Arequipa was just a stopover as we headed on our way to Puno to visit Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable body of water in the world. Our stay in Arequipa wasn’t a great experience, but we will write about that another time! Anyway, this is about our journey from Arequipa to Puno, Peru by bus.
Getting our tickets
We booked online via busbud.com and opted to use the Transzela service. There was no reason for choosing them other than they were slightly cheaper compared to others online at £14 each.
In hindsight, we probably should have booked them at the station. They were slightly cheaper at the station, and you had the choice of providers for the length of the station. The only benefit from booking in advance is being guaranteed a seat. It would be a nightmare turning up that early in the morning to find no seats left.
The bus station
The bus station is split into at least 2 terminals. We got dropped off at the terminal that our bus stopped at the previous day, which was wrong. There was no one about, but a kind security guard pointed us in the right direction. It was literally a 2-minute walk, but that is why you don’t leave arriving until the last minute.
The station was packed with cafés/shops/sellers, so we didn’t get hungry. Bread was 1 sol, about 20p, and an instant coffee was 7 sols, so it can be pricey.
Be aware there is a terminal fee. This is the same for all stations we found in South America, but prices vary. Our fee was 2 Sols per person and cash was only accepted. No idea what happens if you can’t pay the fee.
There is also a fee of 0.5 sol to use the toilet. This is a big annoyance for me and I hate paying for it. I decided to use the toilet before boarding the bus, paid my money and walked around the corner to find at least 50 men waiting to use the urinal. I couldn’t wait any longer, so I took some toilet roll in lieu of not getting to use the toilet.
Journey
Our bus arrived 20 minutes before departure. However, what I have found in Peru is that Peruvians use time as a guide, and it isn’t set in stone, a bit like our hostel price the previous day. They turn up shortly after the departure time in their numbers, and they all demand to get on. Eventually, the bus conductor lost his sh*t roared “Vamos!” and the bus started rolling, while locals who were in mid repacking their bags jumped on, and we left the station.
The journey ended up taking nearly 7 hrs. If it wasn’t for the delay leaving, it probably would have arrived on time. (Apologises, the windows were stinking, so we couldn’t get a decent photo of the climb).
Views going up through the Andes were absolutely stunning. I can’t get my head around how people live so high up and work and function. I struggled to breathe, walking a short distance, and I saw an elderly lady throwing a sack over their back and going for a hike!
Toilets are on most buses in Peru, which is fantastic for males, not so fantastic for females. In some cases there is a urinal, but in a lot of cases it is just a toilet bowl with a pee covered seat. You would expect some sort of decadency and for people to wipe it down, but sadly there isn’t even a toilet roll for that.
The seats on the bus were comfortable. I don’t agree with the 160 degree reclining seats. I don’t agree with this in general. Sitting with someone’s head on your lap isn’t right!! Thankfully, the two in front of me didn’t bother reclining.
Thoughts on the journey.
It only took a mere 20 minutes before some dick decided that he would play a movie loudly with no headphones on. This meant the entire bus who was trying to get a few hours’ nap at 6am couldn’t. What is it with people? Why do they need to play music/movies at full volume on a bus with people sleeping? Why not put headphones in and let people sleep!
Other annoyances on the bus…. There was too much public show of affection, the bus was roasting as the locals thought it was cold while I sat in shorts and t-shirt sweating, the bus windows were too dirty to enjoy the view, and they stopped for ages on a hill to let locals on to sell stuff. I know they are trying to make a living, but I just wanted to get to my destination, Puno.
Oh, and cheers to the people who begged the ticket agent to give them the front row on the bus. We arrived early in the hope of getting those seats. They bunked the queue, begged for them, proceeded to close the curtains, and went to sleep for the entire journey and saw nothing.
Overall
Overall, I can’t recommend what provider to use as there are so many. I can’t guarantee you won’t get music playing assholes or constant PSAs, and I can’t guarantee you won’t get stinking windows. However, I can guarantee, unless you are a weirdo, you will be saying WOW constantly as you turn every corner as the journey is stunning (try get those front row seats). Using a bus is a real cost effective way of getting around Peru, so if on a budget I really recommend it.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our journey from Arequipa to Puno, Peru by bus. Sorry for the bad language, but it helped me to be honest and that is what you want. There will be plenty more of that, I’m sure, as we make our way around South America.
Thanks
The Lewis Family.
