Central Highlands - Peru - page 610

The most interesting way to Huancavelica, however, is by train from Huancayo (albeit
slightly slower than the buses and taking a route along the valley bottom).
If you are in a hurry, from Huancayo it's a good idea to take a colectivo taxi: these take
2½ hours via the scenic alpine route.
Bus
All major buses usually depart from the terminal terrestre, inconveniently located about
2km to the west of the town center. A taxi here costs S3. Buy your bus tickets in the
downtown offices, and ask about where the buses depart from.
Companies serving Huancayo (S13, three hours) include Transportes Ticllas
Offline map Google map ( 95-417-5420; Muñoz 7) with almost hourly daily departures.
Other companies go less often or at night, or may go via Huancayo en route to Lima.
For Lima (S30 to S40, 10 to 13 hours) companies go via Huancayo or via Pisco. The
higher price tag is for more luxurious bus-camas . Via Huancayo is usually a little faster
but it depends on road conditions. The Pisco route is freezing at night: bring warm
clothes. Several companies clustering around Parque Santa Ana offer Lima services in-
cluding Expreso Lobato Offline map Google map (O'Donovan 519), which has comfortable
overnight buses via Huancayo.
For Ayacucho, buses now run via Rumichaca nightly (S40, seven to eight hours). Ex-
preso Molina Offline map Google map ( 45-4244; Muñoz 608) leaves at 11:30pm. If you
really don't want to travel at night, the 'easiest' option is taking a 4:30am (!) minibus to
Rumichaca. In the west of Huancavelica from Plaza Tupac Amaru, San Juan Bautista
minibuses depart daily (S10, six hours). Then wait for an Ayacucho-bound bus coming
from the coast. Most days buses from Lima don't get to Rumichaca until about 2pm so
you might want to try your hitchhiking skills rather than waiting for several hours in this
rather bleak spot. Ensure, however, that there are at least two of you, and remember that
hitchhiking can always be risky. You can also (laboriously) get to Ayacucho via minibus,
changing at Lircay and Julcamarca.
Taxi
Colectivo taxis for Huancayo (S25, 2½ hours) leave when full (four-passenger minimum).
They leave from the combi/ colectivo terminal on Garma by the river.
Train
Trains currently leave for Huancayo at 6:30am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. See
Click here f or more details.