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Getting There By Air:

Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM)
Tel: (01) 575 0912 or 1434 or 1712, for international or 5529, for local.
Website: www.lap.com.pe

Situated 16km (10 miles) northwest of Lima, Jorge Chavez International Airport is the international hub for flights to Peru and other Andean countries, from North America and several European capitals, except London.

Major airlines: Peru’s domestic airlines include Aero Condor (tel: (01) 441 1354; website: www.aerocondor.com.pe), Lan Perú (tel: (01) 213 8200; website: www.lanperu.com) and Aerolineas (tel: (01) 213 7000; website: www.grupotaca.com.pe). These all offer limited international flights. There are no direct flights from London but competitive options are available with KLM via Amsterdam and Iberia via Madrid. Alternatively, there are daily British Airways flights to Miami, which connect with American Airlines or United Airlines services to Lima. Other major airlines include Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, Alitalia, Continental and Mexicana.

Approximate flight times to Lima: From London (via Miami) is 12 hours; from New York is 8 hours; from Los Angeles is 12 hours; from Toronto is 12 hours and from Sydney is 20 hours.

Airport facilities: Facilities include three banks, two 24-hour bureaux de change in international arrivals, duty-free shops in the departure lounge, several ATMs, cafés and restaurants on the second level, magazine kiosks and shops, and baggage lockers. A tourist booth to help visitors with hotel reservations, a post office and car hire operators, including Avis, Budget and Hertz, are also available. Business-class travelers have access to four different executive and VIP lounges.

Transport to the city: Taxi is the easiest means of transport from the airport to the city center (journey time – 20-30 minutes). Official taxis can be ordered from the desk outside arrivals. A cheaper (but safe) alternative for arriving tourists is to take an unlicensed taxi from one of the dozens waiting inside the airport gates. Taxis do not have meters, so prices must be fixed in advance. The Transhotel Airport Express (tel: (01) 446 9872) runs every 20-30 minutes, approximately 0600-0100, to Miraflores from the national exit (journey time – 30 minutes). Local buses also run between the airport and the city center.

Getting There By Water:

Lima’s main port is Callao, located 15km (9 miles) west of the city. The Peru port authority, Empresa Nacional de Puertos del Perú – ENAPU, Avenida Chalaca Guard (tel: (01) 299 210 or 429 9210), manages the port. Although it is primarily used for freight and provides no passenger facilities, Callao is occasionally used by some cruise ships. However, the days when well heeled travelers arrived from Europe or North America by ship have all but disappeared.

Boat services: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (website: www.rssc.com) operates cruises to Lima from Los Angeles and Sydney.

Transport to the city: Connected to Lima by four highways, the city center is approximately 30 minutes’ drive from Callao. Taxis and combis are usually available.

Getting There By Road:

Driving in Peru can be hazardous, due to reckless driving and the state of the roads, many of which are dirt tracks. Peru has more than 70,000km (18,641 miles) of roads, of which only just over a fifth are national highways. Roads are designated by a Route and a number. The main roads running the length of the country are the Pan-American Highway (north-south), which is the main artery linking the towns along Peru's coast, and the Marginal Jungle Highway, which runs from the northern jungle almost to the Bolivian border. From the coast, heading inland, is the Central Highway, which starts in Lima and runs up to the central highlands down to the Chanchamayo jungle valley. Much of the Pan-American Highway that connects Ecuador to Chile via Peru’s coastal desert is in good condition, as are the main routes into the Andes.

Several roads are tolled, including many on the Pan-American Highway between Tumbes and Lima, Pativilca-Huaraz, Lima-Pucusana and the highway around Lima. Motorcycles are exempt from tolls. Speed limits are 100kph (62mph) on motorways and vary on smaller roads vary – either 80kph (50mph) or 45kph (28mph). Even so, few Peruvians seem to stick to these limits. Wearing seatbelts is mandatory in certain areas of Lima. It is easier for drivers to always wear seatbelts to avoid being fined. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. On-the-spot fines are applied for drink-driving, speeding and other traffic offences, such as driving through a red light.

The minimum age for driving is 18 years. To enter Peru in a private vehicle, the driver needs an International Driving Permit, proof of customs payment (libreta de pago por la aduana) and a registration document in the name of the driver. Proof of insurance (best arranged in the visitor’s home country) is also needed. A non-extendable 90-day transit permit (Formulario 015) is available at land borders and allows travelers to bring a vehicle into Peru. There is no charge.

The Touring and Automobile Club of Peru, Calle Cesar Vallejo 699, Lince (tel: (01) 441 0345), with offices in most provincial cities, is helpful.

Emergency breakdown services
There is no general emergency breakdown number in Peru. Most rental agencies have breakdown arrangements agreed with a particular insurance company.

