Getting There

By Plane

All overseas flights from North America and Europe arrive at Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport (tel. 01/517-3502; www.lap.com.pe; airport code LIM). International flights to Iquitos in the northern Amazon region might be resumed in the near future, perhaps from Miami, but it is only a possibility at this point.

In Peru, it's very important to reconfirm airline tickets in advance. For local flights, reconfirm 48 hours in advance; for international flights, reconfirm 72 hours before traveling (and be sure to arrive at the airport a minimum of 2 hr. in advance). The airport tax on domestic flights is $6 (£3), and $30 (£15) on international flights. The tax must be paid -- in cash only (either in U.S. or Peruvian Nuevos Soles) -- before boarding.

From North America -- From the United States, there are direct flights to Lima from Miami, the main hub for Latin America, as well as New York, Newark, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta. The major carriers are American (through Dallas or Miami, with infrequent nonstops from New York; tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), Delta (Atlanta; tel. 800/241-4141; www.delta.com), Continental (Houston and Newark; tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com), and LAN, with direct overnight flights from New York and Miami (LanChile/LanPeru; tel. 866/435-9526; www.lan.com). Smaller airlines flying to Peru from the U.S. include Taca (tel. 800/400-TACA; www.taca.com) and Copa (tel. 800-FLY-COPA; www.copaair.com), making stops in Costa Rica and Panama, respectively.

Continental has probably the most comprehensive service to Lima, with daily nonstops from Newark and Houston. Often the lowest fares from the United States are with LAN. American also occasionally features very good deals on airfares to Lima from the United States.

From Canada, American, Continental, and Delta all fly to Peru, making stops at their hubs in the United States first. Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.ca) makes connections with other carriers at U.S. stops, usually Miami. LAN (tel. 866/435-9526) uses other carriers to the United States, making stops in New York, Miami, or Los Angeles on the way to Lima. (For example, you can purchase a LAN ticket from Canada to Peru, with a layover in the U.S., but you will fly a partner airline to the U.S. and then change to a LAN airliner for travel on to Peru.)

From the U.K. -- There are no direct flights to Lima from London or any other part of the United Kingdom or Ireland; getting to Peru involves a layover in either another part of Europe or the United States. American (tel. 207/365-0777 in London, or 0845/778-9789), Continental (tel. 0845/607-6760), and Delta (tel. 845/600-0950) fly through their U.S. hubs on the way to Lima. European carriers make stops in continental Europe: Contact Iberia (through Madrid; tel. 870/609-0500; www.iberia.com), KLM (Amsterdam; tel. 08705/074-074; www.klm.com), or Lufthansa (tel. 0845/773-7747; www.lufthansa.com).

From Australia & New Zealand -- From Australia and New Zealand, you can either fly to Buenos Aires on Aerolíneas Argentinas (tel. 02/9234-9000 in Australia or 09/379-3675 in New Zealand; www.aerolineas.com.au) and then connect to Lima, or go through Los Angeles (or Buenos Aires), with Qantas (tel. 13-13-13 in Australia or 800/808-767 in New Zealand; www.qantas.com) or Air New Zealand (tel. 0800/737-000; www.airnz.co.nz). LAN (tel. 300/361-400 in Australia or 9/977-2233 in New Zealand) also makes stops in Los Angeles on the way to Lima.

By Bus

You can travel overland to Peru through Ecuador, Bolivia, or Chile. Although the journey isn't short, Lima can be reached from major neighboring cities. If traveling from Quito or Guayaquil, you'll pass through the major northern coastal cities on the way to Lima. From Bolivia, there is frequent service from La Paz and Copacabana to Puno and then on to Cusco. From Chile, most buses travel from Arica to Tacna, making connections to either Arequipa or Lima.

The most common overland trip to Peru from a neighboring country is from La Paz, Bolivia, to Puno, on the banks of Lake Titicaca (which is partly in Peru and partly in Bolivia). The trip is about a 5-hour direct ride. Ormeño (tel. 01/472-1710; www.grupo-ormeño.com.pe) travels to La Paz as well as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina.