FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PERUHere you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions concerning the tourism destination Peru. Transportation - Currency/Money exchange - Internet/Photos - Phone calls/Voltage - Health - Inkatrail/Trekking - Travelling in Peru - Luggage/Clothing - Climate - Language - Accommodation - Shopping Back to the page FAQ - Frequently asked questions about Peru
National flights should be reconfirmed 48 hours, international
flights 72 hours before departure. Airlines require
you to be at the airport 2 hours or 3 hours prior to departure for
national and international flights respectively. There are hardly any train connections in South America. The main
means of transportation is by bus. Peru has a good network
and regular connections with numerous private bus companies. Thre are big differences in the quality of the services
offered, but many busses are very comfortable and, compared
to Europe, very cheap. At most larger companies you can choose between
economy and business class. There are also special busses with reclining
seats for night trips. Busses usually depart at various times of day
from the larger towns and cities and nowadays, tickets can be bought online with many companies. If you are limited for time, there are
also national flights available between all the main cities.
Air tickets are cheaper than in Europe but stil a lot more expensive
than bus tickets. You can put your mind at rest during a trip with one of the large
and reputable bus companies. During the trip you should still obey
the following guidelines,
especially at the bus terminal: There are some rail connections in Peru; but these are few, allhough they tend to be visually spectacular. Busses and minivans (so called combis) are the only means of public
transport in Peruvian towns, especially in Lima, one
drawback is that there are no fixed schedules. You have to know Lima and its major streets and highways
very well in order to be able to take these combis and therefore
they are not the ideal means of transport for foreign tourists. There are various international car rental companies with outlets in Peru where you can rent a car.
Nuevo Sol (S/.). There are coins of 5, 10, 20 and 50 Centimos as
well as 1, 2 and 5 Soles and banknotes of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200
Soles. Practically in all towns in Peru you can pay with US dollars. But
it is still recommendable to carry Soles, especially for minor payments
like for taxis, busses, snacks and drinks etc. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners are accepted by most restaurants, hotels and service providers. Most larger towns and tourist centres throughout Peru have ATMs. Here you can easily withdraw money (Peruvian soles or US dollars) with your bank card and a pin number and usually with less fees than with your credit card. Always check for the Cirrus and Maestro symbols that identify ATMs and matching cards. Traveler Cheques are accepted by banks and some hotels, but usually for worse exchange rates than cash.
Peru is one of the countries with the highest number of internet
cafes in South America. Even in the most remote villages you are
very likely to find an internet cafe or telephone shop where you
can surf the net for very little money (2 to 4 Soles/hour). Many internet cafes, telephone or photo shops offer the service to download your photos off your digital camera and to burn them on CD or load them up to the internet. It differs from sight to sight
whether you are allowed to take photos or not. Just inquire directly
at the sight about the local regulations.
Just like in Europe the general voltage is 220. It should therefore
not be a problem to charge your batteries for digital cameras, portable
CD players etc. Generally, in Peru you can only use European mobile phones that work on tri band-technology. With pre-paid cards that you can buy in supermarkets or gas stations you can make cheap local calls. It is expensive to make phone calls to Europe with your mobile phones. For international phone calls it is recommendable to buy a common pre-paid telephone card (llamadas larga distancia/internacionales, e. g. Hola Perú, 147, …). With these cards you can call Europe for less (around 1 hour of conversation for US$ 10).
Doctors recommend hepatitis A and B vaccinations, furthermore vaccination
against yellow fever for trips to the jungle. Only drink thoroughly boiled water; we recommend to buy industrially bottled water. Peel fruits. Do not forget sun protection (sunscreen, shades and hat) as the sun is extremely strong at higher altitudes and people tend to underestimate it due to the lower temperatures. You must take into consideration that many Peruvian tourist attractions are situated at
extremely high altitudes (Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Cordillera
Blanca etc.). You should definitely obey a couple of guidelines
in order to avoid altitude sickness, so-called "Soroche". All popular medication is available in the larger towns (aspirin,
medication against diarrhea, infections, sunscreen etc.) and
in many cases these are cheaper than in Europe. For legal reasons, we may not give any direct or binding recommendations for or against Malaria prophylaxis. There are constantly cases of diseases reported in the Amazonian rainforest. In any case, you should consult an experienced tropical physician and ask his/her advise on whether it is necessary and which prophylaxis or stand-by medication to apply. Back to the page FAQ - Frequently asked questions about Peru |
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