Uber operates in Lima. The cost for Uber black/whatever the high end car service is, is worth it. I think the typical ride cost around town was about $7 for the two weeks I was in Peru and I used 2-4/times a day.

could someone advise how to get from and back to the airport from downtown without having a smartphone to access uber etc..
im concerned about how to get a safe taxi...
thanks

From the airport, you could take an official taxi - some messages mentioned that Green Taxi is not 100% safe, but it's not the only one if i'm correct.

From the city:
Do you have a smartphone without reception, or no smartphone at all? In the first case, i'd recommend going to some place with wi fi (many cafes, restaurants, hotels have it), as having reception once in the Uber/Easytaxi is not an issue.

If not, asking someone to order an Uber/Easytaxi is an option, or you could ask a hotel or restaurant to call a taxi for you.

Personally, I found very little difference between UberX vs. UberBlack in terms of service. When I ordered an UBlack, I'd normally just get a black, Korean sedan. Half the time when I ordered an UberX, I got a black, Korean sedan; other half I got a regular Japanese or Korean sedan.

For me, the biggest incentive to get UberX is the fare structure. Given the terrible traffic in Lima, I preferred UberX, which only has the base fare + price per km. There's no additional charge based on duration of ride! (UberBlack does have a small charge per minute.)

I used Uber 2-4 times a day and had great experiences. Drivers were courteous, made sure the car was at a comfortable temperature, and all had clean vehicles with functional seatbelts.

I have gone to Lima 3 times in last 4 years(4th trip next month). It's best to call for a taxi(radio dispatched) if you are out and about in Lima and make sure to agree on price before hand. I agree with all the other comments below. You can walk up to the counter right after leaving customs( you will be mobbed after that, outside), I think verde taxi is one of the companies.

There have been report that "Taxi Green" (that's the actual name of the company) is not 100% safe. That's why I recommend taking an Uber. Just for reference, the price for an Uber to Miraflores is 50 soles, which comes to be around 15 US Dollars.

So Uber cannot be booked in advance. This means that tourists need to find a wifi signal to book Uber, and the only option is to head to the Starbucks, wait out 10-15mins, and then leave the airport once Uber arrives...is this correct?

The airport has WiFi. The first 15 minutes per day are free. After that, you select 'pay with PayPal', wait a couple secs, go to your browser and voilá. Free internet for another 15 mins. Unlimited.

Bingo...thank you very much for the clarification. Friend's flying in tomorrow, so will let him know.

I Ubered all over Lima for 3 days. No issues at all - cars always clean, drivers always friendly. I was impressed: the cars were always compact Kias and such, but definitely nicer than the typical taxi.

I had no problem getting cell service throughout Lima using my U.S. multiband device...it was just slow. It was sufficient to get the Uber requested and confirmed, but viewing real-time maps and such didn't really work.

As for safety, there were at least a dozen times where I was certain we were about to get T-boned in the middle of an intersection. But of course it never happened...somewhat these drivers manage to navigate their way around town without killing each other, which hardly seems possible.

Funny thing is that United was sending me emails with Hertz offers for Lima: I don't see how a foreigner could possibly drive here. You'd have to be from Cairo or Delhi to find this traffic mellow.

Thanks, United+Hertz partnership! They send me those emails even though I live here :P

Yes, Uber cars are top-notch around the ridesharing/cabs business. Over here, Uber is considered one of the most reliable and trustworthy options. There are other options around, but they send you a regular car. The experience has never been like Uber, and I still take Ubers to get around.

Traffic-wise... yeah. That's how we live every day. Unfortunately it's something several citizens don't enjoy. Me, personally, I try to drive around sticking to the rules, but I'd say 50% drivers may just get away with stuff.

If you get caught between two cars and think you'll never get out... believe me, you will. Just trust your driver :)

What do you guys think about Peruvian Shuttle? They have private transfers for $25 to Miraflores. It seems it may be safer for a 2am pick up from the airport than taxis, and not too expensive. They seem to have good reviews on TripAdvisor.

Uber is cheaper than Peruvian Shuttle, and definitely safe. There's free wifi on the airport. I'd recommend Uber, which I've used for my last couple trips and works great.

Thanks, I am not using Uber yet, and I would probably want to start in the US before I tried it internationally. I speak no Spanish at all and not feeling too adventurous...:p

My limited Spanish, combined with my lack of familiarity with Lima's streets and address formats, is precisely why I loved Uber so much. Your driver has the destination on his phone before you get in the car: no need to try to communicate it.

If you're going from the airport to a hotel, it's easy: just type the hotel name into Uber. If you're going to a home or business, just make sure your host gives you a proper address that online maps recognize.

Uber is significantly less adventurous than Peru's taxis!!