Advice re transitting Lima airport

[kpc]

Asking for advice from our well travelled group!!

I'm thinking of booking the following all on Lan as 1 ticket; the Lan website allows me to book this:

Outbound
EZE 0800 LIM 0945
LIM 1130 CUZ 1245

Is a transit time of 1hr 45 mins at LIM enough to do the international -->domestic transfer? Would I have to collect, and recheck my checked bags at LIM? I'm a bit concerned that this is not enough time as I probably will have to collect and recheck baggage as it is a int-->domestic connection.

Inbound
CUZ 0925 LIM 1050
LIM 1235 EZE 1950

Is a transit time of 1hr 45 mins at LIM enough to do the domestic--> international transfer? Would I have to collect, and recheck my checked bags at LIM?

Finally, any advice about lounge access at Lim as a one world sapphire travelling in Y on Lan?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Homer]

We've done something similar but with longer transit times so I can't confirm that this amount of time is sufficient. However I can confirm that LAN will check your bags all the way through from EZE to CUZ and vice versa - you won't need to collect and re-check bags.

 

[pyffii]

We have just completed a CUZ-LIM-MIA connection and I would say that depending on the time of year you are flying flights are often delayed out of cusco because of fog both in Lima and Cusco...Morning flights more..We were lucky with our 7.00am departure but on reflection it would be safer to overnight in Lima...Having said that if you continue on the same day transit then you need to pay departure tax seperately meaning another queue ( security obviously as well )..this all takes time and for us the transit time was 45 minutes with bags checked through and an ontime departure and arrival so if lady luck is on your side then you should be OK...But check on "flight Stats" to get a feel of whether you might be delayed as there is nothing worse than missing an international connection.

 

[kpc]

However I can confirm that LAN will check your bags all the way through from EZE to CUZ and vice versa - you won't need to collect and re-check bags.

This is good to know, thanks!

We have just completed a CUZ-LIM-MIA connection and I would say that depending on the time of year you are flying flights are often delayed out of cusco because of fog both in Lima and Cusco...Morning flights more..We were lucky with our 7.00am departure but on reflection it would be safer to overnight in Lima...Having said that if you continue on the same day transit then you need to pay departure tax seperately meaning another queue ( security obviously as well )..this all takes time and for us the transit time was 45 minutes with bags checked through and an ontime departure and arrival so if lady luck is on your side then you should be OK...But check on "flight Stats" to get a feel of whether you might be delayed as there is nothing worse than missing an international connection.

I'm planning on doing this trip in March next year, so need to find out when fog season is in Cusco/Lima:mrgreen:....might try and choose flights that give a little more transit time (and leeway) in Lima! Thanks!

Any info about the lounges at Lima?

 

[Homer]

This is good to know, thanks!
I'm planning on doing this trip in March next year, so need to find out when fog season is in Cusco/Lima:mrgreen:....might try and choose flights that give a little more transit time (and leeway) in Lima! Thanks!

Any info about the lounges at Lima?

We were in Lima and Cusco this March and we didn't experience any fog. All of our flights were on time.

There is a lounge at Lima that seems to be shared by quite a few airlines called the Sumaq lounge. We used it one night while waiting for our flight to EZE. They have about half a dozen showers and a quiet room if you just want to have a lie down. The food and beverage choices weren't all that great and the only free drinks were water, juice and tea/coffee from memory.

 

[pyffii]

Sumaq lounge is really not too bad...we were there early morning and we had the usual continental offerings including freshly squeezed orange juice...Its a nice place to relax before the flight and well positioned in relation to the departure gates

 

[kpc]

We were in Lima and Cusco this March and we didn't experience any fog. All of our flights were on time.

Did it rain much in the Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu when you were there in March? I know it's the rainy season but am hoping it is the tail end of the rain, + that is the only time I can really go

There is a lounge at Lima that seems to be shared by quite a few airlines called the Sumaq lounge. We used it one night while waiting for our flight to EZE. They have about half a dozen showers and a quiet room if you just want to have a lie down. The food and beverage choices weren't all that great and the only free drinks were water, juice and tea/coffee from memory.

