Secrets of South America by Donovan Hervig

Author:Donovan Hervig
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Train Options

Although there are actually a few companies that run various types and classes of trains, most tickets are booked through the state-run Peru Rail organization. Its first-class train service costs only a bit more than the backpacker or expedition service, therefore, unless instructed otherwise, your travel agent will most likely book the first-class option. Its train cars have more spacious seating, along with more windows that are bigger and provide better views out to the valleys. But if you’re booking last-minute and none of the first-class trains are available (or another service fits your tour schedule better), then that’s fine. I wouldn’t sweat too much about this choice. From the Sacred Valley (station at Ollantaytambo) we’re only talking a 1.5-hour train ride, while the longest journey would be from Cusco (Cusco’s station is actually a 30-minute drive away in the town of Poroy) at 3.5 hours tops. It’s worth mentioning that there is a special Machu Picchu train service especially for guests at one of the hotels in the Sacred Valley, but as it is not a standard service, I won’t include much on it here. At the end of the day, I think the TIME the train arrives in and departs from Machu Picchu town is the most important issue here, rather than the class of service or company providing it.

The Hiram Bingham Experience

Have you heard of the luxury train option to Machu Picchu? The excellent Hiram Bingham service includes snacks, meals, alcoholic drinks, and cultural shows, as well as a guide dedicated to a group of people aboard the train – 16 persons on average – for your tour of Machu Picchu. These are certainly some of the best guides available – but it is of course a less intimate experience than having your own private guide, as can be arranged in conjunction with the first-class Vistadome train, for example.

For this and other reasons, if you want to experience the Hiram Bingham, I recommend booking it for the return journey to Cusco after Machu Picchu and sticking with the first-class train and a proper private tour of the ruins with your very own guide for the arrival experience. You can indeed book one-way tickets on the Hiram Bingham, and this will also save you a bit of money. There is an excellent dinner and cultural show on this return train, so even though you will arrive relatively late in Cusco, you’ll have already eaten. It’s a great way to end your Machu Picchu experience!

Luggage Guidelines

We often read about luggage restrictions on the train to Machu Picchu, but in reality it seems they’re not enforced. When I visited in December 2016, all manner of big suitcases were loaded on to the first-class train. Enforcement might be stricter on other services. Nonetheless, it is discouraged to bring large (airport check-in size) luggage items on the train to Machu Picchu. And you never know when they might start being stricter. Therefore I do recommend following the guidelines and leaving those

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