Peru Travel Advice
Practical information and common sense tips.
Entry Requirements
Ready to Travel? Click here for
information on
passports, visas and other entry requirements.
Money
Peru's currency has a very colorful history. United States Dollars are accepted
just about everywhere and, increasingly, the Euro as well. Larger
purchases and rent payments almost always are requested in $USD. Click
here for tips on changing money, using ATMs and dealing with
money changers.
Alcohol
Peru's legal drinking age is 18. The drinking
culture is a bit more relaxed than in the U.S., as you can imagine.
You may drink anywhere - on the streets, at the beach -
you're not a criminal for walking around with a beer bottle.
Sale of alcohol typically depends on the city district. In
the Lima districts of Miraflores and Surco, for
example, supermarkets and
gas stations do not sell after 11 PM. Liquor stores
operate 24
hours.
Drugs
Unfortunately, it's all too easy to find marijuana, ecstasy, heroin and
especially cocaine in a country like Peru. Many foreigners are
caught in Lima's international airport trying to smuggle drugs out.
Since narcotics are illegal, do yourself a favor and stay away, the
last place you want to end up is in jail.
Peru led the world in cocaine production in the late 1980s and early
1990s (Colombia now has that dubious distinction). This time period
coincided with the rise of the
"Shining Path" terrorist group and led to economic
chaos and social
unrest. Peru has come a long way since the late
1980s.
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