Sumaq lounge is really not too bad...we were there early morning and we had the usual continental offerings including freshly squeezed orange juice...Its a nice place to relax before the flight and well positioned in relation to the departure gates

Great to know!!

BTW, did any of you stay at the hotel by the Machu Picchu ruins? Was it worth it?? Currently, it's US$880 per nite:shock::evil:; if we stay, it will only be for ONE night only!!

 

[pyffii]

Dont stay in the sanctuary ( Sheraton )as its a waste of money...We stayed at the Inkaterra ( Pueblo Hotel) and its magical...set in tropical grounds right by the railway tracks ( which divides part of the hotel ) and the station...The hotel will take your bags to the station for collection and saves the hastle of having to carry them the 400 metres to the station platform...accomodation was great ...We had a room with a fireplace which was a nice touch and the food there is great...Aquas Calientes is a nice town to enjoy and adds to the experience...One full day in Machu Picchu is all that is needed.

 

[pyffii]

meant to add that the buses run every 10 minutes or so to Machu Picchu and take about 20 minutes so you really dont need to spend the excessive rate to stay in the Sanctuary:-|

 

[Homer]

Did it rain much in the Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu when you were there in March?

We had fine, sunny weather with blue skies for our six days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Our three days at Aguas Calientes (the village below Machu Picchu) were a mixed bag. We arrived on a fine day but within a couple of hours there was torrential rain. The next day, when we had booked to go up to Machu Picchu, we awoke to clear skies and bright, sunny weather. That afternoon it rained cats and dogs again but we were relaxing at the hotel by that stage. The next day saw fine weather again and we left early that afternoon. So we feel that we had very good weather considering the topography of the place and the weather certainly didn't impact on our tourism. If I went again I might try for April just to try to have a slightly lower chance of rain but any later and the place fills up with tourists - I'll take an afternoon rain storm over hoards of tourists any day...

BTW, did any of you stay at the hotel by the Machu Picchu ruins? Was it worth it?? Currently, it's US$880 per nite:shock::evil:; if we stay, it will only be for ONE night only!!

When we were booking that hotel - the Sanctuary Lodge - was copping a bit of criticism on TripAdvisor for being a little tired and overpriced so we didn't book it. Also in our case we were attending a wedding in the village of Aguas Calientes so it suited us to stay there and just commute up to Machu Picchu. We stayed at the Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel in Aguas Calientes which at the time was the #1 rated hotel in the area on TripAdvisor. I note now that it has slipped to #3 however we found it was an exceptional hotel. It was still fairly expensive but it was modern and very comfortable plus they upgraded us to their Sumaq Suite (their largest suite) so that has left good memories .

 

[kpc]

Thanks pyffii and Homer for all that info as I plan to visit an area that I have long, long wanted to. As you both have visited recently, I have one other big Q, if you don't mind.
Currently, my plan is:
Day 1: Arr Cusco - relax and acclimatise.
Day 2: Explore Cusco. Stay night.
Day 3: Travel by train to Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu. Stay the night at probably the former, based on what you both have said.
Day 4: Explore MP again, including possibly climbing Huayna Pichu:shock:. Travel to and stay at Ollantaytambo /Urubamba
Day 5: Explore and stay at Ollantaytambo /Urubamba
Day 6: Return to Cusco via Pisac. Stay night at Cusco
Day 7: Leave Cusco

I'm torn between doing an organised tour and doing everything on our own as we normally do; we can always hire a lcoal guide at the various places if we need to.
From what I have read, we can catch the local bus or a taxi between the towns in the Sacred Valley.

What would you recommend? An organised tour or do it "ourselves"!

Thanks again!

