INFORMATION ABOUT PLANNING TRAVELS TO PERU

Here you can find important information for planning your journey to Peru classified into the following categories: travel

Arrival and entry - Embassies - Health tips - Currency - Climate/travel period - Clothing - Safety -
Culture shock - Literature tips - Travel insurance

Flights from USA, Canada, UK and Europe are offered by the following airlines:
Iberia -> London via Madrid / Frankfurt via Madrid to Lima
British Airways-> via London and via Miami to Lima
KLM -> London via Amsterdam / Frankfurt via Amsterdam
Continental Airlines -> via Newark or Houston to Lima
American Airlines -> via Miami Lima
Delta Airlines ->via Atlanta

For international flights there is a tax of US$ 30.25, the airport tax is not included in the price of the flight, it is paid directly at the airport before boarding. For domestic flights this tax amounts to US$ 6.05.

Visa requirements:
For citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other European Union countries, staying as tourists in Peru for no longer than 3 months (90 days), there is no extra visa required. When entering the country, you will have to fill in a tourist card and automatically receive the tourist visa.
For entering the country you need a passport which should be valid at least 6 more months.

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Great Britain (embassy)
Torre Parque Mar (Piso 22)
Avenida Jose Larco, 1301
Miraflores
Lima

Canada (embassy)
Embassy of Canada
Libertad 130 - Miraflores
Lima 18
Phone: 444-4015

United States of America (consulate)
Av. La Encalada, block 17
Monterrico
Central Phone:. 434 3000
Consulates:
Phone: 434 2055 / 434 1899

Australia (consulate)
Victor A Belaúnde 147
Torre Real, 3 Of 1301
San Isidro
Phone: 222 8281

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Vaccination: Hepatitis is recommended for all parts of the country. For the Amazon region you should have a Malaria prophylaxis.
If you plan on travelling to the jungle, the administration of a yellow fever vaccine 10 days in advance is recommended.

Places in Lima where the vaccine can be administered:

Jorge Chávez International Airport
2nd floor
Service Hours: Monday through Sunday, 24 hours per day.
Tel.: (01) 575-1745

International Vaccination Center
Calle Yupanqui 1400, Lima
Service hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tel.: (01) 471-9920 / 471-3254

Any private clinics.

General recommendations:
- Only drink bottled or previously boiled water.
- Be careful with raw vegetables and fruits; if possible, peel them before eating.
- Avoid eating from street vendors.
- Rest on the first day of your arrival to the Highlands, and consume light meals to prevent altitude sickness (soroche). Drinking 'coca tea' is recommended.
- If you travel to the Highlands or to the Jungle, make sure to carry insect repellent and a raincoat.
- To obtain medical services, contact the staff of your hotel or travel agent.
- Do not forget sun protection (sunscreen, sun glasses and a hat).

Altitude sickness:
For the extreme heights in Peru there some guidelines that should be followed: try to avoid smoking and alcohol, rest on the first day, drink coca-tea (mate de coca) and inhale oxygen for 5 - 10 minutes when having a very strong headache. To counter altitude sickness, doctors recommend DIAMOX.

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Nuevos soles (S/.). Coins in circulation range from 5, 10, 20 to 50 cents, as well as 1, 2 and 5 Soles. Paper bills exist as 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Soles.
You can find exchange rates here.

Money exchange
It is recommended change money in hotels, banks and authorized money exchange offices (service hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., approximately). The exchange rate against the US Dollar is variable. Inquire before changing your money. For changing other currencies, inquire at money exchange offices or http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic.

Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners are accepted by the majority of the restaurants, hotels and service providers.

Debit Cards: There are 24 hour Automatic Teller Machines in all the major cities and tourist centres. Use a debit card with your PIN to withdraw money from your checking account. Most of them work with partners like Cirrus, Maestro, Star and Interlink. Using ATMs with your credit card will be very expensive.

Banks
Banking hours in Peru are normally from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, most banks open for the public half day on Saturdays. In the streets of the main cities there are ATMs installed by the different banks.

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The Coast
Due to the presence of the cold Humboldt current and the fact that the coast is limited to the East by the Andes, the Coastline is a long barren desert where there is almost no rain. Winter runs from April to October in the Central and Southern coastal regions, while summer lasts from November to March.
In winter skies are grey, heavily overcast and a light fog/drizzle, called 'garúa', is a constant daily aspect. Despite an intense chill factor caused by high humidity, temperatures rarely fall below 12º C.
In summer, however, the sun shines brightly, making temperatures frequently rise to 30º C. The north coast is not affected by cold water currents, which is why the area is blessed with almost 300 warm, sunny days a year, with temperature that reach up to 35º C in summer.
The El Niño weather phenomenon considerably increases rainfall in this region from November to March.

The Highland
Two distinct seasons can be found in the Andes. One is a rainless summer that runs from April to October, when days are sunny and nights cold with frequent frosts, thus making it the perfect time for a visit. Heavy rains, generally more than 1000 mm or about 40 inches, fall in the rainy season - erroneously known as 'winter' - that lasts from November to March.
The Andean climate features radical temperatures changes over the same 24 hour period from 24º C in the day to as low as 3º C at night. The mountain climate is dry and favors a wide variety of crops typical for the region.

