From Cuzco to Machu Picchu. Options.
Sep 28, 2005, 11:24 am
#16
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: AA, UA, CO
Posts: 108
I didn't spend nearly that much
This is what we did in Dec 2001:
The train is very slow getting out of Cusco because it has to climb steep mountains... the total trip is about 4 and a half hours, and usually requires getting up at the ungodly hour of 5 or 6 am. Instead, we took the train from Ollantaytambo (AKA Ollanta), a village in the Inca Sacred Valled. From Ollanta, the train trip is only 90 minutes long.
You can get to Ollanta from Cusco by bus. We got there by cab (about US$15). They also have shared cabs (called "colectivos"), but they cram in 5 passengers in a station wagon, not comfy, and definitely not private, but costs less than US$2 per person.
From Ollanta we took the Backpacker train (US$10 one way) in the evening. We took it back to Ollanta the next day late in the afternoon. In MP (the town below is called Aguas Calientes) we stayed at the Gringo Bill hotel for $25.
Please note prices may have changed in the last four years....
The train is very slow getting out of Cusco because it has to climb steep mountains... the total trip is about 4 and a half hours, and usually requires getting up at the ungodly hour of 5 or 6 am. Instead, we took the train from Ollantaytambo (AKA Ollanta), a village in the Inca Sacred Valled. From Ollanta, the train trip is only 90 minutes long.
You can get to Ollanta from Cusco by bus. We got there by cab (about US$15). They also have shared cabs (called "colectivos"), but they cram in 5 passengers in a station wagon, not comfy, and definitely not private, but costs less than US$2 per person.
From Ollanta we took the Backpacker train (US$10 one way) in the evening. We took it back to Ollanta the next day late in the afternoon. In MP (the town below is called Aguas Calientes) we stayed at the Gringo Bill hotel for $25.
Please note prices may have changed in the last four years....
Sep 30, 2005, 8:41 am
#17
Suspended
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 160
2005 RATES
Route Train Round Trip One-Way Trip
Poroy-Machu Picchu-Poroy Hiram Bingham US $476
Cuzco-Machu Picchu Vistadome US $101.15 US $59.50
Backpacker US $65.45 US $41.65
Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu Vistadome US $69.02 US $41.65
Backpacker US $51.17 Not applicable
Perurail.com
Route Train Round Trip One-Way Trip
Poroy-Machu Picchu-Poroy Hiram Bingham US $476
Cuzco-Machu Picchu Vistadome US $101.15 US $59.50
Backpacker US $65.45 US $41.65
Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu Vistadome US $69.02 US $41.65
Backpacker US $51.17 Not applicable
Perurail.com
Nov 8, 2005, 4:15 pm
#18
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,037
How much for intra-Peru flights?
How much did you all pay for your intra-Peru flights?
Gf and I are planning a trip to do the 4-day hike. We are arriving in LIM on award tickets and understand that we will need to fly LIM-CUZ and then IQT-LIM on the return. Is that correct?
How much did you end up paying for those flights?
Gf and I are planning a trip to do the 4-day hike. We are arriving in LIM on award tickets and understand that we will need to fly LIM-CUZ and then IQT-LIM on the return. Is that correct?
How much did you end up paying for those flights?
Nov 8, 2005, 4:20 pm
#19
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
g_leyser, did you get your award tickets on AA? If so, and if you plan less than a 24 hour stop in Lima, you can get your onward ticket to Cusco as part of the award ticket.
There are several airlines who fly within Peru, all with websites that can give you fare quotes. Check www.lan.com for example.
There are several airlines who fly within Peru, all with websites that can give you fare quotes. Check www.lan.com for example.
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Nov 8, 2005 at 4:22 pm
Jun 20, 2007, 10:06 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco
Programs: DL DM, 1MM AA PLT 2MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, and...Smiles Diamante
Posts: 2,783
I'm finding the booking process for Perurail to be painful. I'd like to get the run down on train availability over a few days, but can't seem to get Ninoska or Alvaro to move beyond providing information piece by piece. (To Alvaro's credit, he's responding pretty quickly, but he still doesn't give me complete information.) I can't quite explain it, but I don't feel like I'm getting the whole scoop on what trains are available.
Any recommendations on an agent/process I can use that will eliminate the need to work with Perurail and and to stop at their office in Cuzco to buy the tickets on the way in? (We were planning on going straight to Ollantaytambo from the airport.)
Gracias.
Any recommendations on an agent/process I can use that will eliminate the need to work with Perurail and and to stop at their office in Cuzco to buy the tickets on the way in? (We were planning on going straight to Ollantaytambo from the airport.)
Gracias.
Jul 2, 2007, 9:45 am
#21
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 413
Be careful using prepayment via wire. If you do not pick up your tickets at least 24 hours in advance per their policy (even due to circumstances beyond your control) you will probably forfeit your tickets and have to pay again. I am speaking from first hand experience here.
Also, check your tickets for errors before leaving the window. They'll charge you to fix their own mistakes.
PeruRail has a monopoly going - please be careful with them. You cannot win a fight with them unless you don't go to MP.
Also, check your tickets for errors before leaving the window. They'll charge you to fix their own mistakes.
PeruRail has a monopoly going - please be careful with them. You cannot win a fight with them unless you don't go to MP.
Jan 9, 2009, 12:34 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
This seems an appropriate thread for tacking on a related question.
We wre traveling from Cusco to Puno this weekend, and have purchased tickets online. We are taking an early morning flight from Lima to Cusco (yeah, I know it's risky). If things go according to plan, we should arrive at the train station about half an hour before departure time. Thit T&C's indicate that tickets should be picked up an hour before. Will they really hold us to that, or will they do the exchange at the Cusco train station?
Cheers.
We wre traveling from Cusco to Puno this weekend, and have purchased tickets online. We are taking an early morning flight from Lima to Cusco (yeah, I know it's risky). If things go according to plan, we should arrive at the train station about half an hour before departure time. Thit T&C's indicate that tickets should be picked up an hour before. Will they really hold us to that, or will they do the exchange at the Cusco train station?
Cheers.