Getting around a foreign city can be a bit frustrating without a guide on what to do and especially looking for a safer way to get to our expected destination without major setbacks.
The transportation system in Lima does not work in the best way, it is a bit chaotic and messy.
However, there are options to move easily around the city and enjoy the tourist attractions offered by the capital of Peru. Here we tell you all the information you need to have an excellent stay in the city of ceviche and pisco.
While you are traveling to Peru you may need to keep communication or a translation app. That’s why you may need to use one of our mobile phone plans for tourists to have a tourist SIM card. In order to visit Lima and enjoy the city in its plenty here in PeruSIM.
Means of Transportation in Lima
Here are some of the most used and practical means of transportation in Lima that will make you visit to Peru more easy to take on :
Metropolitano and Other Public Buses
Lima has a bus system called El Metropolitano and runs through a part of the city from Barranco to the Historic Center of Lima, passing through several other districts.
The Metropolitano de Lima is a massive bus system at the public service of locals and visitors to the city.Inaugurated in 2010, it connects from north to south a total of 12 districts of Lima, with the purpose of facilitating the transportation of its users especially in hours of high traffic.
The Metropolitano is one of the transportation systems widely used by locals, due to its cost, comfort and ease of access to several important places in Lima.
Routes of the Metropolitano
This is a transport system that consists of two main routes: Troncal and Alimentadora, the first is composed of a route that connects the Comas district (North) with the Chorrillos district (South).
The Alimentadora route is made up of a series of buses that travel along specific routes whose destination is a stop on the Troncal route.
The Metropolitano routes are easy to understand when used regularly, however, for adventurous tourists it is recommended to move within the Troncal route as it is the easiest to understand at first glance.
Buses of The Metropolitano
The Metropolitano buses are spacious and comfortable, with seats reserved for the elderly, people with small children and/or people with disabilities.
Although they are comfortable, the buses are almost always very crowded so you lose some of the comfort, especially if you are traveling with children to Lima.
There are buses with regular and express service, the difference between them is the stations where they stop to pick up or drop off passengers. This information is available at each bus stop.
Bus Stops
The stops or stations for the Metropolitano are well denoted in each of its routes, their names can be verified both on the website and on the Metropolitano’s map on them.
The stops of the trunk route related to the most touristic districts of Lima and some attractive places are:
- Jr. de la Unión: Historic Center.
- Central Station: Parque de la Exposición, Museo de arte de Lima and Museo de arte italiano.
- National Stadium: Magic water circuit.
- Ricardo Palma: Miraflores.
- Benavides: Miraflores.
- July 28th: Miraflores.
- Plaza de las flores: Barranco.
- Balta: Barranco.
- Boulevard: Barranco.
Although these metro stops are related to these tourist sites, in most of them you must walk to finally reach the desired destination.
How to use it
To use the Metropolitano you only have to buy the card and recharge it at the point of sale of each stop, then enter the station through the access machines and go to the direction of your interest (north or south).
Often there is no support staff for the purchase and recharge of the cards, so you have to read the instructions on the machines to recharge.
The north direction is towards the historic center of Lima and the south direction is towards the Barranco district, it is an easy way for tourists to understand the metropolitan trunk route.
Schedule
The Metropolitano operates according to the type of bus: regular or express, the schedule is adjusted to each type of service.
However, in general, the Metropolitano’s overall service starts at 6:00 a.m. and ends at 22:00 p.m. at the latest.
Prices
- Card 5 nuevos soles.
- General fare 2.5o soles.
- Preferential fares for some types of services on trunk route 1.25 soles and feeder route 0.25 soles.
Other buses in Lima
Apart from the Metropolitano, there are other bus lines that are part of the transportation system in Lima, which are called “combis”.
The “combis” travel throughout the city under a route assignment that is not easy to know, only if you live there and use it regularly you can know each route.
The cost of the buses in Lima depends on where you are going, and on average is 1 to 2 soles per person.
Although it is not a recommended form of transportation, due to the state of the buses and the speed with which their drivers drive, we mention it because it is part of the options to move around in Lima.
Either way ‘combis’ are a good local form to get to know Lima in a more local way .
Lima Taxi’s
Taxis in Lima are one of the best options to move around during your trip. They are abundant, comfortable and economical somehow.
