Bus travel in Peru

creeny · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:35 pm Post subject: Bus travel in Peru

I am planning a 6-week trip through South America in Feb and March 2010. Could anyone tell me how long it would take to travel by bus from Iquitos in Peru to Guayaquil in Ecuador?

MrGart · Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: Bus travel in Peru

creeny · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 5:11 am Post subject: Re: Bus travel in Peru

Hi Gart,

Thanks for your reply. I am planning to travel up the Amazon from Manaus in Brazil, so I would have already been on a boat for six days by the time I reach Iquitos. I am trying to get over to Guayaquil in Ecuador. Is there anywhere else that I could disembark along the way and catch a bus? Or a plane? I've heard that flying in South America can be expensive but I'm trying to fit a lot in on my trip.
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Cheers,
Paula

MrGart · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: Bus travel in Peru

creeny · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:00 am Post subject: thanks

I'd really appreciate that Gart. Thanks for your help
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Cheers,
Paula

MrGart · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:12 am Post subject: Re: thanks

Hi Paula!

So here it is! I spoke with some well-traveled friends of mine and they agree on the following:

The least expensive way to get there is also the hardest and the longest. You would have to take a plane to Tarapoto which will set you back about 100 dollars. From there you take a bus across the Andes to Chiclayo. That'll take about half a day. Those buses are not the most comfortable and it is a dangerous route, with high cliffs and deep ravines. From Chiclayo, which is on the coast, you can take a bus straight up to Guayaquil. This is the most comfortable part of the trip.

My friends advise you to take the long route, through Lima. You can get there by plane in less than 2 hours, which will cost about 140 dollars. You can take a bus with Cruz del Sur from Lima, along the coast, straight to Guayaquil. Those buses are the most comfortable, with on-board bathrooms and TV and such stuff. I once traveled with them and was quite comfortable. The bus ride will take about two days, but you will be comfortable and safe and in the end it will be faster than the route through Tarapoto. In cost, it might actually not make a big difference. It depends on your budget and your lust for adventure, but I agree with my friends; the Lima option is probably the best.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to let me know.

Chau!

Gart
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creeny · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:35 pm Post subject: Re: thanks

Thanks Gart.

I'll plan my trip around the Lima option. Do the planes leave Iquitos regularly?

Hope to catch up with you in late February and buy you a drink.
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Cheers,
Paula

MrGart · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:35 am Post subject: Re: thanks

aiku · Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:49 am Post subject:

Thanks for your reply. I am planning to travel up the Amazon from Manaus in Brazil, because i want see of this area. so really thanks
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MrGart · Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:01 pm Post subject: Come to Iquitos

robertb · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject:

I've just skim-read the above, so apologies if I'm repeating something.

I found that flights within a country in S.A. are relatively much cheaper than when you cross a border.
So, I looked at travelling from Guayaquil to Lima and found a flight was very expensive, but a combination of bus (Guayaquil - Piura) and then a flight to Lima seemed the best compromise between price and time. However, the bus was late as the bus company (a reputable one) didn't have a permit for travel in Peru, so couldn't go any further, and a number of other delays meant we missed the flight and ended up doing the whole lot by bus over 2 days. I believe a direct bus to Lima would have been 36 hours, and as said above, the buses are very good.

Enjoy your trip - I got the boat from Belem to Manaus, it was fun, I saw a few monkeys and a toucan, but got bored eventually so continued on a plane from Santarem!!
Interestingly the plane was cheaper than the boat...

Also, a tactic for finding flights is to visit the wikipedia page of an airport and it will tell you the destinations and carriers to/from there. Then you can try to book directly from the carrier and cut out the middle man, probably saving you some money. Having said that some S.A. airline websites don't accept foreign credit cards.
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JulieSteal · Baggage Handler Joined: 26 Oct 2009 Posts: 6 7 ants

Do the bus operators in Peru take pictures of their passengers like they do in Mexico, in case of an accident?
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robertb · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:59 pm Post subject:

I occasionally remember being videoed or photographed getting on buses while in S.A., but I can't specifically remember if it happened in Peru, but I suspect it did.

This is one of the major companies, and there's some info on site under Services:
http://www.cruzdelsur.com.pe/

Apparantly they have "Radar laser for objects detection on the road (up to 492 feet distance)" - that sounds awesome!
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Ginirover · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:20 am Post subject: