· Probably the best way to find cheap tickets is by using the Internet. Train availability in Peru varies quite considerably but companies like RealPeru (www.therealperu.co.uk) have good contacts and can give you good up-to-date advice.
Dan Clarke

· The only passenger trains running in Peru are those operated by Perú Rail (www.perurail.com), from Cusco to Machu Picchu and from Cusco to Puno on Lake Titicaca. There is also the Sacred Valley Railway (www.sacredvalleyrailway.com) from Urubamba (near Cusco) to Machu Picchu. Perú Rail’s service from Juliaca on Lake Titicaca to Arequipa is for charters only at present. This may change in high season. There is a daily passenger service from Huancayo to Huancavelica in the Central Highlands, but the train from Lima to Huancayo runs only about once a month, usually in conjunction with a holiday. The agency that should be able to give information on Lima-Huancayo is Incas del Perú, Av Giráldez 652, Huancayo, www.incasdelperu.com (if the site is working). South American Explorers in Lima will be able to help, but joining up is the best way to receive information (www.saexplorers.org). According to the Journey Latin America website, there is a service in May, but none in June this year (www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk/bespoke/peru/trainjourney.htm). Oh yes, there may be trains from Tacna across the border to Arica in Chile, but it’s a pretty haphazard service.
Ben Box