Public transportation in Lima

Hello!

The infrastructure in Lima is horrible.  There is little mass transportation.  There is a bus line called the Metropolitano which travels generally from north to south.  It is cheap and clean and a great way to get down to Centro Lima from Miraflores, which is where I live.  There is also a new electric train, however I have never ridden it as it does not go anywhere I want it to go.

The major form of transportation I use is taxis.  They are plentiful and relatively cheap.  Some are nicer than others, but I have not had any sort of safety issues as of yet.  You negotiate your price before getting into the taxi as none of them have meters.  I can get most places I need to go for 12 soles or less, depending on the distance.  (12 soles is between 5 and 6 dollars US).  Most of the time I pay around 4-5 soles.

There are also buses, which are used by most of the locals.  They are very cheap and are quite clean.  I don't use them very often because they are not convenient to where I live.  Another form of transportation is called the Combi.  It is basically a van that has been gutted and filled with seats.  This is the cheapest form of transportation, usually 50 centimos or half a sol.  This is the locals favorite form of transportation.  They are crowded and most don't look like they would pass a safety inspection.  I would not ride these alone and definitely not in certain parts of the city.  If you want an adventure, take a combi ride and then take a taxi.

Hope that helps!  Be prepared, though.  Traffic in Lima is horrible, and traffic laws are non-existent. If you absolutely need to be somewhere by a certain time, then plan ahead as you never know what the traffic will be like.  Of course, also remember that Peruvian time is fluid - meaning if a meeting is to start at a certain time, plan for it start a good 15 to 30 minutes later.

Good luck and let me know if you need any other information.

Caio!

Nancy

taking taxis in Lima is very VERY dangerous! it is much safer to take a bus or the so call Metropolitano. If you need a cab then call a private one. NEVER take taxis that are not registered.

I'm French and live in Lima since 7 years and none of the taxis I have taken in all those years were dangerous.
If you travel to Lima, just contact me for tips

take care

Delphine

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