Difference between revisions of "Peru"

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(Vehicle Maintenance)
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==Local Garages==
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=Buying and selling vehicles=
 
=Buying and selling vehicles=

Revision as of 15:49, 8 November 2011


Currency to display:

At the border

Correct as of: 23 September 2010

Required Paperwork

Process at border

  • The owner of the vehicle gains entry at immigration (migración), by getting a tourist card, getting it stamped by the police and finally a stamp in their Passport.
  • The owner must show the new passport stamp, drivers license and the original vehicle registration to customs (aduana).
  • The owner is issued a temporary import permit for the vehicle.

Cost of entry

Free.

Permitted length of stay

90 days.

Extension of stay

Unknown.
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

(unknown)
Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.

Exiting with a vehicle

  • The registered owner must get the Police at the border to stamp their tourist card, clearing them to leave Peru.
  • The registered owner can then be stamped out of Peru at immigration.
  • The registered owner presents the temporary import paper to customs.

Overland Essentials

Vehicle Insurance

Insurance requirements

Insurance is mandatory in Peru, however it's difficult to purchase because the vehicle will not be in the Peruvian computer system. Many people simply show the police SOAT insurance (Seguro Obligatorio Automóviles Transito) from another country (i.e. Ecuador or Colombia)

Cost of insurance

Unknown.
State the price of insurance and a time period.

Where to purchase insurance

Unknown.
Describe where insurance can be purchased.

Driving license

Technically an International Driving Permit is required.
In reality, showing a license from anywhere in the world seems to be good enough.

Driving side of road

Right.
Right hand drive vehicles are permitted without problem.

Mandatory items in vehicle

None.

Roads

General Road quality

Roads in Peru vary greatly. Major highways are often paved and very good quality. Lesser roads are gravel and vary from good to horrendous. If you choose a back-road through the mountains, be prepared for extremely narrow, windy, bumpy, dusty gravel tracks.

Road signs

Road signs do exist, but are far from common. Most towns have at least one sign stating the name of the town and distances to the next towns. Road hazards are often un-signed.

Toll roads

Tolls are very infrequent on some highways, and sometimes only for Northbound traffic. When they are uncounted, expect to pay something like USD $2 for at least 100km.

Bribery

Police bribery is common in Peru. The Police will try many different tactics to get money from you, including your lack of insurance (they know it's near impossible to buy).
See the bribery tips page for advice.

Checkpoints

Police checkpoints are common in Peru. You will be asked to present your Passport, Vehicle registration, drivers license and the temporary import permit you were issued at the border.

Traveling with pets

Unknown.
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.

Gasoline / Petrol / Diesel

Last updated: October 2010

Price

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade Price
Regular (84) S/.3.80 PEN per Gallon (US)
Super (90) S/.4.50 PEN per Gallon (US)
Premium (95) (rare)  ??
Ultra (97) (rare)  ??
Normal Diesel S/.4.50 PEN per Gallon (US)
Diesel (low sulfur)  ??

Gasoline Availability / Frequency

Purchasing gas in Peru is not commonly a problem.
Typically gas stations are not more than 200 - 300km apart.

Gasoline Quality

Gasoline purchaed from name-brand outlets (ie. PetroPeru, Repsol) is regarded as better quality than a "no name" mechanic (grifo).

External information about gasoline

Safety / Security Considerations

Driving at night

Driving at night is generally not recommended, though might be OK on the larger highways.

  • Poor road quality means potholes and obstacles are common.
  • Dangerous driving such as tailgating, overtaking around blind corners and excessive speeding are very, very common.
  • There can be many objects on and around the road that are nearly impossible to see at night, such as livestock, people, slow moving carts, cars with no lights, etc.

Vehicle parking

Parking vehicles on the street in smaller towns during the day is typically OK. Find a secure parking lot in big cities and at night.

Special driving considerations

Drivers in Peru are particularly crazy, which leads to some very dangerous driving conditions. There have been many horrific accidents in recent years (some involving Overlanders) due to large trucks and buses taking hairpin corners in the wrong lane. Sound your horn loudly when approaching any sharp corners on mountainous roads.
Don't be afraid to give a couple of short taps on your horn in heavy traffic, it's not impolite, and lets other drivers know where you are.

Security advisories and information

Camping

Camping is not common or popular with local Peruvians, though many hostels in touristy areas have camping to cater for backpackers.
Prices for camping at hostels fluctuates with the tourist seasons - check a backpacker guide book.
There are many excellent sites for roadside camping around the Cordillera Blanca in central Peru.

Camping guide books

No specific book exists, though the usual backpacker guide books mention when a hostel or park has camping facilities.

Drinking water

Tap water in Peru is not safe to drink. Every corner store sells 1 and 2 liter bottles, and 20 liter bottles can be bought at most large grocery stores.

Navigation

Paper maps

Maps of Peru are difficult to find, and road conditions change daily. Purchase maps before arriving in Peru.

GPS

  • Perut (Peru Routeable): A community map project like OSM with excellent coverage for Garmin[1]
  • Open Street Map: Appears to have good coverage.[2]
  • Garmin: No map of Peru.[3]
  • TomTom: No map of Peru. [4]

Directions and GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc.

Overland Travel Interest

Special Overland interests

  • Matchu Pitchu - It's not possible to drive all the way to Matchu Pitchu, but you can get pretty close and save yourself a lot of money by not catching the train. From the Cuzco area, drive through The Sacred Valley, passing Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Santa Maria and finally along a very narrow little track to the village of Santa Teresa. The last section of road is very narrow and windy, and requires a high-clearance vehicle. In Santa Teresa you can camp and safely leave your vehicle at the Inka Tour Hospedaje - the only campground in town. From Santa Teresa you can hike four hours, or catch a taxi to Hydroelectrica, where you can hike along the tracks or catch the train to Aguas Calientes which is the town at the base of Matchu Pitchu. Don't drive to Hydroelectrica - it's only a construction site and there is absolutely nowhere to park (even for motorbikes)[5].

Guide Books

Lonely Planet Peru (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Peru (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Carolyn McCarthy, Greg Benchwick, A...
From $13.07 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Don't Go There. It's Not Safe. You'll Die. And Other M...
Don't Go There. It's Not Safe. You'll Die. And Other M...
by LifeRemotely.com
From $click on Amazon
Americas Overland - The Driving Handbook
Americas Overland - The Driving Handbook
by Donald Greene
From $29.95 on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
Peru Handbook (footprint - Handbooks)
Peru Handbook (footprint - Handbooks)
by Ben Box, Robert & Daisy Kunstaetter
From $13.72 on Amazon
TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide

TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide
by The Pin Project

at 10$ on thepinproject.eu

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

Add known good mechanics here.

Buying and selling vehicles

Buying a vehicle as a foreigner

A foreigner can buy and register a Peruvian vehicle and drive it outside Peru.
Details are unknown.

Selling a foreign-plated vehicle

Unknown.
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'

References

  1. Peru Routeable (In Spanish)
  2. OpenStreetMap Peru
  3. Garmin coverage map
  4. TomTom Map availability
  5. Machu Picchu - The Road Chose Me

Helpful External links