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PERU TRAVEL PLANNER
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Peru by bus
Peru's buses are run by a variety of private companies, all
of which offer remarkably low fares , making it possible to travel from one end
of the country to the other (over 2000km) for under $30. Long-distance bus
journeys cost around $1.50 per hour on the fast coastal highway, and are even
cheaper on the slower mountain and jungle routes. The condition of the buses
ranges from the relatively luxurious Cruz del Sur fleet that runs along the
coast, to the scruffy old ex-US schoolbuses used on local runs throughout the
country. Some of the better bus companies, such as Cruz del Sur, Ormeño and
Movil, offer excellent onboard facilities including sandwich bars and video
entertainment. The major companies generally offer two or three levels of
service anyway, and many companies run the longer journeys by night. If you
don't want to miss the scenery, you can hop relatively easily between the
smaller towns, which usually works out at not much more.
As the only means of transport available to most of the population, buses run
with surprising regularity, and the coastal Panamerican Highway and many of the
main routes into the mountains have now been paved (one of President Fujimori's
most successful construction programmes), so on such routes services are
generally punctual. On some of the rougher mountainous routes, punctures,
arguments over rights of way and, in the rainy season, landslides may mean you
arrive several hours late.
At least one bus depot or stopping area can be found in the centre of any town.
Peru is investing in a series of terminal terrestres , or terrapuertos ,
centralizing the departure and arrival of the manifold operators, but it's
always a good idea to double-check where the bus is leaving from, since in some
cities, notably Arequipa, bus offices are in different locations to the bus
terminal. Lima has so many buses that the major companies are in the middle of
rationalizing their own private terminals and departure points (presently
incredibly complex) while the rest still cling to depots mostly in the heart of
Lima Centro and traffic congestion. If you can't get to a bus depot or terminal
terrestre, you can try to catch a bus from the police control on the edge of
town, or flag one down virtually anywhere, though there's no guarantee of
getting a ride or a seat. For intercity rides, it's best to buy tickets in
advance direct from the bus company offices; for local trips, you can buy
tickets on the bus itself. On long-distance journeys, try and avoid getting
seats right over the jarring wheels, especially if the bus is tackling mountain
or jungle roads.
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Published articles and reviews about us
2009
Testimonials
Ajay
Parikh
Date:
Thu,16 Jul 2009
Hello all the folks at Peru Gateway Travel,
We had a fantastic time in Peru. We thank you all for making
our trip a success.
The only concern is that the accommodation in Cusco was below
average and we would not recommend the Emparada Plaza (?) to
anyone. Even though the staff was good, the room/bathroom,
breakfast was very bad.
Once again, thanks a lot for making our trip to your country a
memorable one. All the guides, especially Guillarmo in Lima
and Erica in Cusco, were excellent.
Kazuaki Kubo
Date:
Thu,16 Jul 2009
I want to thank
you and all of the staff of Peru Gateway Travel for the perfect
arrangement of my trip in June.
Everything was so fantastic and I was made to think about another
trip to Peru.
Sincerely, Denise Pratico
Date:
Mon, 6 Jul 2009
I am writing to let you know that we
enjoyed Peru very much. The city tour led by Marco was fantastic. We
will be happy to recommend your agency to other Americans
Jane
Date:
Mon, 6 Jul 2009
We have
completed our trip to Peru and are now back in New York City.
I want to thank you for all the arrangements you made. The
trip was wonderful and all our accommodations excellent. Thank
you for making our trip a success.
Best regards, Marcy
Date:
Mon, 6 Jul 2009
We arrived home at 4 o'clock in the
morning, very tired (we had a long lay-over in Amsterdam) but very
very happy. I am so pleased to tell you that our Peru vacation that
you planned for us was excellent! Everything was just as the
itinerary said it would be. We were very pleased with the hotels,
and the transfer people and guides were always there and everybody
was so nice and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about your very
exciting country and its history, particularly about the Quechua
culture. We will always remember the Inti Raymi festival in Cusco. I
am so glad we were able to see that. Of course Machu Picchu was also
a great highlight. And, Michael and I also very much liked Arequipa.
We didn't know much about that city, but we had a very great time
there on our free day and visited the cathedral, spent a lot of time
going through the Santa Catalina monastario and, of course, went to
the museum to see "Juanita". Beautiful architecture there too.
Really, every day was wonderful, and we would like to thank you so
much for all your efforts. Also please extend our thanks to Maria
Carmen who was so helpful on the phone and to Julia, who came to the
hotel our first night to explain many things to us and give us all
our tickets and vouchers. And perhaps you also had something to do
with our last night in Lima at the Libertador. We got a suite -- a
very big beautiful room! Thank you so much.
We wish you and your family all the best, and for sure we will be
recommending Peru Gateway Travel to our friends.
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Peru Viajes