Routes to the city: The main road artery of Peru, the Pan-American Highway, runs the length of Peru’s coastline. Most travelers choose to fly to other provincial capitals. Routes along the Pan-American Highway include Nazca (famous for its mysterious desert lines), Arequipa and Tumbes in the north, near the border with Ecuador. Cusco is reached by taking the Pan-American Highway south as far as Pisco, then inland along Route 24 to Ayacucho, then Route 3 to Cusco via Abancay. Puno is reached on the Pan-American Highway, south to Arequipa then following the scrappy and circuitous Route 3 to Puno and Lake Titicaca.

Driving times to Lima: From Cusco – 24 hours; Puno – 24 hours; Arequipa – 14 hours; Nazca – 6 hours

Coach services: Ormeno, Avenida Javier Prado Este 1059, La Victoria (tel: (01) 472 1710), is one of the few reliable bus companies, offering regular weekly services to Bogota (journey time – 80 hours), Quito (journey time – 30 hours) and Santiago (journey time – 54 hours). Many intercity buses leave from one of the main bus terminals between the Hotel Sheraton and Parque Universitario in the center, or in the district of La Victoria along Avenida 28 de Julio and Prolongacion Huanuco. Other bus stations and companies are located in the suburbs. Cruz del Sur, Avenida Javier Prado 1109, San Isidro (tel: (01) 431 5125), offers good, regular services to Cusco, Puno and Arequipa and other major destinations.

Getting There By Rail:

Enafer (tel: (01) 428 9440 or 427 6620) is the Peruvian national railway, operating from Los Desamparados railway station, behind the Government Palace, Jiron Ancash 207. There are currently no frequent passenger trains to and from Lima. However, after eight years of suspension, due to terrorist activity in the country, the spectacular service that runs between Huancayo in the Andes and central Lima was restored in July 1998.

Rail services: The monthly train to Huancayo leaves from Los Desamparados railway station, on a 591km (367-mile) journey, passing 27 stations, crossing 57 bridges and passing through 67 tunnels before reaching Huancayo (journey time – 12 hours). Services operate between April and November, on the last weekend of each month (Friday 0740), returning on Sunday.

Transport to the city: Los Desamparados is located in the heart of the city, just off the central square, Plaza de Armas.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
With no urban train system in Lima, the cheapest and most colorful way to get around is to take a municipal bus, a privately owned microbus or a collective minibus (known as a combi or colectivo). The distances between the historic center and suburbs, such as Miraflores or Barranco, make walking difficult.

Buses cover every part of the city and most services run between 0600 and 2300 (some until 0100). There is no specific bus service provider, however, the Municipality of Lima (tel: (01) 427 6080) is responsible for overseeing transport in the city. Municipal buses and microbuses charge a flat rate. Tickets are purchased from the driver. The combis (small vans converted for passenger use) are faster and cover the main routes but charge slightly more and have a poor safety record.


Taxis
Taxis can be hailed from the street. These don’t have meters, so the fare should be agreed before the prospective passenger gets in. Street taxis usually have a red and white sticker in the window – some are private cars being used to generate extra income. There are also some 24-hour licensed companies that accept advance reservations, such as Moli Taxi (tel: (01) 479 0030). It is a good idea for passengers to lock their doors when going through rough areas. If traveling as a single woman at night, an officially registered taxi probably is the safest option. Licensed taxis are usually yellow and will cost more than unlicensed taxis.

A trip to the city center from Miraflores costs about PEN7-11/US$2-3 and to the Gold Museum about PEN14.50/US$4. Licensed taxis charge approximately PEN36-43.50/US$10-12 to the airport. Tips are not expected.


Driving in the City
Driving around Lima is a stressful experience, mainly because traffic moves at terrifying speeds and does not respect the road lanes. Traffic lanes and even traffic lights also seem to mean very little to these impatient drivers, who use their horns at every opportunity. One tip for drivers is to keep a wide berth between cars, as shunts from behind are extremely common and often costly.

There is 24-hour parking available in most parts of the city – usually an open-air yard (playa). Parking meters are common in the suburbs of Miraflores and San Isidro.


Car Hire
Most car hire companies have offices at the airport, where everything can be arranged and the car picked up and dropped off. Drivers must be at least 23-25 years old. A valid driver’s license, identification and a credit card are required. The insurance policy may cover only minor damage and not major accidents. Extra cover is usually available.

The three main companies are Avis, Avenida Javier Prado Este 5233 (tel: (01) 434 1111; website: www.avisperu.com), Budget, Avenida Canaval y Moreyra 569, San Isidro (tel: (01) 442 8706; website: www.budget.com) and Hertz, Jiron Cantuarias 160, Miraflores (tel: (01) 445 5716; website: www.hertz.com). Car hire is expensive, reflecting the high costs of driving and accident rates.


Bicycle Hire
With accidents an everyday occurrence on Peru’s anarchic road system, cycling in the Lima area is rare and bike hire is not readily available.

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