PE Peru: how to get around

"Micros" (from microbús), "combis" and "coasters" they have bus stops but might also stop in the middle of the road. The direction is shown by boards in the windscreen or painted on the side. If you want to take a bus, just signal the driver to stop. If the bus is not completely overfilled (and sometimes when it is, too), it will stop to pick you up. During the ride, the ticket collector will ask you for the fee or, if there is not a ticket collector, you pay the driver when you get off. The latter is more common when taking longer trips where most people are going to the last stop, for example from Ollantaytambo to Urubamba. If you want to exit, you should press the button or just say loudly "¡Baja paradero!" or just ¡Bajo! (BAH-ho), and the driver will stop at the next stop (paradero). They are cramped and dirty, and not helpful unless in small towns or during off peak hours. They also stop in the middle of the road, so be careful when getting down.

Micros are very common but known for being quite dangerous, and different government programs are trying to reduce the number of micros. It is advised to not take a micro.

Because of the distances involved and the conditions of the roads in some remote locales (or lack of) it may be better to fly, which most people do, especially in traveling between Lima and Cuzco. To some places such as Iquitos flying is the only way possible due to the lack of roads and limited number (or the lack) of river boats plying the waters to get there. The following airlines offer domestic service within Peru:

• Avianca Peru (formerly Taca Peru). The other major carrier offering international services to other parts of South America from Lima and Cuzco. International flights to/from North America typically connect through El Salvador, Colombia or Costa Rica and to/from Europe via Avianca Colombia. They no longer offer domestic flights within Peru. (updated May 2016)
• Latam (LAN Peru), (Miraflores Sales office) Av. José Pardo 513-Miraflores;, ☏ +51 1 213-8200. Closest thing to a 'national legacy' carrier with domestic and international services to other parts of South America and beyond. (updated May 2016)

The following are additional carriers that operate domestic flights within Peru:

• JetSmart Peru, (city office) Av Camino Real 493, San Isidro, Lima, ☏ +51 1 311-0005. (updated Oct 2022)
• Saeta Peru, ☏ +51 942 694-483. Saeta flies mainly between to the remote cities of Chachapoyas, Iquitos, Pucallpas, Rodriguez de Mendoza, and Yurimaguas from Tarapoto. From these cities they offer point to point connections to each other and to additional remote communities in the northern Amazon regions. (updated Aug 2018)

• Sky Peru. (updated May 2019)
• Star Peru, ☏ +51 1 705-9000. (updated May 2016)

Most of the airlines operate on a hub-and-spoke paradigm via Lima rather than point-to-point. So to get from one city such as Iquitos to Cusco, you may fly to Lima to change planes. Furthermore, the ticketing systems may not offer through ticketing so you may have to book two separate tickets to get to where you're going. For example, if you want to travel from Iquitos to Cusco there may be no tickets available at anytime. But, if you book one ticket to Lima and another to Cusco with the same or different airline more options become available. Just be sure to allow yourself enough time (at least 2 hr) between arrival from Iquitos and departure to Cusco, especially if traveling on two different airlines to avoid missing flights. Some airlines also offer direct flights without flying through Lima such as between Arequipa and Cusco (Latam), or between Chiclayo and Iquitos (Star Peru).

Take care when using online flight pricing systems as some prices shown might have the qualification “For residents only”. These flights can still be used by non-residents but the ticket prices are higher.

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

Inter-city travel is mostly by bus, and some cities have train connections. In contrast to colectivos, buses, and of course trains, start from fixed points, either a central bus terminal (referred to as Terminal Terrestre or Terrapuerto) or the bus companies have their own terminals in different locations. It is a good idea to buy your ticket one day in advance so that you can be relatively sure of finding a seat. If you come directly before the bus leaves, you risk finding that there are no more seats available. In most bus terminals you need to buy a separate departure tax of S/1-1.5.

If you are taller than 1.80m/5 ft 11 in, you will most likely be uncomfortable on the ride since the seats are much tighter than in Europe or some parts of North America. In this case, you can try to get the middle seat in the rear, but on dirt roads the rear swings heavily. In older buses, the seats in the first row are the best, but many buses have a driver cabin separated from the rest of the bus so that you look at a dark screen or a curtain rather than out the front windshield. In older buses, you can get one or two seats beside the driver, which gives you a good view of the passing landscape.

