Cuzco Travel Forum

My family & I are going to Cuzco in July. The travel agent handling our reservations tried to get us booked on the train from cuzco to Machu Picchu but couldn't get confirmation so we're on waiting list. She said we would have a better idea 30 days out about getting confirmation. I can't believe they're already overbooked for the days we're willing to go. Has anyone experienced this? Any other suggestions?

I think I would tell her no train tickets no trip. We went to Cusco and Machu Picchu a few years ago and our train tickets were just part of the package.

Good luck

train is the only way to get there (if you don't walk the inca trail).
Last year some friend of mine got the tikets for the next day with no problem, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear about some "sold out" days.

My Family and I bough the tickets the same day at the rail station. 3 years ago.

Perhaps it's like in Italy, you cannot get your tickets months in advance since tickets are only available 4 or 6 weeks before departure date. Who knows ...

They told us the same thing and we went in january during the low season! We wanted Vistadome tickets but they said we'd have to be on a waiting list so we went for Backpacker, which ended up better anyway and it's cheaper. Most of the people we talked to on the Backpacker train at least had just purchased their tickets either the day of or a few days before - we were the only ones who'd even made reservations. Very weird system they've got going there.

There is another cheaper way to get to Macchu Pichu from Cuzco. You need to take a bus from Cuzco to Ollantaytambo. From there you can take a train to Aguas Calientes (Macchu Pichu). The bus will coast you about $2.00 each way and the train is $80 return.
The only potential drawback with this option is that the train leaves Ollantaytambo at 8:00pm and returns at 5:45am, which essentially means that you have to stay 2 nights in Aguas Calientes. Personnally, I would recommend this option because you can go to Macchu Pichu when it opens at 6am and avoid the tourist rush at 10am. And 2 nights in Aguas Calientes, if you have the time is not bad, it's a nice village with lot's of hotel and they don't gouge too much on prices for food and hotel.