Jack's Flight Club ✈️ Travel News & Inspiration
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We all woke this morning to news of a global IT outage affecting everyone imaginable. Alas, it doesn’t seem like many of us managed to wangle an unexpected Friday off work as a result. In fact, it has caused veritable chaos for airport workers and travellers alike around the world.
Over 1,300 flights globally were cancelled this morning alone, queues at airport check-in desks are taking several hours, and getting through security is not much better. Some airports have even attempted to go fully manual, with departures handwritten on whiteboards.
The impact of the outage is being felt beyond the airport, too, with trains and subway services out of action, unresponsive medical software disrupting appointments, and banking services down, to name just a few. Crowdstrike, the company behind the software that caused the outage, say that the issue has now been fixed, however it may take a while before all systems return to normal.
If you’re travelling over the next couple of days, we’d still recommend getting to the airport earlier than usual. Meanwhile, the rest of us can look forward to a weekend of switching our computers off and on again.
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Happy travels and safe landings,
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JFC’s How-To Machu Picchu
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By Lauren
Currently based in Barcelona, you’ll likely find Flight Finder Lauren out on the streets practising her kickflips. When she’s not falling off a skateboard, you’ll catch her hunting down cheap flights to yet another far-flung corner of the Earth.
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Like most travellers, this wonder of the world has held a firm spot on my bucket list for some time now. However, being a budget traveller, I’d put it off due to rumours of gasp-worthy permit prices and extortionate train fares. But when I found some pretty reasonably priced flights from my local airport to Lima, I decided it was time to bite the bullet.
Given my short 2-week travel dates and the long list of other Peruvian activities I planned to cram in, I soon ruled out tackling the entire Inca Trail. My mission: somehow balance visiting Machu Picchu quickly, cheaply and meaningfully.
First off, timing. I left my dates in the hands of the cheap-flight-gods, but if you have the option, you may want to plan a bit more strategically. April–October is the dry season, while November–March is the wet season. Side note: the Inca Trail closes throughout February, but Machu Picchu remains open year round. I happened to visit in March, so was expecting something like this. Instead, I was met with blinding sunshine, mist-free views and even a little souvenir sunburn!
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Now, onto the tickets. Aim to book these at least a couple of months in advance—any closer than that, and you run the risk of them selling out. This bit is probably the most confusing, so take time to do your research before booking. Essentially, there are different tickets offering access to 4 separate circuits, and plenty of add-ons like an Inca bridge crossing or additional mountain hike.
When I bought my ticket, I was able to select a bundle of all 4 routes, but now it appears that you can only select one, so choose wisely! Ideally, the official site is the best place to buy tickets, but as of writing this, I can’t seem to get through the booking process. Alternatively, a reputable agency like this one is also a safe bet. They’re currently listing adult entry tickets at £45 (which is the same as what I paid), or students can get half price entry with a valid student ID.
With your tickets secured, it’s time to look at transport. Assuming, like me, you’ll land in Lima, you’ll need to make your way to Cusco. Flying is the most convenient way, with one-way fares costing around £40—£50—although this may get even cheaper once this new, controversial airport has opened.
From there, you’ll need to head to Aguas Calientes—the home town of Machu Picchu. This is where things get annoying. There are two train companies operating a return service: Inca Rail and Peru Rail. And just know that if you buy a ticket from Cusco, it will involve an initial short coach ride to Ollantaytambo first before boarding the train.
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Both companies charge a minimum of £45 one-way for the approx. 35 km trip from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. And that is pretty much the only option they want tourists to take. From researching online, it doesn’t appear that you can hike there, cycle there or even drive there yourself. There is, however, a somewhat secretive bus you can take—see more details here. If I had more time, this is 100% the option I would have gone with.
Sadly for my wallet, it was the £100 return train option for me. On the plus side, the train was quick, comfy and offered spectacular views throughout the entire journey. The downside? Besides being insanely over-priced, it felt…er…weird.
