TorontoJeff

Hi Guys - I need to make several transfers during my trip to Peru, and I have questions on each as follows. I've found a lot of info on the site but still have these questions remaining where I couldn't find absolute clarity:

1st Transfer: Cuzco airport to downtown. Having never been, I'm expecting to find a bunch of cabs at the airport ready to take people to their hotel - is that right? Any dodgy cabs to be aware of? Or are they all plain/private cars and it doesn't matter who you take? Approximate cost (USD)?

2nd Transfer: Cuzco to Ollantaytambo. Best case scenario - I'd love to find a private car ride from Cuzco to Ollantaytambo - how much would that be? Can I just find someone in Cuzco on the street? Where do these cabs hang out in Cuzco? How much would this cost, and how would it compare to the cost of paying for the Vistadome from Cuzco and just getting off in Ollantaytambo (I think that would be about $90 or so?).

3rd Transfer: Would like to go to Pisac after dropping stuff off at the hotel in Ollantaytambo. How much would a cab there be? Is it easy to find a cab there to take me back as well?

4th Transfer: Need to take the train from Ollantaytambo, think I'm ok here - Vistadome is about $90 for two it looks like. Sit on the right side for the view? I'm going to try emailing the address I read elsewhere ([email protected]) and ask for a specific time for our one-way ollantaytambo->A/C trip from the schedule (http://tinyurl.com/222vq4)

5th transfer: Need to get back from A/C all the way to Cuzco. The train looks like it makes sense (see schedule above). However, I've read about how it's cheaper and quicker to take a cab Ollanta<->Cuzco? Is that true, and if so, how much cheaper and faster? If that's the case, maybe it would be better to take the train from A/C to Ollanta, and then grab a cab from there? Thoughts?

Any help you can offer here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff
Toronto, Canada

TorontoJeff

Topping.

RBCal

Its been a couple years since I was in Peru but you will have absolutely no trouble finding a cab, except perhaps in Ollantaytambo (even there I don't think it will be hard).

Costs were pretty cheap.

You would want to sit on the left side for good views going to AC from Ollantaytambo since the river is on the left.

TorontoJeff

Thanks RBCal.

For the cabs, anyone know approximate costs for these trips?

Thanks all,
Jeff

althom1122

The car ride from Cusco to Ollanta would be both cheaper and faster (than trying to take the Vistadome and getting off at Ollanta). There are a number of switchbacks on the train between those two locations making it quite a bit slower than driving. We hired a private guide who picked us up at the airport in Cusco and drove us to Ollanta with a stop at the market in Chinchero (it was a Sunday so the market was in full swing). I've forgotten the cost off the top of my head (something like $55 I think), but you can find out all the cost details of my trip by reading my trip report. (Type Karen and Julie in the search box.)
A taxi should be quite a bit cheaper - less than $30, I believe.
In Ollanta, taxis are readily available at the train station when the trains arrive. It does make sense to ride the train roundtrip from Ollanta to Agua Caliente and then catch a cab from Ollanta to Cusco. Shorter by an hour or more. And taxis will be waiting.
Regarding getting a taxi to take you from Ollanta to Pisac, I would guess that your hotel (you're staying in Ollanta?) would be able to get a taxi for you with no problem.
As for the train to Agua Caliente, sit on the left side on the way there and on the right side on the way back to Ollanta.
Lastly, the email address I used to contact PeruRail was:
[email protected]

The guide we hired, Percy Salas, provided that email address. It worked for us.

Good luck.
Karen

TorontoJeff

Thanks Karen. Looks like I'll take cabs to/from cusco/ollanta, and then buy a return train ticket between ollanta/aguas calientes through the email address you provided.

Any idea on approximate cost for the cab between cusco and ollanta? Also, are there good/bad cabs to watch out for? Are the cars marked/licensed?