Peru Riding Facts

Crossing the Border 101:

Have patience: It can take up to 6 hours crossing the Chilean/Peruvian border, especially with rental motorcycles.

• Have all of your papers ready.
• Have your passport ready at all times.
• Have your international drivers license ready at all times.
• Have a pen at the ready.

Passing:
Generally, passing is allowed almost anywhere in Peru. Most vehicles don’t bother to signal to pass. Truckers will signal their left blinker – not to pass – but to let you know that it is clear to pass, even around a blind corner. Many trucker and other cars will flash their lights at you and wave or give you the thumbs up…they want to be riding too.

Speeding:
The local traffic police usually can care less how fast you are going. Please slow down through towns!

Pedestrians:
Peru, the power in on the side of the vehicle, so people flee like chickens when crossing the roads. In Chile, crosswalks are on the side of the pedestrian, so please stop for all people crossing the road on designated cross walks.

Stop Lights:
Obey all stop lights in both Peru and Chile.

Police Check Points:
These exist in both Chile and Peru. Usually, motorcycles are not stopped, but occasionally they are. Just stop and be courteous, and practice your Spanish the best you can. Always have your passport and international drivers license close at hand. In Peru, the police are just curious about you, and want to know where you are from, and where you are going. You can see they want to be riding with you!

Splitting Lanes/Filtering:
OK in Peru and Chile.

Animals on the Road:
Take grand precaution for this! Roads in Peru are used by bicycles, tricycles, sheep herders, cows, donkeys, three-wheeled taxis and dogs. A special precaution for dogs, as they like to give chase, and can make you lose your concentration as you go through small towns.