Are you preparing longer trip to Peru? Do not forget about buying peruvian sim card. Access to sim cards in Peru is very easy, so it is always better to buy it and be in touch with new friends, call a taxi and etc.
Which operators are the most common in Peru?
In Peru there are two main mobile phone operators: movistar or claro. But in recent time also another operator – bitel try to get more clients and be a leader on the peruvian market.
Where you can buy sim card and how you can recharge the phone?
There are often recommendations to buy sim card directly on the airport. But if it is not an emergency situation, I suggest you to wait some hours and do it calmly, without rush in one of the offices in the city center. Sometimes mobile phone operators have good deals, so you can check them and choose the best option.
In all city centers, like for example in Lima, Cusco, Huaraz, and etc. there are a lot of places where you can buy sim cards both Movistar and Claro. In Claro it will cost approximately 15 soles (4,5 $). If your phone has sim lock, it is not a problem, because both companies have also in the offer cheap basic phones with sim cards , (cost approximately between 60-80 soles – 22 $-29 $). You can also easily buy the new phone without sim lock in the market. After buying sim card and adding credit to your phone for minimum 3 soles, you can immediately start using it. It is also very easy to recharge the phone. Charging is accessible in a lot of shops, mini markets, in some restaurants. Actually everywhere, where you will see the symbol of claro or movistar.
You can also recharge the phone online.
In general the prices of the phone calls and text messages are similar both in Claro and Movistar, but sometimes you can find special offers in each company, depends on if you want to only call, only send text messages, or have both options. You need to also know that it will be cheaper to send messages and call to the same operator. So if you have already friends in Peru, ask them which operator they use and use the same.
Tips about using cities (areas) codes?
Like in every country, there are some rules about using cities codes. Below you will find some important clues, when and which codes you need to use:
Calls: mobile to mobile or fixed (land) line to mobile
- Dial only the 9-digit phone number
Calls: mobile to fixed (land) line
- 0 + city (area) code + 7 or 6 digit phone number
Example: 0+84 (city code of Cusco)+123456
Calls: fixed (land) line to fixed (land) line
- In the same area/city: just dial the phone number
- To another area/city: 0 + city (area code) + 7 or 6 digit phone number
Below you will find some the most popular cities (areas) codes:
- Lima 1
- Cusco 84
- Arequipa 54
- Puno 51
- Huaraz 43
- Iquitos 65