First-class express buses, complete with video, checked luggage and even meal service, travel between major cities, but remember to bring ear plugs as the video on these buses may be played extra-loud for the majority of the trip. You may need to present a passport to purchase a ticket.

Make sure that your luggage is rainproof since it is often transported on the roof of the bus when travelling in the Andes.

Avoid bus companies that allow travellers to get into the bus from alongside the road, outside the official stations. They are normally badly managed and can be dangerous, due both to unsafe driving practices and/or to highway robberies, which are unfortunately not uncommon. This should be heeded especially by female travellers going on their own or anybody traveling overnight. There are many shoddy bus services in Peru, and it's best to go with one of the major companies such as Cruz del Sur, Oltursa or others. Get information at the hotel, hostel or tourist information booth before catching a ride. The following are the major bus companies traveling around through much of the country, that are more reliable (addresses given are their Lima terminal in/around San Isidro and La Victoria):

• Peru Hop, Lima Office: Centro Comercial "Torre Larco" Av. Larco 812 Oficina 206. Miraflores Lima, ☏ +51 1 2422140, info@peruhop.com. 09:30-19:00. Peru Hop is a hop-on, hop-off bus tour. Peru Hop allow you to stop along the way from Lima to Cusco at Paracas, Huacachina, Nazca, Arequipa, and Puno. Other stops at interesting places are included, and optional tours are available. Pick-up from and drop-off at your hostel or hotel, and discounts at many hostels and hotels are provided. Buses generally run daily, allowing you to spend as much or little time at each stop as you want. Lima-Cusco costs US$179-199, and Cusco-La Paz costs US$59. Other passes along this route are available in both directions. Every bus is monitored by GPS system and offers on-board bilingual assistance on all passes. Many routes stop completely late Jan through Feb due to weather (updated Mar 2018)
• Civa/Excluciva, Paseo de la República 575, La Victoria (Corner of Paseo de la República & Av 28 de Julio), ☏ +51 1 481-1111. They also have another terminal for their 'Excluciva' brand at Javier Prado Este #1155 . (updated Apr 2016)
• Cromotex, Av. Paseo de la Republica nro. 659, La Victoria, ☏ +51 1 424-7575. Travels between Lima, Arequipa, Tacna, Cusco and Trujillo. They also have another Lima terminal at Av. Nicolás de Arriola nro. 898 urb. Santa Catalina, La Victoria. (updated Apr 2017)
• Cruz del Sur, Av Javier Prado Este 1109, La Victoria (Javier Prado Este & Nicolás Arriola in La Victoria), ☏ +51 1 311-5050, +51 1 431-5125, toll-free: 72-0444 (domestic), 0801-1111 (domestic). Serves Arequipa, Ica, Cuzco, Puno, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Pisco, Arequipa, Tacna, Cuzco, La Paz, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Cali, Nazca, Guayaquil, Quito, Bogotá and Máncora. (updated Apr 2016)
• Transportes Flores, Paseo de La Republica 627 & 688, La Victoria (Paseo de La Republica & Av 28 de Julio), ☏ +51 1 332-1212, +51 1 424-0888. They also have another station at 28 de Julio No 1246. (updated Apr 2016)
• ITTSA, Av. Paseo de la República 809, ☏ +51 956 487-989. Goes from Lima only to Chimbote, Chiclayo, Piura, Sullana, Talara and Trujillo in the northern regions of the country (updated Apr 2016)
• Movil Tours, Paseo de la Republica 749, La Victoria (Frente al Estadio Nacional. Front of the National Stadium), ☏ +51 1 716-8000. They also have another station nearby at Javier Prado Este 1093, La Victoria in front of the Clinica Ricardo Palma & next to a Kia car dealership. (updated Apr 2016)
• Oltursa, Av. Aramburú 1160, San Isidro (SE of the intersection Av Republica de Panama next to the Derco Center car dealership.), ☏ +51 1 708-5000. (updated Apr 2016)
• Ormeño, Av. Javier Prado Oeste Nº 1057, La Victoria - Lima 13, ☏ +51 1 472-5000, +51 1 472-1710. (updated Apr 2016)
• TEPSA, Av Javier Prado Este 1091, La Victoria (west of the interesection of Javier Prado Este & Paseo de la Republica.), ☏ +51 1 617-9000, +51 990 690-534 (mobile). (updated Apr 2016)

You can find more information on RedBus.pe that compares the diverse number of companies.

