Public transportation in Lima - Lima - General Tips & Advice Reviews

Lima is a big city, but we don't have a subway!!! It's crazy, I know.

There are private buses from different sizes. The biggest ones are called "micros" and are old. The smalles ones are called "combis" and the drivers are just crazy. And there are also medium sized ones.
These buses are not organized. There are no timetables and no bus stops. They will stop in each corner to pick up someone. Although the chaos, there are a lot of routes and they can drive you almost everywhere in the city, but it can be confusing especially to foreigners. I have to say that you shouldn't expect much from the buses, they are often crowded and poorly maintained.
Driving a bus in Lima is an experience itself. Besides the driver, there is always another man - usually a young guy - called "cobrador", you have to pay to him and let him know where do you want to stop. But tell him at least a couple of blocks in advance. If you are driving a big bus, you'd see vendors who go into the buses to sell their stuff - almost everything!
Because all of the buses are private, there is not such thing like a card for different rides. You just have to pay each time you drive a bus. The drive is cheap. It just cost: S/.1 for medium drives.

But there are not just buses in Lima. You can also drive by taxi, which I recommend if you are not with a local friend or don't know the routes. There are a lot of taxis in Lima and they are not expensive. But if you want to take one from or to the airport or late a night, it might be better calling a company. It might be a bit more expensive, but you can't put a price to safety. There is no taximeter, you just have to ask for the rate to the driver before going into the cab and can bargain the price. So, never say "Yes" at first. Try to get a discount, hehe.

If you are thinking about renting a car or driving by yourself. Pls, forget this idea. The traffic here can be a real chaos!!!

I hope this info might help you, while you are visiting Lima :)