Peru Rail offers various levels of service to Machu Picchu from Cusco (as well as to Lake Titicaca). Because there is no road access to Machu Picchu, one must arrive by train or by foot*. Thanks to some recent changes by Peru Rail, you can now by train tickets online vía paypal, making tickets easy to buy in the 203 markets where the latter is present. This makes purchasing tickets internationally much easier for many people.
According to a paypal representative, Peru is one of the best-placed Latin American countries for increased online transactions. However, there are still some aspects of your trip to Machu Picchu that can't be paid for online or with credit card, namely:
- transport from Cusco to the train station in Poroy or Ollantaytambo (where the train service begins)
- transport from Aguas Calientes (where the train service ends) to Machu Picchu Citadel
- entrances to Machu Picchu Citadel
Travelers must arrange these parts of their trip in Cusco or Aguas Calientes, or through a travel agency or local hostel, which will charge commissions. Most local agencies are limited to accepting cash transfers, especially through Western Union, but others like Inca World also accept paypal and credit cards.
Once you've got your tickets, there's one more thing to keep in mind: train passengers are restricted to one piece of luggage each, not exceeding 11 pounds and 62 inches (length plus height plus width. Because of this weight restriction, most travelers leave the majority of their luggage behind in Cusco, at whatever hotel or hostel they have previously stayed at or are planning to stay at after their excursion.
*If you've noticed some tours marked Machu Picchu by Bus or Machu Picchy by Car, this is possible without road access because these excursions only take you most of the way to Aguas Calientes. The short final strech is done by train (much cheaper than taking the train from the Sacred Valley) or by walking along the train tracks.
