Cars can be very handy for reaching remote rural destinations or sites, but if you are planning to explore by car , it’s best to avoid Lima as far as possible. Driving in the capital takes a bit of getting used to, even as a passenger.
Lima travel packages
If you bring a car into Peru that is not registered there, you will need to show (and keep with you at all times) a libreta de pago por la aduana (proof of customs payment) normally provided by the relevant automobile association of the country you are coming from. Spare parts , particularly tyres, will have to be carried as will a tent, emergency water and food. The chance of theft is quite high – the vehicle, your baggage and accessories are all vulnerable when parked.
Vacation Package Tours to Peru
What few traffic signals there are are either completely ignored or used at the drivers’ “discretion”. The pace is fast and roads everywhere are in bad shape: only the Panamerican Highway, running down the coast, and a few short stretches inland, are paved. Mechanics are generally good and always ingenious – they have to be, due to a lack of spare parts! Also, the 95-octane petrol is much cleaner than the 84, though both are cheap by European, North American or Australian and New Zealand standards. International driving licences are generally valid for thirty days in Peru, after which a permit is required from the Touring y Automovil Club del Peru, Cesar Vallejo 699, Lince, Lima (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm; tel 01/440-3270, fax 422-5947, touring@hys.com.pe, www.hys.com.pe/tacp).