FAQ – IN PERU

Go directly to:
 

• Lima starters program
• to Cusco
• Food in Peru
• Money in Peru

 

Lima starters program

Easy and safe!
As an extra service Mundo Antiguo Spanish School offers you the possibility to arrange your journey from the moment that you arrive at Lima Airport on. We advice strongly against taking a cab on your own once in Lima Airport. The official taxis charge way too much (a ride to Miraflores for example can costs up to $ 35) and the illegal taxis are absolutely not always safe.

 
As most of the international flights arrive at night and 90% of the flight to Cusco are in the morning (due to better weather circumstances), we created our Lima Starters Program: our contact person will await you at the airport and brings you to one of our selected hotels. There you’ll stay for the night. The next morning we’ll bring you again to the airport for your flight to Cusco. You can choose between different hotel types (from budget to very luxurious), in different neighborhoods of Lima or close to the airport.

 
Price of this service: already starting from $ 59 for 1 person or $ 70 for 2 persons (including transport from and to the airport and overnight stay in one of our selected hotels).

 

To Cusco

Flight reservation and pick-up service at Cusco Aiport
For our language students who reserved at least one week program of 10 hours we reserve a ticket Lima-Cusco (and optionally the return-flight) with net-price guarantee. So we don’t charge any commission. We can also pick you up personally from Cusco Aiport and bring you to your host family, apartment or hotel. Price of that service is $ 15.
 
Personal info meeting and 24-hours assistance service
Our clients can use our 24-hours assistance service from the moment they enter Peru. And after arriving in Cusco you have all the chance to ask us the questions you still might have during our personal info meeting!
 

Food in Peru

Be careful in the culinary paradise!
 
Potatoes, maize and peppers: the most famous ingredients of the Peruvian kitchen have conquered the whole world, but the use is nowhere as variated as in Peru itself. Try for example causa (a cold pastry of mashed potato, avocado, chicken or tuna), papa rellena (stuffed potato with meat, onions, olives, boiled eggs and – of course – peppers), or papa ocopa (boiled potatoes in a mild-spicy peanut sauce) and you’ll know that you are in a culinary paradise!
 
You have to be careful though. Although there are plenty of clean restaurants and the food in hotels and during tours is normally very good, it happens more than once that tourists fall ill. Mostly they have travellers’ diarrhoea, but sometimes tourist get parasites or a bacterial infection. Therefore some hints:
 
- You can’t drink water out of the tap. It’s not necessary either: on every street corner you can buy bottles of mineral water for a few soles. If you have a very sensitive stomach it can be handy to also brush your teeth with bottled water.
 
- Also be aware of water in other products. Look out with ice cubes, vegetables and fruits: you never know with what kind of water it has been washed. If you want to eat some fruit, buy something that has a peel.
 
- Be aware of products like ice and mayonnaise. Often it’s being conserved for a long time and mostly it isn’t cooled very well. Eat those products only in clean restaurants
 
- Of course we have to say that it’s virtually impossible to tell which restaurants are to be trusted for a 100%. Your general impression is important: does the restaurant look clean, are the tables clean and what about the waiters? Naturally it’s nice to also eat in local restaurants. Enter restaurants that are crowded with local guests: that’s mostly a good sign!
 
- It’s preferable not to eat on the street. You never know how long something is already baking in the sun, near all kinds of street-refuse. The preparation is also not always that clean. Don’t take that risk if you are only a couple of weeks in South-America!
 
- Don’t eat too much and especially not too much meat if you travel to high altitude, as your digestion is working a lot slower there. Drink a lot though, but be careful with alcohol.
 
- When you do fall ill – and we are not talking about a few ‘loose stools’: seek medical attention in a clinic. The care in clinics is mostly far better than in hospitals and staff almost always speak English. Sadly, foreigners are sometimes being seen as a walking money-source, especially in Cusco. We have noticed that patients have conspicuously often salmonella. Apparently it’s known that salmonella is a notorious word in the Western world. It’s also striking that people often have to stay in the clinic, also when we have the idea that that is not directly necessary (although we of course aren’t experts). Don’t be overwhelmed and interrogate well when visiting a clinic!
 
It’s practical by the way, to first visit a laboratory when suffering from diarrhoea. After some exams, a laboratory can tell you what you have. With the results you can visit a clinic.
 

Money in Peru

Two currencies
In Peru people pay with 2 currencies: the local one and the American dollar. In Peru the local currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.). All small purchases are paid with the local currency and also in for example restaurants or at long bus rides it’s normal to pay with Soles .
Tours, flights and hotel rooms however, are normally being paid with American dollars. Please keep in mind that in Peru people are very picky with the dollar: no-one will accept a bill with even a minor rip!
For that reason we also don’t accept ripped bills: here, we can’t do anything with those.
 
Click here for a daily update of the exchange rates.
 
Euros
We read sometimes that you have been advised to also take euros with you. Absolute nonsense! It’s normally quite difficult to change euros and you won’t get a very good exchange rate.
 
So, what do you have to bring?
Never take too much cash money with you, also not upon arriving in the country. Around 200 dollars is more than enough. In the international airport there are ATM’s and money exchange offices enough.
 
Credit Cards
Credit Cards are nowadays widely accepted in many businesses, restaurants and hotels. Visa and MasterCard are the most popular. But be aware: most businesses ask a very high commission, mostly about 10%. Always ask about this first, as it can happen that people want you to pay such a commission without notifying you before!
 
ATM’s
There are many ATM’s in the larger cities, but nowadays also in many smaller (tourist) towns. We prefer Banco de Crédito because there you can get the highest amount at once (up to S/. 1900, depending also on your own bank), which might make a difference in the commission your own bank charges you. The bank also feels safe: normally the ATM’s are guarded and you have to wait for your turn behind a red line.
You’ll get your bank card back after receiving your money and your voucher. It often happens that tourists don’t notice and walk away while their bank card is still inside the ATM. And that’s a bit annoying on the first day of your holiday…
 
Travellers Cheques
In our opinion you don’t have to bring Travellers Cheques. There are sufficient ATM’s!
 
Not too much
Never take too much money with you, as you can only loose it. Leave large amounts in the strongbox of your hotel or in your locked backpack. That’s normally a lot safer.
 
Please notice: there are pick-pockets active in Peru. Look after your personal belonging!