Cusco, Peru Hotels and City Guide

Cusco - Airports

Getting There: Air

There are direct flights to Lima from Amsterdam (KLM via Aruba) and Barcelona and Madrid (Iberia). Though there are no direct flights from London, cheap options are available with Avianca via Bogotá (also the simplest connection from Paris), Iberia via Madrid and KLM via Amsterdam. Alternatively, you can fly standby to Miami, then fly the airlines shown below. A little more expensive, but as convenient, are connections via Atlanta with Delta, or Houston with Continental. To avoid paying Peru's 18% tax on international air tickets, take your used outward ticket with you when buying your return passage.

From IsraelFrom Tel Aviv to Lima , fly El Al to New York, then Lan Chile on to Lima three times a week. Otherwise you need to fly from Tel Aviv to London, Paris or Madrid and make onward connections.

From USA and Canada Miami is the main gateway to Peru but Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles and New York are strong contenders. Direct flights are available from Miami with American, Lan Perú and Copa (via Panama City); through New York with American, which also flies from Dallas, Continental, which also flies from Houston, and Lan Chile; from Atlanta with Delta; and from Los Angeles with Lacsa, Lan Chile, Lan Perú and Aeromexico. Daily connections can be made from almost all major North American cities. From Toronto and Vancouver, the best bet is via Los Angeles.

From Latin America There are regular flights, in many cases daily, to Peru from most South American countries: Bogotá, Avianca, Aero Continente and Servivenssa; Buenos Aires, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Taca and Lan Chile (via Santiago de Chile); Caracas, Aero Continente, Taca, Servivensa and Aeropostal; Guayaquil, Tame, Taca and Aero Continente; La Paz, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB, also to Cochabamba and Santa Cruz), Taca (also to Santa Cruz) and Aero Continente; Quito, Tame, Taca and Aero Continente; Varig to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (also Taca); Santiago de Chile, Lan Chile, Lacsa and Lan Perú. From Central America: Guatemala, Lacsa; Mexico City, Taca and Aeromexico; Panama, Copa and Aero Continente; San José, Taca and Lacsa. Avianca, Lan Chile and Lacsa/Taca generally have the cheapest flights.

From Asia From Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore, connections have to be made in Los Angeles. Make connections in Los Angeles or Miami if flying from Tokyo.

From Australia and New Zealand There are no obvious connecting flights from either Australia or New Zealand to Lima. One option would be to go Los Angeles and travel down from there. Alternatively, the round-the-world ticket offered by Qantas/British Airways/American Airlines includes 12 free stops and goes via Miami. Here you can pick up the American flight to Lima.

Fares

Lima is generally the cheapest destination in South America for flights from the US. In November 2001 from Atlanta fares range from US$550 in low season to US$750 in high season (end-June to September and December). From Los Angeles low season fares are roughly similar, but high season fares start at US$670 in July, but are over US$1,000 at Christmas-time. Miami is cheaper all round, with low season fares at about US$440 and high season fares starting at US$500 in July, rising to US$680 in December. From the UK, high season prices are US$1,100-1,300, compared with US$650-850 in low season, but here again, Lima tends to be a good value destination outside busy times. From Sydney, Australia, expect to pay in the region of US$1,200 at any time of year (December is the most expensive). The very busy seasons are 7 December-15 January and 10 July-10 September. If you intend travelling during those times, book as far ahead as possible. Between February-May and September-November special offers may be available. Do not assume that student tickets are the cheapest.

Touching down:

Official time: Peru is five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time

Voltage: 220 volts AC, 60 cycles throughout the country

Weights and measures: The metric system of weights and measures is compulsory

Hotels in Cusco, Peru