Ways to Communicate in Peru or from Peru

Communication is a fundamental human need, and even more so when traveling on vacation, when you want to share your adventures or send postcards to friends and family!

During your trip to Peru, you'll likely want to stay connected by post, telephone, or internet. Here's some practical information to make things easier for you, along with dialing codes for calling Peru or receiving calls from Peru with ease…

Communicating in Peru: Telephone and Internet

Everything You Need to Know About Telephone Service in Peru

Here's some always-useful information about using the telephone in Peru, should you need to make calls there. Whether on a landline or mobile phone, you may need to make important calls to Peru or to France, for example.

Landline Telephone. Calling Peru

• From Peru to France: 00 + 33 + recipient's number (9 digits, without the leading 0).
• From France to Peru: 00 + 51 + city code (without the 0) + recipient's number. For mobile phones, the number will always begin with the digit 9.
• Domestic calls within Peru: city code + number if calling another region. Otherwise, do not dial the city code.

While telephone booths have nearly disappeared in France, Peru has them scattered throughout the cities, making it very easy to make calls. Moreover, numerous call centers exist everywhere (known as Locutorios), where you can make calls from a quiet private booth. Phone cards are sold in small kiosks on the street, at supermarket checkout counters, and in call centers… these cards offer excellent value, as for prices between 3 and 40 soles, you can talk for hours, even to foreign countries.

Mobile Telephone. Calling Peru.

You can use your own service provider in Peru if your plan includes this feature, but bills can be quite expensive. The simplest solution is to buy a SIM card once you arrive, so you'll have a local phone number and can top up your credit with recharges.

Remember to bring your passport or national ID, as in recent years it has become mandatory to provide identification before purchasing a SIM card, since it will be registered in your name with an official agency.

Internet in Peru

Peru, like all South American countries, has seen an impressive flourish of internet cafés. It's therefore very easy to connect to the internet if your accommodation or hotel doesn't have wifi. Even in small villages high in the Andes or deep in the Amazon rainforest, there's always an internet access point! Prices are genuinely affordable—count on 1 to 5 soles per hour of connection, depending on location. Most hotels in Peru are equipped and offer this service free of charge.

As everywhere in the world, be careful about computer viruses; internet cafés are often infested with them!

Communicating in Peru: The Postal Service

The postal system functions in Peru, but let's be clear: it's not as efficient as back home. Additionally, sending mail is fairly expensive (expect around 8 soles for a simple postcard). Even though the stated delivery time is 10 days to Europe, it's not uncommon for your recipient to wonder, 15 or 20 days later, whether you actually sent the letter… patience is required!

If you need to receive mail during your stay in Peru, write it as follows: recipient's name/address (in Spanish)/city (clearly legible, as there are no postal codes for each city)/Peru