best transport option from la paz to cuzco

hi!

what is the best/easiest way to get from la paz, bolivia to cuzco, peru?
are bus rides long and horrible?
are flights ridiculously expensive?

originally i was planning 5 weeks just in bolivia, but now am thinking of taking a few of those days to travel to/explore machu picchu...
is a relatively short trip into peru feasable without a guidebook? (i would think so...)
is peru vastly more expensive than bolivia? (again, i would think so...)

thank-you!

Hola!,

i'd like recommend you, travelling fron LaPaz to Cuzco, to visit the LAGO TITICACA!
Take a bus or collectivo from La Paz to Copacabana (just a scenic morning trip) and enjoy the town, in the really better side of Titicaca (don't miss the sunset at Cerro Calvario and a boat trip to Isla del Sol!!).
Then take a bus to Puno, where you can stop for a very interesting glance to "ISLAS FLOTANTES".
From there, take a bus (about 6-7 hours) to Cuzco.

This will take some day to you, but you can see a beautiful part of Bolivia..

Finally, i can tell you that you can travel into Puno and Cuzco without a guide, especially in Cuzco the turist information is great, and that Peru is a little more expensive than Bolivia, and the Cuzco region more expensive than the rest of Peru..

Enjoy LatinoAmerica!

Agree with the advice about a stop-off at Titicaca. However, if you want to do the trip direct, the easiest way is the direct bus which leaves La Paz at 8am. Otherwise it's a combination of 2 or 3 buses.