World Country Guide

Travel - International

Note
Street crime is a problem, particularly in Lima and Cusco. Street demonstrations, sometimes violent, are a common form of protest in Peru. Visitors should avoid all protests and demonstrations. Domestic terrorism in Peru has largely ended but has not been wholly eradicated. At the end of 2004 and early 2005, a number of rabies cases were reported following bites from vampire bats in the province of Amozonas near the border with Ecuador. It is advised that visitors to the Huaraz / Huayhuash trekking circuit area contact the tourist police prior to travel.

Air
Peru’s national airlines are NuevoContinente (N6) (website: www.nuevocontinente.com), Lan Perú (LP) (website: www.lan.com) and Taca Perú (TA) (website: www.taca.com).
Other airlines with regular services to Peru include Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, AeroPostal, Air Madrid, Alitalia, American Airlines, Avianca, Continental, Copa, Delta Airlines, Iberia, KLM, Lacsa, LAN Chile, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, Lufthansa, Servivensa, Transportes Aéreos Militares Ecuatorianos (TAME), United Airlines and Varig. Air Canada, Air Plus and Cubana plan to launch services to Peru soon. Many other airlines have representatives in Peru.

Approximate flight times
From Lima to London is 15 hours (including stopover in Madrid), to Los Angeles is six hours, to Miami is five hours and to New York is nine hours. Direct flights from Europe take between 12 hours (from Madrid) and 14 hours (from Frankfurt).

International airports
Lima (LIM) (Jorge Chávez International; website: www.lap.com.pe) airport is 16km (10 miles) northwest of the city centre (travel time – 25 minutes). Taxis to the city centre are available. Airport facilities include a duty free and handicrafts shop, banks/bureaux de change, left luggage facility, pharmacy, medical centre, Internet cafe, car hire (Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Thrifty), coffee shops, bars and restaurants.
Cusco (CUZ), located in the south, receives flights from La Paz (Bolivia).

Vist South America Pass
Vist South America Pass: This must be bought outside South America in country of residence and allows unlimited travel to 36 cities in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile (except Easter Island), Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Participating airlines include Aer Lingus (EI), American Airlines (AA), British Airways (BA), Cathay Pacific (CX), Finnair (AY), IBERIA (IB), LAN-Chile (LA) and Qantas (QF). A minimum of three flights must be booked, with no maximum; the maximum stay is 60 days, with no minimum, and prices depend on the amount of flight zones covered. Children under 12 years of age are entitled to a 33 per cent discount and infants (under two years old) only pay 10 per cent of the adult fare. For further details, contact one of the participating airlines.

Departure tax
US$28 from Lima’s airport. Transit passengers and children under two years of age are exempt. Payment must be paid in cash prior to boarding.

Sea
Some international cruises occasionally call at Callao, the main seaport.

Road
The main international highway is the Pan-American Highway running north–south through the coastal desert of Peru from Tumbes to Tacna. Transport from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela is available through companies like Bus Tas Choapa Internacional, Empresa Paraguaya de Transporte, Ormeño, El Rápido and Rutas de América. It is also possible to go from La Paz in Bolivia to Puno on Lake Titicaca (south Peru).