Second-hand cars can be purchased for low prices in Tacna, the duty-free port that supplies the country with Asian imports. If you are staying in Peru for more than a month and have a traveling companion or two, this may not be much more expensive than taking high-quality buses. Traveling along Peru’s remote dirt roads with a four-wheel-drive vehicle is an exhilarating, wild experience.

Peru’s highway system is much better than it was a decade ago, though gasoline is expensive and the road hazards are extreme. They include open manhole covers, herds of sheep or llamas, and rocks that have either rolled from the cliffs or been left by drivers after working on their cars. Night is even more dangerous, with speeding buses and slow-moving trucks. Gas stations are far apart, and the only option on dirt roads is low-quality fuel siphoned from a rusting steel drum. So fill up frequently and consider carrying spare gallons of gasoline. Drivers should also be prepared with spare tires, tools, food, water, and sleeping bags.

Speeding or running yellow lights is a bad idea, as police will certainly pull you over, especially in Lima and other big cities. Because you are a foreigner, some police officers will threaten jail time and thousands of dollars in fines and loads of paperwork, right before hauling you off to the comisaría (police station). Many drivers pay just to move along, while others adamantly refuse. It’s up to you if you pay or not, but if money is requested we strongly recommend against bribing, and especially do not offer a bribe on your own initiative. You might not get away with it, being a foreigner. Women police officers have a reputation of being quite tough to deal with, being tagged as las incorruptibles, “the incorruptibles.” In general terms, the problem of crooked police is less common now than in the past.

A Peru driver’s worst nightmare is getting in an accident. The general rule is quien pega, paga (whoever hits, pays), but foreigners are going to be hard-pressed to get any money off a Peruvian taxi or truck driver. The best way to protect yourself, if you have a car worth anything, is to buy car insurance (about US$15 per day or US$35–70 per month depending on the car). Even now that many cars in Peru are insured, it’s usually less of a hassle to resolve the situation by both drivers heading together to a mechanic to get a repair estimate. In the case of a serious accident, let the courts decide whose fault it was or you will end up paying for everyone’s damage and medical bills.

U.S. and European licenses are valid for one month in Peru, and thereafter international driving licenses, available in the United States from AAA (www.aaa.com), are required. Drivers should also have the car’s registration and their passports with them at all times or police will offer to llevarle a la comisaría (haul you down to the police station).