Originally Posted by
SimonB77
1. Trains only depart from Cuzco no later than 10am. And return trips from Aguas Calientes in afternoon. (From what I've experienced maybe its changed)
That's true if you are departing from Cusco. Actually, the "Cusco" trains now depart from the town of Poroy, about 30 minutes outside the city. If you can get to the town of Ollantaytambo, about two hours away out in the Sacred Valley, you have your choice of trains that come and go at various times the rest of the day. Still, the soonest I could see the OP getting to MP would be late Thursday afternoon, and he'd have to use the Ollantaytambo option to make it that soon.
(or a flight if they still exist?)
They haven't existed for several years.
Altitudes:
Cusco: 11,000 ft
Sacred Valley: 9,500 ft
Machu Picchu (ruins): 8,000 ft
Aguas Calientes: 6,000 ft