An IDP offers many benefits compared to just bringing your passport and driver's license. Primarily, it's helpful when dealing with stubborn, ill-informed, or possibly corrupt police officials—some of which may try to take advantage of international travelers—and proving the validity of your original license. Additionally, since the IDP is written in multiple languages, it's easier for Peruvian officials to understand the document. Checklist for Driving in Peru.
While some things will be very different from what you experience driving at home, there will be some similarities between driving in Peru and countries such as the United States, including driving is on the right side of the road.
Those under 25 probably have to pay extra costs. There are various rental agencies across the country, mainly in the big cities, and they are known to be expensive, but as prices drop, more tourists are taking to the roads of Peru. Traveling in bigger groups is one way to save on costs, from sales tax to gas to insurance.
If you do want to rent a car, it would be more relaxing to do so outside of hectic Lima. Ensure that you are familiar with everything you are signing on the rental agreement and have a credit card with you. In jungle towns, you can rent a motorcycle for quick trips. Peruvian transit police officers, who must wear uniforms and display their identification cards on their chests, can be difficult to deal with, especially when they are sniffing out a potential fine legitimate or otherwise or a bribe.
While it's important to be compliant when dealing with traffic officers, you should also be aware that Peru has many scammers posing as officers as well as many officers who are themselves corrupt.
For this reason, international drivers should be aware of what officers are supposed to look like and what they can legally do during a traffic stop. If you have contact with police at random checkpoints and border crossings, typically police or military will conduct thorough document checks.
Unless you are carrying drugs a very bad idea or doing something illegal, usually you will just find this stop to be an inconvenience. Traffic officers are not allowed to keep your personal identification or vehicle documents and must write a ticket for a traffic violation. According to the U. It is probably not even something that you have considered, but your car has all sorts of components that can easily be prised off and sold for a small gain.
Wing mirrors or the mirror itself , rubber seals, reflectors, aerials, license plates, wheel caps, wheels etc. Leaving your car out during the day time and overnight can be a disaster waiting to happen, so always make sure that you park the car somewhere decent, and during the night in a closed garage or secure area. The chance of getting stopped by the police in Peru is very high.
If you are travelling between cities or driving medium to long distances, you will always encounter standard police check points. The police in Peru are famous for being corrupt not me saying this, but the rest of Peru and a national TV report that went out a few weeks back with video evidence , and you my fellow Gringo are a prime source of additional income for these lovely enforcers of the law.
The police will find something wrong , whether it is your licence, something not right with your vehicle, an infraction of the law, the colour of your shoes or your hairstyle. Standard fines in Peru are harsh, with many exceeding half of the national monthly minimum wage. Having a good command of Spanish will help you in these situations; it might even help you to barter the bribe down a little seriously.
In some extreme incidents, I have heard of foreign drivers paying out hundreds of dollars after being threatened with having their vehicles impounded or worse imprisonment. In the last few years as foreign travel to Peru has increased especially for business travel in Lima , the car rental market has also grown significantly too.
Cars can be rented from most major cities including: Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Trujillo. If you are insistent on driving in Peru, why not rent a car in the USA, where the roads are big and open, and drivers are less likely to want to ruin your vacation.
Canyon land in Southern-Utah is quite nice! Visit our Blog for more information! Hello, We are considering visiting Peru next year , probably in September and are considering driving ourselves. We will fly to Lima and our plan at present is to drive to Cusco and onwards. We speak very little Spanish but will take some classes before next year so that we at least have a basic understanding.
My enquiry is about the safety of driving in Peru. We have driven everywhere in the World and are happy to drive. I have read however about aggressive drivers in Peru and need to be certain we are making the best decision. Also should we plan our route ahead of time and make reservations into hotels en route or will we be able to find accommodation as we travel.
It is also far from the cheapest in most cases. Distances are long, the terrain is either difficult or unrelentingly boring for long stretches along the desert coast, roads are often not in very good condition, Peruvian drivers are aggressive, and accident rates are very high. The U. State Department warns against driving in Peru, particularly at night or alone on rural roads at any time of day. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is the best option in many places, but trucks and jeeps are exceedingly expensive for most travelers.
However, if you want maximum flexibility and independence for travels in a particular region say, to get around the Sacred Valley outside of Cusco, or to visit the beaches and towns south of Lima along the coast and you have several people to share the cost with you, a rental car could be a decent option. It is much more feasible to fly or take a bus to a given destination and rent a car there. The major international rental agencies are found in Lima, and a handful of international and local companies operate in other cities, such as Cusco.
Deposit by credit card is usually required. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a criminal offense. Major rental companies in Peru include Alamo www. Taxes are included in the price. One U. Within cities, travelers have several options. The most convenient are taxis, which function, for the most part, like taxis elsewhere in the world. In Lima, this is overwhelmingly the case, and unregistered taxi drivers can be difficult to negotiate with for a fair price.
There are no meters, meaning that you have to negotiate a price before not after accepting a ride. An alternative in Lima is to download smartphone apps like Uber www. Combis are vans that function as private bus services. They often race from one end of town to another, with fare collectors hanging out the door barking the name of the route. Combis also cover routes between towns. These are being phased out in Lima.
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