We were in Peru in April 2016 for about 4 weeks. I am doing a series of blogs on Peru. The first several will be specific information about travel there. After that I will delve into history, culture, and food for thought about the area.
Guidebooks
I do not recommend the Rough Guide to Peru in Kindle format. I bought that as I thought it would be easier to take my Kindle than a paperback guidebook, but this one is VERY outdated so as to be a hindrance and not a help.
Transportation
It’s easy and inexpensive to get around by taxi in Lima, but determine the price before you get in and make sure it is a legitimate taxi. No one recommends driving your own car or motorcycle in Lima.
We rented a car when we were ready to leave Lima. Most guidebooks and traveler information websites do not recommend driving yourself in Peru. My husband did all the driving. He is an excellent and exceptionally competent driver and used to race sports cars. He also has nerves of steel. We retuned our rental car in Lima after almost 4 weeks of driving without a scratch, but only because of his skill and some luck. The other difficult aspect of driving a rental car is that you need hotels with a safe parking area. We were able to manage that without a problem except for our negative experience in Cuzco at the Niños Hotel. It does limit you, and, in some of the larger cities, the parking garage will be some distance from the actual hotel. The obvious advantage of renting a car is you go where you want when you want, which we prefer.
Trains, inter-country flights, and buses are all available at various prices and schedules. There is also the option of hiring a car and driver for all or part of your trip. There is abundant information on the Internet.
If you use a taxi in any city, determine the price before getting in and make sure it is a legitimate taxi. Taxi drivers are not tipped. If going from your hotel, have them arrange the taxi and price.
Note that you can not drive to Aquas Calientes, the staging town for access to Machu Picchu. You take the train for Ollantaytambo, as we chose, or a town outside Cuzco. Buy your tickets ahead of time, but you have to go to one of several specific ticket offices to actually get the tickets, which you must do ahead of time.
Example of the curvy Andean roads in Peru.
What you might see immediately after one of the curves. Be ready with your brakes!