Luggage logistics for Machu Picchu
 

I'm planning to stay in Cusco with one overnight trip to Agua Calientes/MP (Hostal Presidente) and back the following day. We travel light, one carry-bag per adult plus camera backpack (very small) for 10 days. Can we bring all our luggage with us on the Vistadome or backpacker trains? That would be more secure than leaving it in the hotel (where we are not booking a room that night) but have read conflicting reports on what is and isn't allowed on the trains. We are staying at the Casa Adina Private Collection in Cusco if anyone has experience with them holding luggage in particular. Thanks!

On my recent trip to Peru we had no problems with stored luggage. I'm not familiar with your hotel but I'll bet my life my hotel wasn't as nice as yours. Personally I wouldn't worry about the stored luggage, but of course I recommend a lock.

Leaving luggage in Cusco seems to be the standard procedure for that trip. The luggage that you take with you to Calientes is usually collected by your hotel(Presidentes) at the train station and transfered to the hotel while you proceed to the bus up to MP.You could check with Presidentes if this is the case for you. I still felt that our bags that we left locked in Cusco were safer than the ones that seemed to be sitting on the train platform unattended waiting for the hotels to collect them.We kept all our valuables,passport,tickets ect with us.

The "Big Four" hotels at AC/MP (Sanctuary Lodge, Inkaterra, Sumaq and Hatuchay Tower) collect your luggage at the train platform when you arrive and deliver it back there when you leave. When I've stayed at the Presidente, I walked with the guy from the hotel who met me outside the station, but I schlepped my own bags back up there when it was time for me to leave. That I remember, they don't have the same luggage delivery service, and that's the case with most of the smaller places.

All the hotels there have very early checkout, around 9 a.m. The Presidente will store your bags until you are ready to come back in the afternoon to head up to the train station.

I should add: the Presidente is the nicest of the smaller hotels. It's a good choice. :)

How did you make reservations there at Presidente? I can't seem to find anywhere online to make the reservation. Thanks.

I remember having to call to do it. That I know, the Presidente still doesn't have a website.