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	Above:  The PeruRail Puno-Cuzco 'Andean Explorer' train stops for a photo stop at the highest point.  Photo courtesy of 's'

Peru has several train services of interest to visitors, including the famous train to Machu Picchu.  There are two separate networks:

• The southern network including Cusco to Machu Picchu & Cusco to Puno (Lake Titicaca), is run by a western company called PeruRail (www.perurail.com), part of the Venice Simplon Orient Express group.

• The northern network links Lima with Huancayo.

The trains to Machu Picchu...

There are 4 different trains from Cuzco to Machu Picchu every day, all run by www.perurail.com, part of the Venice Simplon Orient Express group which took over operation of this network from the Peruvian railway company ENAFER in 1999. 

As of 1 April 2009 all tourist trains leave from Poroy station, a local halt situated 13 kilometres (8 miles) west of Cuzco, about 20 minutes by taxi.  A 3-seat taxi from Cusco to Poroy costs around 20-30 soles (£4-£6 or $6-$9) per taxi.  There's a bus for 6 soles per person.  The trains no longer leave from Cuzco's main station, sadly missing out on a scenic but slow zig-zag train ride up Picchu Hill between Cuzco & Poroy.  Each train serves a different tourist market:

• The Hiram Bingham.  This is the luxury option, from around $295 (£148) each way per person, including gourmet meals, cocktails, entertainment, bus connections & entrance to the Machu Picchu citadel plus guided tour.  This train leaves at 09:00 from Poroy station, a taking 3 hours.

• The Vistadome.  The mid-range option.  This now also starts at Poroy station at 06.57, and takes 3 hours.  It costs around $71 per person including complimentary snacks & non-alcoholic drinks served at your seat.  It's a series of diesel railcars with panoramic windows as its name suggests, see the photos below.

• The Backpacker.  The budget option, from around $48 each way per person.  This also starts from Poroy station 07:42, taking 3 hours 10 mins.  It has basic but reasonably comfortable seating an a buffet car where you can buy non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. 

• The Local.  A subsidised train service for the local Peruvian communities and (at certain times of year) Peruvian citizens only, leaving Cusco at 07:15 for Aguas Calientes, 2km beyond Machu Picchu station.  Foreigners aren't allowed to take this train.

In addition, there are extra shuttle trains between Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) & Machu Picchu at intervals through the day, see www.perurail.com.

Update February 2010:  All trains to Macchu Picchu cancelled due to floods & landslides... All trains to Machu Picchu were cancelled as of 23 January 2010, as heavy rain has caused landslides washing away the track.  It is likely to take at least 8 weeks before services resume, so we're talking late March at the earliest, though no-one will give an exact date yet. Passengers who are scheduled to travel to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge before the 15th February are asked to contact their travel agency or: Orient-Express Central Reservations USA +1 800 237 1236 (toll free) or +1 843 937 9066 Orient-Express Central Reservations Europe on 0845 077 2222 (toll free) or +44 207 921 4010 Passengers who are scheduled to travel to Machu Picchu by train before 15th February should contact their travel agency or www.perurail.com for further information & advice.

What's the journey like?

The Vistadome & Backpacker trains leave from Cusco's main San Pedro station on the Avenida Sol and spend half an hour climbing a series of Switchbacks or 'zig-zags' up the mountainside to gain height.  Hiram Bingham passengers are bussed to Poroy, and so miss this section.  After Poroy the train descends into the Sacred Valley and the Andean foothills, along the Urubamba river.  You'll pass colourful villages and herds of llamas.

Cusco to Machu Picchu is 107 km (67 miles).  The station at Machu Picchu is in fact called Aguas Calientes, which is 8 km (5 miles) from the ruined Inca city itself.  A bus link runs frequently from the station to the ruins costing about $10 return.

How to buy tickets

You can book the three tourist-orientated trains online at www.perurail.com.

Useful links:  www.peru-machu-picchu.com,  www.machupicchu.org.

Above:  The 'Backpacker' train from Cusco approaches Machu Picchu.  Photo courtesy of 's'.		Above:  The Backpacker train from Cusco to Machu Picchu Photo courtesy of Dennis Nichol

Above:  The 'Vistadome' train at Aquas Calientes (Machu Picchu).  Photo courtesy of  Nicola Herbert		Above:  Inside the Vistadome train Photo courtesy of Nicola Herbert

Cusco to Puno (Lake Titicaca)

PeruRail also run the 'Andean Explorer' 3 times each week from Cusco to Puno on Lake Titicaca, 385 km in a 10-hour scenic daytime journey from $143 per person.  Departs Cusco 08:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays.  It departs Puno at 08:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays.  See www.perurail.com for times, fares and online booking.

Above:  The 'Andean Explorer' train from Cusco to Puno, stopped at Laraya for a photo opportunity. Photo courtesy of Dennis Nichol		Above:  The pullman-style interior of the Andean Explorer.  Photo courtesy of 'Dennis Nichol

Lima to Huancayo

The air-conditioned 'Tren de Sierra' links Lima & Huancayo once or twice a month, with touristico (1st) class & clasico (2nd) class & bar car.  Touristico fares (around 160-200 Soles or £32-£40) includes breakfast and complimentary tea, coffee, water and soft drinks.  Classico fares start at 100 Soles £20.  You can check departure dates & book tickets online at www.ferrocarrilcentral.com.pe.  In Lima, the train departs from Desamparados or Monserrate stations.

Twice daily trains link Huancayo with Huancavelica.

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The Thomas Cook Overseas timetable is probably the most adventurous timetable ever produced... It has train, bus and ferry times for Peru, including the Machu Picchu train, plus all of Central and South America, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa.  It is published every two months.  No serious overland traveller should be without it!

It costs £13.99 from the bureau de change in any branch of Thomas Cook, or buy the latest edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com.  It can be ordered by phone on 01733 416477 (+44 1733 416477 from outside the UK).  Alternatively, you can buy the twice-yearly  Independent Traveller's edition at Amazon.co.uk also with shipping worldwide.

To get the most out of your trip to Peru, you'll need a decent guidebook.  For the serious independent traveller this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both guides have everything you need - plenty of background historical and cultural information, plus practical information.

Buy Lonely Planet Peru online at Amazon.co.uk

Buy Rough Guide to South America online at Amazon.co.uk

Hotels in Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima & elsewhere in Peru & South America...

A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides will point you at some good hotels in each town or city when you get there, or you can pre-book hotels using www.hotelscombined.com, just use the search box below.  This is not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms, Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to find the cheapest hotel rates on the net.  Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

		◄◄◄ Search all the major hotel booking websites at once...
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Overland travel by train & bus around South America is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!  But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach SA in the first place.  For flights to Peru & other countries in South America, start with Opodo.com.  Opodo is a flight-booking site started by a consortium of airlines and Amadeus, and it's normally where I start looking for a flight myself.  Seat61 gets a small commission through this link.

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