PERU IN BRIEF
Area: 1,285,216 Km2
Population: 28 million; 70% urban; 30% rural
26 departments
Population growth: 2,2%
Main exports: minerals (copper, silver, lead, zinc, etc); fishing products (mainly fishmeal);cotton; textiles.
Languages: Spanish (throughout the country); Quechua (Andean region, mainly in the south). Other languages: Aymara (Puno); dialects of the Jungle tribe.
Government: President: Alan Garcia, July 2006.

CLIMATE AND WHEN TO TRAVEL
Peru, has a wide range of weather conditions, and so it may be visited at any time of the year. There are no intermediate seasons, and one can encounter summer and winter conditions at the same time of the year according to the area visited.

On the Coast, the weather is mild, and it hardly ever rains, apart from the northernmost area adjoining Ecuador. The warmest months are from December to February, with temperatures between 13 grade centigrade and 19 grades centigrade. There is persistent cloudiness during these months which tends to disappear as one moves northwards or towards higher altitudes, more than 500 or 600 m above sea level. In search of sun and warmth, many Peruvians leave Lima for the foothills of the Andes, only half an hour by car from the city, or those more fortunate, for the beaches near Piura and Tumbes.

The Highlands have dry and sunny weather the whole year round. The nights are cold, but temperature varies according to the altitude. Arequipa seems to be blessed with a mild, everlasting summer, whereas in Cuzco the air is fresher; Puno at a higher altitude, is the coldest city. The best time to travel to the Highlands is from May to September. The rainy season is from December to March and landslides make road transit difficult. However, these are also the warmest months with temperatures between 19 grades centigrade and 25 grades centigrade.

In the Jungle it is always very hot, 30 grades centigrade in August and about 35 grades centigrade from December to April. Rain falls the whole year round, although sometimes it only amounts to brief showers.

PASSPORTS, VISAS, VACCINATIONS
- Citizens from the European Community do not need visas, with the exception of Spain.
- Citizens from the Latin American countries do not need visas.
Upon presentation of their passports, visitors from these countries are allowed
stays of 60 to 90 days.
- Visitors should be in possession of a return ticket which may be requested at the Perú-Ecuador, Perú-Bolivia borders.
- No special vaccination is required (see HEALTH) only for Puerto Maldonado the Yellow fever vaccination is obligatory.

AIRPORT TAXES, CUSTOMS
- USD 6.10 per pax (approximately) is payable for each domestic flight, from any airport in Perú.
- USD 30.25 per pax is payable for the international departure
- Personal belongings are admitted duty free. New items, whether for personal use or gifts should not exceed US$ 300 in value. It is illegal to export objets belonging to Perú’s cultural heritage. It is better not to take any risks.

TIME
When it is noon in Western Europe, in Peru it is 6 a.m. Lima time is the same as Eastern Standard time. When it is noon in Lima, it is 1 p.m. in Caracas, noon in Bogota and 3 a.m. in Japan.

ELECTRICITY
Electricity is 220 volts, 60 cycles, but some of the major hotels in Lima also have 110 volts.

TAXES AND TIPS
Restaurants add an 19% VAT (Value Added Tax) to the bill, and a percentage for service, usually 10%. However, in most restaurants this service (10%) is included on the bill. Nevertheless, it is customary to leave a tip equivalent to 5% or 10% of the total bill. It is not usual to tip taxidrivers, but porters, hairdressers, cloakroom attendants, etc, except a tip.

TELEPHONE
Strategically located at various points in the public thoroughfares or in commercial establishments, public telephones are operated by means of a “rin” (token), coins or magnetically cards (which can be purchased in commercial centers).

Direct dialing for long distance calls in Perú : dial 0 + the city code + the number required.

For direct international calls dial 00 + the country code + the city code + telephone number.

Code numbers for direct dialing to some countries are: Argentina 54, Bolivia 591, Chile 56, Ecuador 593, France 33, Germany 49, Italy 39, The Netherlands 31, Belgium 32, Japan 81, Mexico 52, Spain 34, Sweden 46, USA 1

Code numbers of the most important Peruvian cities are: Arequipa 54, Cusco 84, Chachapoyas 41, Chiclayo 74, Huaraz 43, Ica 56, Iquitos 65, Juliaca 51, Lima 1, Piura 73, Puno 51, Puerto Maldonado 82, Trujillo 44.

TRANSPORT

By air
Star Peru - flies at the main cities in Peru 
Aerocondor - flies at the main cities in Peru
Grupo Taca - but only flies Arequipa, Cusco and Iquitos.
Lan Peru - cover all the Peruvian territory

By train
There are two main routes:
In the South: There is a train from Cuzco to Puno and from Cuzco to Machu Picchu.

