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Train to Machu Picchu

  • 05-08-2010 8:22am
    #1
    Zymurgist
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 552 ✭✭✭


    Hi All,

    Looking for a bit of advice.

    Myself and three friends are heading to Peru in 2 weeks and are hoping to take the train up to Machu Picchu from Cusco. Has anyone on here done this before and do you need to acclimatise similar to if you were doing the actual trek?

    Also how did you book your tickets? Did you use perurail or did you just book them over there in tourist office or something?

    Any advice appreciated.

    Thanks
    Z


Comments

  • #2
    Bill2673
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭Bill2673


    Zymurgist wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Looking for a bit of advice.

    Myself and three friends are heading to Peru in 2 weeks and are hoping to take the train up to Machu Picchu from Cusco. Has anyone on here done this before and do you need to acclimatise similar to if you were doing the actual trek?

    Also how did you book your tickets? Did you use perurail or did you just book them over there in tourist office or something?

    Any advice appreciated.

    Thanks
    Z


    I was there ten years ago, and I believe it has changed a bit since. When I was there I hiked to it, and took the train back. I guess you want to take the train there and back.

    There is a town called aguas calientes at the bottom of the mountain where Macchu Picchu is located. This is where the train goes to. When we were there we stayed an extra night at Aguas Calientes and went up the mountain again the following morning. I think it was something like a one hour walk, maybe two hours, from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu.

    So my guess is that you could bypass all the tour companies, get the train direct from Cusco to Aguas calientes, stay the night there and go up early the next morning to Macchu Picchu. (I'd imagine its possible to organise a bus ride from aguas calientes to macchu picchu. There is nothing in this town except small time tourist agencies).

    Otherwise, there will be no shortage of agencies in Cusco to sell you a ticket and organise things.

    One way or another, cusco is not a big town, aguas calientes is not a big town. I'd imagine its a lot easier and cheaper to sort things out when you get there than trying to do it in advance. Sorry I'm not giving specific advice, its a good while since I was there. For very specific details of train tickets I would ask on the tripadvisor travel forum for macchu picchu.


  • #3
    shazkea
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,090 ✭✭✭shazkea


    Zymurgist wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Looking for a bit of advice.

    Myself and three friends are heading to Peru in 2 weeks and are hoping to take the train up to Machu Picchu from Cusco. Has anyone on here done this before and do you need to acclimatise similar to if you were doing the actual trek?

    Also how did you book your tickets? Did you use perurail or did you just book them over there in tourist office or something?

    Any advice appreciated.

    Thanks
    Z

    I was there in May and at that time the track was still being repaired after the flood so you may want to check that out. Other wise it will be bus/train to get there. There are plenty of places in Cusco where you can arrange transport but you may want to sort everything out beforehand as it was really busy when I was there.

    If you spend a couple of days around Cusco and get in some of the ruins and treks there, you should be fine. As previous poster said not alot to do in Aguas Calientes , so I wouldn't spend too much time there.


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