 

[pyffii]

Depending on what you plan to do in Cusco/sacred valley its a good idea to take Diamox before you leave Lima...You need to take one tablet a day at least 2 days before arriving into Cusco...if you dont think this is necessary then drink plenty of Coca Tea...We stayed at the Novotel ( old wing highly recommend ) and they have heaps of tea 24/7...I highly recommend an organised trip as the guides can make the trip highly enjoyable with their detailed knowledge...There are great ruins in Pisac ( must go there) and a great cafe run by a german american lady..Its called Ulrikes Cafe and is on the town square...Re Huayna Pichu you need to queue for this and there are only 2 times 7.30am and 12.30pm...with only 200 allowed up each time...to do the 7.30am you need to be in the Sanctaury by 6.00am and hence a very early start..Thats one queue and then you need to queue again !!...Alternatively you can do the 12.30pm but loads of tourists then and you may need to queue for 2 hours before hand...We opted not to do this as we had hiked in and were very tired ( did the Salkantay trail )...Re Ollantaytambo all the tourist trains now stop here so you need transport back to Cusco..Whilst in Olly there are some wonderful ruins to explore taking an hour or so , therefore I would suggest you arrange a tour company to meet you at the train and then transport you back to Cusco where you will arrive around 6.30pm....I would not recommend local buses or taxis as the farmers can protest strike at any given time and its quite nasty when that happens ( happened to us but our guides were prepared and knew where to go to bypass the trouble )...We are in our late 50's so maybe you might be a tad more adventurous !!!

 

[Homer]

Your plan looks good to me. We spent a lot more time in Cusco - six nights - but we were there with friends and family and that meant we had lots of social things to do as well as the usual tourism stuff. It definitely takes a couple of days to explore Cusco properly. On the tour question, some people like organised tours. In our case we've never been inclined to do that (though we are doing one in October in Thailand) - we are proudly independent travellers. However in Peru we took the advice of our new sister-in-law who is a local and took some day tours in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu itself. For the most part these were organised by the concierge at the various hotels we stayed at. We would not have picked up one-tenth of the information by doing it ourselves so I would highly recommend doing some tours.

In Cusco we had a local, private tour guide who had a small, modern van with a driver so we were able to jump in and out quickly while the driver stayed with the car or moved to the end point of a walk to pick us up, etc. On the first day we spent most of the time in Cusco itself looking at churches and some museums. On the second day our guide took us right through the Sacred Valley visiting towns such as Urubamba (boy does that get you keyed up for Machu Picchu), Moray and Ollantaytambo. That was a long day with lots of walking in each of the townships but it was well worth it.

When it came to Machu Picchu we took the train from Pisac straight to Aguas Calientes. There we used a local guide arranged by the Sumaq Hotel who had many years of experience and a very good command of English. It cost us only AUD$70 for a three-hour private tour. The guide met us in the hotel lobby the night before the tour (when it was raining cats and dogs), discussed what we should bring and do and then gave us his mobile in case we wanted to cancel if it was still raining in the morning. It wound up being a brilliant, sunny day so at about 7am he met us on the bus that runs up to Machu Picchu (the bus stops outside the Sumaq if you end up staying there - otherwise you need to catch it in the township) so we arrived just as the early cloud was burning off - the perfect time to catch the best views. Our guide actually recommended not climbing Huayna Picchu for a number of reasons. If you have just one day at Machu Picchu then you want to be in a particular spot to catch the best views of Huayna Picchu which you can't do if you are lining up to climb it! Also it is quite a difficult climb as you would no doubt realise. However if you are keen to do the climb, please don't let me sway your opinion!

I'm not sure I agree with the certainty of an earlier post that one day is plenty at Machu Picchu. Lots of people told us that they enjoyed their second visit to Machu Picchu more than the first because they saw different things and had time to sit and contemplate the place. Our very experienced guide also recommended a second visit (and not paying him for it - just doing it by ourselves) and some of our fellow hotel guests even considered a third visit! Unfortunately we missed out on an encore because we had a wedding to attend and the weather then set in by the afternoon. Machu Picchu was the highlight of our trip to South America and possibly the highlight of our entire two-month DONE4. I'm not normally emotional about these sorts of things but I actually teared up when I first set eyes on it. My wife and I both found it an incredibly moving place.

 

[kpc]

Thankyou pyffii and Homer !!! I think you are right and I will organise local tours / guides as opposed to doing it all by ourselves. I won't organise one big all encompassing tour tho!!
If you still have the contact details of the guides / tours you used, I would appreciate it. You can PM me..
Once again, thanks for all that great info....I can't wait as it has been a dream of mine for many years to visit MP !