By interprovincial buses:
These are cheap, comfortable and some of them are provided with all modern extras (television, air conditioning, bar, etc.) This, however, is more the case for buses whose routes are along the Pan-American Highway, than those running along Highland roads where the service is quite varied and departure and arrival schedules are not dependable. However, in recent years there has been substantial improvement in the quality of the service on all routes. The main companies are: Ormeño, Cruz del Sur, Civa, Cial, Tepsa, etc

By international buses:
As a general rule, these companies offer quality service with comfort and punctuality.

Taxis
Taxis are cheap and the best means of travel in the city. Lima has an impressive number of taxis catering to all tastes. There are no meters. Before taking a taxi, it is better to inquiry the cost of the journey, particularly if it is a taxi you hailed. The price is then arranged on friendly terms with the driver (who may be an educated professional in need of extra income to satisfy his needs at the end of the month). There are also taxi companies offering modern and efficient service. They are the best choice to go to the airport or when you are looking for comfort and maximum punctuality. The price will naturally be higher... but not much more.

CAR RENTAL
There are many Car Rental Companies with different prices according the car and the day, also is considered if the car is going to be used in Lima or out of Lima. The insurances are obligatory. To rent a car it is necessary to be more than 25 years old, A Foreign driver’s licenses are valid and not subject to the previous restriction of 30 days. Further information may be obtained from the Touring y Automóvil Club del Perú or through us.

ROADS
The Pan-American Highway that links the coastal towns is in good condition, except for some stretches in the North. The Central Highway (Lima-Huancayo) is also in an excellent state. Notable advances are being made elsewhere.

To this should be added the seasonal weather conditions between December and March (heavy rainfall, landslides called huaycos) which can suddenly change the state of a road. All these factors have an impact on the idea of distance and traveling times. A route of 300 km (by bus) that would normally take five to six hours on the flat and paved Pan-American Highway, may take eight hours on a Highland road in good condition going up to the mountains, and ten hours or more when in a bad state. Therefore, when traveling, particularly to the Highlands, you should ask for details of the journey in terms of hours rather than kilometers.

STREETS AND NUMBERING
The city is divided into districts. The streets are made up of cuadras (blocks) and each house or building has a number. The first or the two first numbers indicate the number of the block. For example, number 230 on any street will indicate that the building is on the second block, while the number 1530 indicates it is on the fifteenth block. In the city, distances are usually estimated in terms of blocks.

HOURS
Shopping hours are roughly from 9:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Some shops open continuously. Supermarkets open everyday, even Sundays from 9 a.m. and close at 8p.m. or 9p.m., but some are open until 10p.m. and even 11p.m. The business hours at airlines and travel agencies are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Embassies and consulates generally open mornings only during limited hours.

HEALTH
Soroche or mountain sickness has symptoms similar to those felt when seasick, but implies a strong headache. It is produced by a reduced oxygen pressure at high altitudes and can be prevented by resting and eating frugally the evening or morning before traveling.
Glucose or coramine are recommended, or you may do the same as Peruvians and drink coca tea or suck lemon drops while ascending. Take it easy on arrival and eat and drink a little possible. The following day, you will feel able to do everything the natives do. The ideal would naturally be to travel first to medium altitude places and later to high altitudes in order to acclimatize gradually.
No small-pox vaccination certificate is required to enter into Perú. The yellow fever vaccination is obligatory to travel to Puerto Maldonado.

SHOPPING: HANDICRAFTS AND OTHER SOUVENIRS
Peruvian handicrafts are easily recognized by their characteristic profusion of colors and shapes, and their imagination, creativity and ingenuity. Whether as buyer or observer make a point of visiting handicraft markets and fairs which are stocked with a wide assortment of varied items in all sizes and prices. Take your time and do not make hurried choices. Some provincial markets are particularly renowned (Pisac in Cuzco, Puno, the Arequipa fair in August). In any case, if you do not have the chance or time to buy in these places, you can still buy handicrafts in Avenida La Marina and Avenida Pethit Thouars in (Miraflores) Lima, because many craftsmen have immigrated there in recent years. These markets concentrate on a wide variety of articles sold at quite reasonable prices. Selected items can also be found in shops and galleries in Miraflores (Antisuyo), Peruvian craftsmen work with all the country’s resources: stone, earth, wood, wool, cotton, vegetable fibers, feathers, etc. But, in addition, Perú also offers other items in the so-called modern sector.