along with you. In order to purify your drinking water, you should have along iodine tablets. Otherwise, you can also get bottled water rather cheaply, but most likely you won't find a store along your hike. When hiking in higher altitude, good acclimatisation is absolutely necessary. Sierra nights may become bitterly cold, so packing a good sleeping bag is essential. Thunderstorms that may rise up very suddenly, so be on the alert for them. In higher altitudes, rapid falling temperature and hard rain falls are a serious danger. Night lasts for 12 hours year-round, so a flashlight is always a good idea. When hiking on higher, but not snow covered mountains, you may find difficulty locating water. Getting alcohol for stoves is easy: You can buy alcohol de quemar or, simply pure drinking alcohol. You can get this in town for about 3 Soles (US$0,85) per liter. It won't be so easy to find special fuel for gasoline stoves. Gasoline for cars can also be bought directly on gas stations, provided you bring your own bottle.