Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [87]
Car
Lima has major intersections without stoplights, kamikaze bus drivers, spectacular traffic jams and little to no parking. If you still dare to get behind the wheel, the following companies have 24-hour desks at the airport. Prices range from about US$50 to US$130 per day, not including surcharges, insurance and taxes (of about 19%). Delivery is possible.
Budget (442-8706; www.budgetperu.com)
Dollar (444-3050; www.dollar.com)
Hertz (447-2129; www.hertz.com.pe)
National (575-1111; www.nationalcar.com.pe)
Train
The Ferrocarril Central Andino (226-6363; www.ferrocarrilcentral.com.pe) railway line runs from Estación Desamparados in Lima inland to Huancayo, climbing from sea level to 4829m – the second-highest point for passenger trains in the world – before descending to Huancayo at 3260m. There is no regular passenger service, but the train makes the journey a couple of times a month as a tourist attraction – a 12-hour odyssey along Andean mountainscapes and vertigo-inducing bridges. The round-trip costs S125 to S300. Check the schedule in advance since the rail lines aren’t always operational. Tickets can be purchased through Teleticket (see boxed text, Click here).
Return to beginning of chapter
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
As you come out of customs, inside the airport to the right is the official taxi service: Taxi Green (484-4001; taxigreen.com.pe; Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez; 1-3 people to Central Lima, San Isidro, Miraflores & Barranco S45). Outside the airport perimeter itself, you will find ‘local’ taxis. Taking these does not always save you money and safety is an issue – local hustlers use this as an opportunity to pick up foreign travelers and rob them. It is best to use the official airport taxis, or arrange pickup with your hotel.
The cheapest way to get to and from the airport is via the combi company known as ‘La S’ (per person S2-3) – a giant letter ‘S’ is pasted to the front windshields – which runs various routes from the port of Callao (where the airport is located) to Miraflores and beyond. From the airport, these can be found heading south along Av Elmer Faucett. For the return trip to the airport, La S combis can be found traveling north along Av Petit Thouars and east along Av Angamos in Miraflores. The most central spot to find these is at the paradero (bus stop) on Av Petit Thouars, just north of Av Ricardo Palma (Map). Expect to be charged additional fares for any seats that your bags may occupy. Combi companies change their routes regularly, so ask around before heading out.
In a private taxi, allow at least an hour to the airport from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco; by combi, expect the journey to take at least two hours – with plenty of stops in between. Traffic is lightest before 6:30am.
Bus
Though it is a major urban center, Lima has long functioned without a citywide public transportation system. This should be rectified by 2010, when a trans-Lima electric bus system is supposed to debut. Even so, the system will initially consist of just a single north–south route, which means that the current haphazard network of small private buses (called combis and micros) will remain vital.
To be sure, the system is mind-boggling: traffic-clogging caravans of minivans hurtle down the avenues with a cobrador (ticket taker) hanging out the door and shouting out the stops. Routes change frequently, so go by the destination placards taped to the windshield, rather than the street names painted on the side of the bus. Your best bet is to know the nearest major intersection or landmark close to your stop (eg Parque Kennedy) and tell that to the cobrador – he’ll let you know whether you’ve got the right bus. Combis are generally slow and crowded, but startlingly cheap: fares