Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [463]
Tickets
Two one-way tickets typically cost the same as a round-trip ticket. Most travelers travel in one direction overland and save time returning by air. The peak season for air travel within Peru is late May to early September, as well as around major holidays. Buy tickets for less popular destinations (anywhere other than Lima, Cuzco and Arequipa) as far in advance as possible, as these infrequent flights book up quickly.
Buying tickets and reconfirming flights is best done at airline offices in remote areas; otherwise, you can do so online or via a recommended travel agent. You can sometimes buy tickets at the airport on a space-available basis, but don’t count on it. It’s almost impossible to buy tickets for just before major holidays (Click here), notably Semana Santa (the week leading up to Easter) and Fiestas Patrias (the last week in July). Overbooking is the norm.
Ensure all flight reservations are confirmed and reconfirmed 72 and 24 hours in advance; airlines are notorious for overbooking and flights are changed or canceled with surprising frequency, so it’s even worth calling the airport or the airline just before leaving for the airport. Many midrange and top-end hotels will do this free of charge if you ask. Confirmation is especially essential during the peak travel season, particularly during the busy months of June, July and August.
If you’re planning to travel around the country only by air, the air passes currently available offer no substantial savings compared with buying individual one-way tickets. Instead, they inconveniently lock you into a preplanned itinerary, with fees charged for making any changes. You’ll enjoy more flexibility and a greater choice of airlines by not buying an air pass.
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BICYCLE
The major drawback to cycling in Peru is the country’s bounty of kamikaze motorists. On narrow, two-lane highways, drivers can be a serious hazard to cyclists. Cycling is more enjoyable and safer, though very challenging, off paved roads. Mountain bikes are recommended, as road bikes won’t stand up to the rough conditions for more about mountain biking and cycling in Peru.
Reasonably priced rentals (mostly mountain bikes) are available in popular tourist destinations, including Cuzco (Click here), Arequipa (Click here), Huaraz (Click here) and Huancayo (Click here). These bikes are rented to travelers for local excursions, not to make trips all over the country. For long-distance touring, bring your own bike from home. Click here for organized tours.
Airline policies on carrying bicycles vary, so shop around. Some airlines will fly your bike as checked baggage if it’s boxed. However, boxing the bike gives baggage handlers little clue to the contents, and the box may be roughly handled. If it’s OK with the airline, try wrapping it in heavy-duty plastic, so baggage handlers can see the contents. Domestic airlines will charge you extra for this service – and that’s if they even allow a checked bike.
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BOAT
There are no passenger services along the Peruvian coast. In the Andean highlands, there are boat services on Lake Titicaca. Small motorized vessels take passengers from the port in Puno to visit various islands on the lake (Click here), while catamarans zip over to Bolivia (Click here).
In Peru’s Amazon Basin, boat travel is of major importance. Larger vessels ply the wider rivers. Dugout canoes powered by outboard engines act as water taxis on smaller rivers. Some of the latter are powered by a strange arrangement that looks like a two-stroke motorcycle engine attached to a tiny propeller by a 3m-long propeller shaft. Called peki-pekis, these canoes are a slow and rather noisy method of transportation. In some places, modern aluminum launches are used.
The classic way to travel down the Amazon is while swinging in your hammock aboard a banana boat. You can travel from Pucallpa or Yurimaguas to Iquitos and on