Piura to Loja / Vilcabamba via Macara

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sloopington
sloopington

Hi Everyone

I've also put this in the Ecuador section.

Loja International runs a bus service from Piura, Peru to Loja, Ecuador. All of the information we had gathered by various sources was wrong. It's now as follows:

  1. Their office is now just off 'Monumento Bolognesi' in Piura. If taking a moto or taxi ask for Ronco Peru. Their office is in the back corner of the compound with the huge green gate.
  2. Their old phone number rung off. I couldn't get a new one. One of those situations where you ask & sort of keep getting ignored as if you are asking for the password into Fort Knox.
  3. They now only have 2 daily services at 13.00 & 21.00. There is no longer a 10.00. It takes approximately 9h. The 21.00 bus was full so we overnighted in Piura. The 13.00 bus was about half-full.
  4. There are no meal stops. Your best bit is at the border. On the Peruvian side, the bus drops you off for passport stuff & then drives across the bridge to the Ecuadorian side. After Peruvian Passport Control & before the bridge, there are a number of rudimentary eateries charging about $3 or S/9 for a meal, which we took away to eat on the bus thinking of other passengers while others sat down & meant we were at the border for 90 minutes rather than about 45 minutes. All other stops are very quick - only a few minutes.
  5. On the Ecuadorian side of the bridge there is nothing except Passport Control.

John

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GMcB1
GMcB1

Here is another option for Piura to Loja, which we completed yesterday.
We had taken the early flight from Lima to Piura, intending to take the bus. There is no option to book online and it was sold out.
So instead:
1. We took a cab (5 sols) to the local bus for Las Lomas
2. We took the bus (quite fast) to Las Lomas (10 sols).
3. At the bus station there are collectivos, which we took a collectivo to the border (6 sols).
4. The border crossing was easy with no crowds.
5. Took the shuttle into downtown Macara ($1.50).
6. In Macara you can take either the frequent bus or collectivo to Loja. We took the collectivo for $10.
We paid a bit more than the bus, but got here in 6 hours (instead of 9 on the bus) and enjoyed a variety of fellow travelers.

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