The Rainforest
Split into the high jungle (above 700 m.a.s.l.) and low jungle (below 700 m.a.s.l.). The subtropical, mild climate of the high jungle features rainfall (approximately 3000 mm or 120 inches a year) from November to March, and sunny days from April to October. Nights are always chilly.
In the lower jungle or Amazon plain, two well-marked seasons are directly related to the distance to the equator. In the dry, travel season running from April to October, days are often sunny and temperatures climb above 35ºC. River flow drops and roads are usually open to traffic. From November to March, showers are frequent (at least once a day), and road travel difficult.
Humidity is extremely high throughout all the year. From May to August, an occasional frost originating in cold fronts, called friajes or surazos, blowing north from the southern tip of the subcontinent may hit the southern jungle and make temperatures fall to between 8 and 12ºC.

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Depending on the destination you are planning to visit:

Highlands
During dry season (April to October) there are high differences in temperature within one day. Temperatures can reach from around 0 ºC in the early morning up to 24ºC during the afternoon. It is advisable to take with you warm clothes, in best case also a cap or hat, scarf and gloves. Also, the sun is very strong in the mountains so do not forget to protect yourself with sun glasses, hat and a high factor sun screen.

Rainforest
The climate in the rain forest is always rather warm and humid. It is advisable to always carry a water proof rain jacket, furthermore long sleeved shirts and long trousers to protect yourself from mosquitoes. Also make sure that you bring insect repellent, sun screen and good shoes!

Coast
For traveling the coast (Lima, Ica, Paracas, Nasca) we recommend comfortable summer clothes for the days and sweaters or light jackets for the evenings. Along the central coast (mainly Lima) it can get rather cool between April and October (12-15ºC) whereas it gets rather hot in summer (December to April with temperatures up to 30ºC).

For the whole trip bring good shoes and do not forget a bathing suit (for thermal springs or hotel pools!). As well be prepared for cold weather in the summer as well as in the winter!

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Just like most South American countries, Peru is a very young republic, facing its major and minor problems and difficulties. Although politically stable, strikes and protests occur from time to time. These manifestations do usually not have any impact on tourists. It can happen though, that travelers will have to change their travel plans on short notice as busses may not leave as expected.

Peru is a poor country with high differences in social classes. Unfortunately, tricks, scams and thefts are common throughout tourist centres. You should therefore always obey these guidelines:

• Do not openly wear jewelry or digital cameras around your neck. Every displayed item of wealth can be an invitation to potential thieves.
• Leave your passport in the hotel safe, just carry a copy of it with you for identification and booking (passport number needed for booking busses as well as planes).
  Leave your cash in the safety deposit box and only take the amount with you that you are expecting to spend that day. When traveling, carry your money and passport close to your body and avoid having it in your backpack.
• Take care and keep a constant eye on your belongings. Do not just put your bag on the chair next to you when you are in a restaurant, be especially attentive in airports, bus or train terminals and any tourist centres with a lot of people.
• Avoid walking on streets at night time alone. Even in groups with more people, do not walk in any remote and dark roads.

These are general guidelines to take, but also you should not be too distrustful. Peruvians are generally a very open, friendly and hospitable people and most exchanges of conversation are warm and welcoming. This is general advice and as in other countries it is advisable to be aware and pay attention in places that have become tourist hotspots.

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Those who really want to get to know the foreign country they are traveling in, should not try to compare and contrast to what they are used to. It is important to be open minded and accept the differences in culture, in Peru there are general cultural differences that might confuse you first.

Punctuality
Peruvians have a completely different conception of time and punctuality. Beginning or meeting times are seen rather as broad guidelines, you can generally expect events to begin a couple of minutes later. European and North American tourists should expect this and should try to adapt. Some tourism service providers catering for mainly European and North American tourists however, have tried to adapt to their clients and have punctuality as one of their goals for good customer service.

Bargaining
Whenever dealing with money in Peru, some sort of negotiating skills are of advantage. When taking a taxi, you always have to negotiate the price in advance. And given that you are European or North American, you will most probably be charged more than natives would be. Also when buying souvenirs, no matter if from a street vendor or in a shop, you will most likely be able to bargain a lower price. Just stay calm and adapt to the Peruvian mentality when dealing with money!

Traveling in a developing country
Peru has been investing a lot in its tourism infrastructure in the last decade, especially in the South of the country. Even with this in mind, tourists should always bare in mind that they are traveling in a developing country, although it might often not seem like that at the first glance.

Poverty
Wherever you go in Peru, you will probably encounter poverty behind every corner. Even Lima's quarters of Miraflores and San Isidro that have living standards similar to European, can not hide the problem that this country faces. In large parts of Peru, the basic supply of clean drinking water can not be guaranteed and many areas still have no electricity.
In order to make a living, a huge informal sector has developed, where both children and adults accept long hours travelling to the larger towns and city centres, in order to beg or sell sweets. In contrast to this evident hardship faced by the majority of the population, you will find nice little residential areas with huge villas inhabited by the rich higher classes of Lima.

How you react to this social inequality, poverty and begging, you will have to decide for yourself. Some people will only buy sweets from children and have their shoes cleaned in the street (even if not necessary) in order to give money in exchange for a service or product and thereby not demeaning the person to the status of a begger.

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We highly recommend that you buy international travel insurance for any case of emergency. Contact your insurance company or travel agency for futher information.

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