I am planning to go to Cusco for a few days on my next trip in March. I have some questions and if anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated.

1) Hotel - I've been looking at the Del Prado Inn. It's $59/night and supposed to be right next to the Plaza de Armas. Is this a good location? Is anyone familiar with the hotel? Does anyone have a better choice? My criteria are $75/night or less, clean, and it has internet access. Anything else is a bonus.

2) Macchu Picchu - I'm planning on doing a day trip there. How far in advance do you need to book the train? Can I just buy tickets when I get there or do I need to do it now?

3) March - Good time of year to go or bad? How's the weather? Lot's of tourists?

Any other info anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I am not quite familiar with Cusco but I'll try to be as helpful as possible.

I haven't been at that hotel but it looks fine on paper. Close to the Plaza de Armas is always the best location.

You can book in a guided tour in Cusco or you can buy your train tickets and go on your own. In both cases your hotel can take care of it but you can do it by yourself too. You don't have to book in advance, you can do it once you are in Cusco.

Not the best time of the year, definitely low season and few tourists, but with good reason. January/February is, usually, the worst part of the rain season and, in the peruvian mountains, it means there is some risk of mud floods and land-slides (huaycos). By early March the worst of the rain should be over and there should be no danger of huaycos, but you could still get caught in heavy rain... if you are unlucky. Summer (winter in the USA), is not the best season for tourism in the peruvian mountains. Late March should be O.K. few tourists and good weather.

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Homo_Lo_Gato
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Hi computer guy ,i am living in cusco and also am wokring in tourism am a tour guide here if you need that kind of information of cusco i can help you.

• del prado inn is a good hotel but a little bite expensive here are a lot of hotels whit excellent service and the same facilities than del prado inn but a little cheaper,whit better locations closer to the main square

• about the trains are two train stations here in cusco the first one is located in the same city of cusco is around four hours and a half to arrive at aguas calientes(machupicchu village),and you willhave the exactly time to estay in machupicchu (only 2 hours).

The another oneis from ollantaytambo (only 1 hour and 40 minutes) but is on the night you need to expend one night in ollantaytambo so at the next day you can visit machupicchu early approximately 5 hourswaiting foryour tain to back to cusco if depend of you wich train is better foryou…..abut the train tickets I have friends en PERU RAIL (the train company) and I think is not problem to get it here in cusco and you don’t need to do any reserve before….

• march is not a bad month to visit cusco are not so many tourists here and you can visit machupicchu,having a nice tour in a quiet place………..are another facilities for example for estudents with isic card and more if you want to know more information you can writte me at [Solo usuarios registrados pueden ver este link ].

Good luck and remember you have a friend here all is for this forum ok see you….

Thanks for the info guys. I'll be going to Cuzco right after computerguy, on Mar 12.

Here's what I found: Besides the del prado, I've read that the Inka 1, Hotel Christina and the Emperador were good hotels and chica friendly (some info on ISG). I haven't decided yet.

Based on the go2peru website, there are a bunch of aerolineas that serve the route between Lima and Cuzco: AeroCondor, Star Peru, Lan, Taca. I also heard that GOL and Avianca serve this route but couldn't find this route on their websites.

My questions are: how soon should I book, and what is the latest time I should book a flight in the morning? 6AM, 7AM, 9AM? I don't want to get my flight cancelled due to fog or bad weather, and the guidebooks say to go in the morning. Is going at 9AM taking a chance from LIM to CUZ?

-Philo

I've never heard of GOL or Avianca serving this route regularly. Certainly not in the low season.

Bad weather could be either fog or thunderstorms. A thunderstorm can occur any time of the day but is very unlikely in mid March. Fog in the high mountains ussually sets in at mid afternoon, could be a problem after 3:00 pm. but very very very unlikely at any time in the morning. Also morning flights are never cancelled due to bad weather, only sometimes delayed a couple hours.

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Homo_Lo_Gato
...El único único GATO!