Even when going by train, it's best to buy the ticket in advance. Buy first class or buffet class (still higher), or you risk getting completely covered by luggage. People will put their luggage under your seat, in front of your feet, beside you and anywhere there is space. This makes the journey quite uncomfortable, since you can't move any more and the view of the landscape is bad. The following companies operate passenger trains in Peru:

• Ferrocarril Central de Andino (FCCA), ☏ +51 1 226-6363. The Ferrocarril Central Andino is the second highest railway in the world and the Highest in South America, connecting Lima to Huancayo. The journey on board of the Train of the Andes, through the heart of Peru is simply breathtaking. It is an 11-hour experience where the train reaches an altitude of 4781 m (15,681 ft) and goes through 69 tunnels, 58 bridges and makes 6 zigzags. In 2005, Ferrocarril Central Andino renovated their passenger wagons in a luxurious and comfortable way which puts the railway in the list of the most famous trains. (updated Jul 2017)
• Tren Macho. Once or twice daily trains between Huancayo and Huancavelica. In Huancayo, this train leaves from (or arrive to) a different station than the Central de Andino. (updated Jul 2017)
• Inca Rail, (sales office) Calle Portal de Panes 105, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, ☏ +51 84 581860. Trains to Machu Picchu (Aguas Caliente Station) from Cusco and a second route from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Caliente. (updated Jul 2017)
• PeruRail, (sales office) Av Vesco Astete s/n, Dist. de Wanchaq (At the airport), ☏ +51 84 581414. Trains from Cusco Wanchaq Station to Machu Picchu (via Ollantaytambo) through the Sacred Valley on the Belmond Hiram Bingham (more luxurious class like the Orient Express) and the Sacred Valley trains ; to Puno (by Lake Titicaca) via Juliaca and a third route from Cusco to Arequipa on the Belmond Andean Explorer. They also have a ticket office in Miraflores Lima. Some of variations of the Sacre Valley routes to Machu Picchu originate from Urubamba to Aguas Caliente instead. (updated Jul 2017)

Besides the famous Inca trail to Machu Picchu, you can do a lot more hikes all along the Sierra, preferably in the dry season. The hiker's mecca is Huaraz, where you can find a lot of agencies that offer guided tours and equipment to borrow. The thin vegetation in the higher Sierra makes off-trail hiking easy. Good maps are hard to find inside Peru. It is better to bring them from home. Make sure you have enough iodine to purify your drinking water. When hiking in higher altitude, good acclimatisation is absolutely necessary. Take a good sleeping bag with you, since nights in the Sierra may become bitterly cold (-10°C in 4,500 m altitude are normal, sometimes still colder). Beware of thunderstorms that may rise up very suddenly. Rapid falling temperature and hard rain falls are a serious danger in higher altitudes. Don't forget that the night lasts for 12 hours year-round, so a flashlight is a good idea. When hiking on higher, but not snow covered mountains, water may be rare. Getting alcohol for stoves is easy: Either buy the blue-colored alcohol de quemar or, better, buy pure drinking alcohol. You can get this in every town for about S/3 per liter (don't even think about drinking it). It won't be so easy to find special fuel for gasoline stoves. Gasoline for cars can also be found in many hardware stores (ferreterias) sold by liters, but you can actually buy it directly on gas stations, provided you bring your own bottle.

Bicycling is quite popular in some of Peru's cities, including Lima and Arequipa. One can even see people riding bikes around smaller oases with flat terrain, such as Camaná or Ocoña.

However, while bicycle lines exist here and there, city traffic is chaotic, and many streets (and, especially, the roadways' shoulders) may be in a poor condition, which makes this activity not always pleasant.

There are many bike stores in large cities; often, many of them concentrate in a particular area of town. A smaller town may have a single bike shop, or a just a guy fixing bicycles somewhere near the main marketplace. New bicycles and some supplies may also be stored in big-box stores, such as Tottus.

