The most enjoyable way to get to Cuzco is via Inka Express, whose luxury buses with panoramic windows depart every morning at 8am. Buffet lunch is included, along with an English-speaking tour guide, who talks about the four sites that are briefly visited en route: Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Abra la Raya and Pucará. The trip takes about eight hours and costs S135 from Inka Express. You may well be able to persuade a travel agency to cut into its commission and sell you a ticket for less.