I am a confused soul! I am trying to find the best way to go from Huancayo to Machu Picchu and originally the organization we were volunteering with was going to do it for us, but now I don't know if I want to leave it up to them. We are five, college-aged women and so we want to make this journey as safely as possibly being as we are female etc. So this is the intinerary they gave me, if any one has any suggestions or advice that would be very much appreciated. Also, we wouldn't be hiking the trail (taking hte train or bus I guess, whichever would be safest), so do we book these train/bus tickets in advance, as well as MP entrance ticket? And where do we book these, online? We will be there in mid-May, high season, so we need to take care of this, but I'm so confused! Any suggestions greatly apprecaited!
Friday May 15th: Bus ticket from Huancayo to Lima (is this safest/the only way?And should we try to take an afternnon bus I have heard night buses are dangerous)
Saturday May 16th: Airplane ticket-Lima to Cuzco (do most people fly between Lima and Cuzco to get to MP? It seems that way)
then they have something about train ticket from Ollantaytambo to aguas calientes, then bus ticket from aguas to MP (is this the best way to do this or can/should we take a train the whole way?)
Also how do we get to Ollantaytambo from Cuzco?
Then we would be flying back from Cuzco to Lima to catch our plane back to the states
Our flight out is for May 19th in the night, so we would have about 3/4 days to cover this ground, which I think is enough time..
Thanks for all the help! Sorry for so many questions, but I'm lost!!

i can help you with a little of this, but I don't know where Huncayo is, but once you get to Lima, most people fly to Cuzco. I understand some take the bus, but a lot of the scenery is unremiitingly boring I've been told and looks so from the air, tis a long trip and very exhausting, but it is cheaper. Probably one of you will get ripped off on the bus trip, cause your a bunch of dumb girls, so that will start your trip off bad. bad, bad, so

1. take the plane to Cuzco.
2. you can either take a train all the way to Machu Pichu, or catch the train from Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is a great little town, you can get ehri by cab from Cuzco for about 60 to 100 dollars and some ofc the scenery on the drive is very nice, or you could take a tour of the sacred valley on your way to Ollantaytambo.
3. Once the train gets to AC, you can either walk up the hill, about 2 hours or so, and probably get run over by a bus, or take a bus. most take the bus. the train doesn't go up the mountain to MP
4. Get a guide book and read up on this stuff a little, couldn't hurt and you might find a few side trip you would like to take that you won't know of if you dfon't break down and buy and read the book.

Good luck

charlie