Intercity (long-distance) bicycling in Peru is quite challenging. First of all, while in a flatter country there may often be several alternative routes between points A and B, Peru's geography (mountains, desert, and ocean) very often means that there is only one paved road connecting any two points A and B -- and this road is used by all cars, buses, and (very numerous) trucks. The road's shoulders may be quite narrow, if not non-existent whatsoever, and, in desert areas, may be sometimes covered with moving sand (this is helpfully noted by the sign Zona de arenamiento). Fog (Zona de neblina) can be sometimes encountered as well.

As the coastal desert and many mountainous areas have sparse population, distances between towns may be quite high. While entering a city, one may be faced with a particularly unpleasant section, where the road crosses a semi-industrial area, and, consequently, truck traffic (including entering/exiting the road) is high, shoulders bad or non-existent, and the amount of dust is extreme.

A significant number of paved roads exist; you can see most of them on the official regional road maps; pay attention to the legend indicating the road type. It is safe to assume that most other roads you'll see e.g. on Google Maps are unpaved, and their quality is very uneven.

A place for overnight stay is not difficult to find once you have reached a town, as even small town would usually have an inn (hospedaje or hostal) with room rates starting from S/25-40. Those sometimes can also be found near toll booths (peaje) on major roads.

Roadside camping is feasible in many areas, as they have little population. This is the case, for example, in the coastal desert along most of the Panamerican Highway. That may be the case in the mountains too, but one should take cold nights into account.

It is also possible to tour the interior of the country by car. This gives you a chance to get "off the beaten track" and explore some of the areas that haven't been transformed by tourism. An international driver's license is needed for driving in Peru.

Peru has three main roads which run from north to south: the fully paved Panamericana Sur/Norte (PE-1S/1N) which passes through the whole country; more to the east there are the partially paved Longitudinal de la Sierra Sur/Norte (PE-3S/3N), Interoceánica Sur (PE-26) as well as the Interoceánica Norte (PE-5N). Most parts of these roads are toll roads in the direction from north to south. The main roads are connected by 20 streets from west to east.

Aside from a few major roads which are in good condition, most roads are unpaved and your speed on them will be severely restricted. For these roads a 4WD is necessary. This is especially true during the rainy season from November to April. You should travel very well informed about your route. Take a good road map with you (e.g. Waterproof Peru Map by ITMB). On the web, cochera andina provides useful information about road conditions, travel times and distances for more than 130 routes in Peru.

Gas stations are open 24 hours in many parts of the country, especially in major cities and along major routes like the Panamericana. Gas stations in less populated areas, however, may be harder to find, and purchasing gas late at night in these areas can be an adventure all its own as gas stations tend to close early and the pumps are locked. The owner of the station sometimes sleeps inside and, if you can rouse him, he will come out and let you fill up. Expect higher gasoline consumption in the mountains which often increases to more than 20 L/100 km (12 mpg). Gas in Peru is sold by the gallon, and prices are mostly similar to those found in much of the United States.

Peruvians have the unsavory reputation of being some of the world's worst drivers, and offensive (as opposed to defensive) driving is the norm, even in places like Lima. Although traffic regulations are almost the same as in Europe and the U.S., locals tend to interpret them very freely. You better honk in unclear situations, e.g. in curves and at crossings to indicate the right of way. Traffic checkpoints tend to be scattered throughout the country and the police may try to extract bribes from foreigners for passage. It would be wise to travel with a native speaker who can navigate the roads and deal with law enforcement.

Fairly good road maps in PDF format (for each department, and for the entire country) can be downloaded from the web site of the Ministry of Transport: Maps.

There is typically a crowd of touts hanging around the airports and bus stations. It is any traveller's wise decision not to do business with the people that are trying to sell you their stuff on the street, bus station, and airport. First of all, if they would have a decent place, they wouldn’t have to sell it to unsuspecting tourists trying to drag them off from wherever they can find them. More important, it really is not a good idea to hand out money to the first person you meet upon arriving somewhere.

Tip: When you arrive in any town, be sure to have already decided what hotel you will be going to. Don't mention this or any other information to the touts awaiting you. They will use whatever you tell them to construe lies to make you change your mind and go with them. If you’ve already picked a reasonable hotel chances are that you will be OK there and they will have any (extra) information you’d be looking for, like bookings for tours or tickets.