I had read before we came to Cusco that there were DIY alternatives to either joining one of the treks (which are between $300-$600) or catching the overpriced tourist trains from Cusco. It took three days all up using a series of bus/collectives/taxis and walking but it was worth it.
The bus ride cost 15 soles each and was supposed to be 5 hours but as per usual we met a few delays. The first pit stop was at a small side of the road restaurant for breakfast and a toilet stop down by the river if you needed it. On returning to the bus a lady sitting in front of us had lost some money about 30 soles and starting frantically looking for it everywhere. An old village woman who was sitting in the aisle on a wooden stool then became the focus of attention for the lady who began accusing her of stealing the money. She started demanding to check the village women's pockets and clawed through the old lady's blankets and bags but was unable to find any money. For the next half an hour the lady became more and more agitated and would sit still only for a couple of minutes then start wildly accusing the village woman of stealing.
The old village lady at that point had had enough of being man-handled and shouted at so moved her wooden seat to the front of the bus which resulted in the crazy lady bursting in outrage and grabbing a pair of sewing scissors from her bag!! Before she could get up and do anything crazy, she wasn't listening to us telling her to stop, another women got up to tell the bus driver about the situation. The crazy lady still had her scissors in hand and was ready to lunge at anyone in her way but the bus driver stopped and pulled over (forgetting to put the handbrake on at first too so we began to roll backwards down a slight incline!) Brakes firmly on he came down and threatened to throw the lady of the bus and call the police.
Of course because the biking competition closed part of the road we also had to stop the bus but at least there was something to entertain us for the hour with riders from as young as 10 to 70 years of age competing to cheer on. A few massive wipe outs but no one seemed to be hurt and I think they appreciated the rent a crowd encouraging them.
between you and a sheer cliff drop at certain points. Unfortunately for us we also seemed to get the driver with rally car ambitions! What is supposed to take an hour and a half took just under an hour. Now I enjoy a thrill or two but this
is one of the first times I actually wanted to get out of the car and kiss the ground thankful to have made it. The 5 of us plus the driver and our day packs squashed into a small 2 wheel drive car hooning over a road similar to that of Rimutaka minus the tar seal and extra lane. To top it of instead of the usual beeping (Peruvians use their horns a lot!) to let someone know we were coming around the corner he just swung the car around hoping for the best. The few times we did encounter car our always seemed to win the chicken playing competition forcing larger 4 wheel drive vans backwards so we could get
through.
From the hydroelectric station you can catch the train to Machu Picchu for around $7-10US. We opted for the 2-3 hour easy walk along the railway lines. It was a lovely gentle walk especially after being stuck in a bus for so long. We didn't see much on the way of wildlife but the scenery with the powerful river and backdrop of mountains is quite amazing. There is generally a nice track alongside the railways but at times to save your feet from the large and jagged rocks walking along the rails is necessary but the train is not frequent and is very loud and slow so no need to be to worried. We arrived into Aquas Caliente at nightfall and because there was so many of us we managed to score private rooms with bathrooms for 15 soles each. After a pretty average dinner we called it a night to get up for a 4am start to climb Machu Picchu .
want to get to Machu Picchu on the cheap with a sense of accomplishment then I recommend doing it on your own.
will get our fix of walking and seeing some of the countryside without dying on these instead.