One of the best options to get around in Lima, when visiting its tourist attractions or restaurants, is by cab because they are comfortable, safe and plentiful, which makes the prices not so high.
On the other hand, the bus options in the city, such as the Metropolitano, in most cases are crowded, so we recommend it only in case you want to save some money during your trip.
Everything you need to know about Taxis in Lima
There are lots of taxis on the streets of Lima. The truth is that it is difficult to look up and not find one, that’s why they are a tempting transportation option in Lima.
However, there are certain precautions to take when using taxi services in Lima. The first one is to avoid taking a taxi on the street if you are traveling unaccompanied. In that case you can use the services of formal taxi companies.Like : Uber , Cabify , DiDi and plenty more that you can find on your phone easily.
Another thing to keep in mind is the traffic. During rush hour Lima traffic becomes quite chaotic, so if you are going to move in a relatively short distance, evaluate if you can do it walking. For example, walking through Miraflores, Barranco or San Isidro is safe and entertaining.
Whenever you are going to take a taxi, try to have a simple and if possible exact payment. In most cases, the drivers do not have change, especially if you have large bills.
Prices of Taxis in Lima and advices to take in
Taxis in Lima do not have meters and fares depend exclusively on the driver who will give you a price depending on the distance and traffic. In case you decide to take a cab on the street, the fare can vary drastically from one driver to another, especially if they identify that you are a tourist, they will want to overcharge you.
To avoid overpaying, we recommend you to use formal cab services that we tell you below.
Fact: In Lima the “bargaining culture” is very accepted, so if you choose to take a taxi on the street, you can always ask for a 1 or 2 soles discount.
Safe Taxi Options
In Lima there are several formal companies that offer taxi services. For safety reasons we recommend using them and avoid taking cabs on the street.
One of the taxi companies in Lima with more trajectory is Taxi Satelital, to whom you can request a vehicle through a phone call to the number 355 55555.
In the last few years cab applications such as Easy Taxi, UBER and Taxi Beat have also been consolidating. All of them work very well. Make sure to check those out just as the app taxis we mention before
Transfers to and from Lima airport
The options for transfers to and from Lima airport are quite limited. In fact, cabs are one of the very few options available to make this journey.
You can book your cab in advance to guarantee vehicle availability and avoid delays and inconveniences to move to or from the airport.
Bicycles in Lima
It cannot be said that Lima is a bicycle friendly city but several districts, especially the most touristic ones, are making great efforts to increase their bicycle lanes and to promote the use of bicycles.
It is a lot of fun to visit Miraflores and Barranco on two wheels. Lima is also a fairly flat city, so it will not be difficult to get around on a bicycle.
There is no public bicycle system, however there are places where you can rent bicycles for hours and days.
Most bike rental stores in Lima are concentrated in Miraflores.
You can also book a bike tour through the best areas of the city where a guide will explain in detail each point of interest so you can discover part of the fascinating history of Lima.
Lima’s only metro
Lima has 1 metro line, recently built and inaugurated in 2011. With 26 stations it runs from south to northeast within the city. The rest of the lines are still being considered by the government. It is a transport service widely used by locals.
How to use the Lima subway
Line 1 of the Lima subway is not a subway, it has 26 stations throughout various districts of the city. People who use it only have to go to the nearest station, enter using their payment card, know the address and board the train.
Currently line 1 does not run through sites of interest for tourists, so it does not become a recommended option to move, for example it does not run through the districts of Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro, considered the most tourist areas and with the most options to do in the city.
But it’s needed to talk about this metro so you know what to take and what not take into consideration as your transport form while you stay in Lima
On the other hand, line 1 of the Lima subway does run through part of the Santiago de Surco district, where the Amistad park is located, however, there are more recommended ways to get there.
With the missing lines, the possibilities of transfers within Lima will be expanded for both locals and visitors.
Schedules
The operation of the Lima subway is from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm, but each station has its own schedule of operation.
The trains have time intervals between 6-14 minutes depending on the day, during the week there is less time and increases on weekends.
Metro general prices
Card 5 nuevos soles.
Adult ticket 1.50 soles.
Finally, we know that you have to keep communication with your relatives and friends, that you need to be able to orient yourself in new cities, that you might need help with translation and that you might need to search for restaurants or hotels. That’s why with PeruSIM you can buy a SIM card including the data plan of your need without having to worry about high roaming costs.
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