As we queued up, waiting to board our carriage, blaring rhythmic drums and panpipes abruptly cut through the tranquil early morning bird songs. Suddenly, a rainbow-clad procession of tired-looking rail workers hopped through the crowd. Thinking that may have been a performative one-off, I was just as taken aback when, mid-journey, 2 more rainbow-clad performers acted out a 10-min exaggerated love story in the aisle of our carriage. To say that everyone felt uncomfortable would be an understatement.
The town of Aguas Calientes is pretty small, but you’ll find heaps of hotels dotted all along the roaring river. Despite the immense concentration of tourists, it still has a pretty charm with enough to do to keep you busy for a day or two, like visiting hot springs and waterfalls. I stayed in this hotel, which set me back £50/night including breakfast.
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Finally, on to Machu Picchu. From the town, you're faced with two options: book a return shuttle bus up to the entrance for £20, or hike it. Since I had already skipped the Inca Trail and wanted to save money, you can guess which one I chose.
I was surprised to find that the hike itself was really enjoyable, and I only came across one other person along the way. It’s a very peaceful walk up, with a soundtrack of birds chirping and the distant whirr of the shuttle bus on the road below. Thankfully, the path is also shrouded in leafy green foliage, so you have plenty of protection from the elements.
When I reached the top, everything suddenly felt very bright. I'd just spent an hour or so walking undercover, and when I emerged, the sun was in full force. There wasn't much shade up there at all, so at times when it got a little too much, we had to huddle under terrace ledges or large rocks to get a break from the rays.
I was really impressed, though—the complex is much larger than I expected, and there was ample space to wander around without getting stuck in throngs of tourists. It's also really well maintained—the site is spotless, the grass is green, even the llamas looked happy! The only downside was the lack of information once you’re up there, but that can be easily fixed by booking a guide.
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- They won’t let you in a second earlier than the exact time slot on your ticket.
- Bring your passport, otherwise you’ll be denied entry.
- There’s no food/drink stands or toilets on site, so bring snacks and do everything you’ve gotta do before going in!
- Once you leave, you can’t re-enter.
- In total, I spent around 2 hours looking around the site.
- Don’t worry too much about altitude sickness. Aguas Calientas is much lower than Cusco, and you probably won’t feel any effects there.
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Do you have a burning travel question? Is there a topic or destination you'd love to know more about? Hit the button below to ask our team of international globe-trotting travel experts!
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By Katy
A seasoned budget traveller, Editor Katy has already been to every country in the EU, and is gradually ticking off the rest of the world - when she can bear to leave her cats.
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Last week, I came across an article recommending various products for keeping your belongings safe on the beach; pricey anti-theft bags, waterproof pouches, portable safes—there are plenty of ways to avoid finding yourself wet, cashless, and stranded. But which, if any, of those products are actually worth investing in?
As always, the wonderful JFC community came to my aid to share their top tips… and cautionary tales!
First up, we’ve got the famous waterproof bag approach. Instead of abandoning your valuables when you go for a swim, why not take them with you? It’s the kind of thing I wish I’d thought of before I went snorkelling in the Bahamas with my phone still in my pocket… but does it work? Josh from our Socials team sure thinks so:
“I took one of those waterproof phone pouches around Thailand when we were chilling on beaches and wanted our belongings literally attached to us. Waterproof tested, and you can stick some money in your phone case so you’re not carrying loads of stuff, and take pics too. We did also have a cool roll-up waterproof bag, which was good, but this was less bulky”
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Flight Finder Lauren, on the other hand, makes sure her waterproof bag can multitask:
“These neon floats are pretty useful for 2 reasons:
1. If you like to go sea swimming, you can put your valuables in the float and tie it round your waist in the sea, so you don't need to leave your stuff on the beach.
2. If you stash your things in there on the beach, it's easy to keep your eye on since it's bright neon yellow — people are less inclined to try and steal it.”
When it comes to leaving bags on land, several members in the JFC Facebook community recommend Pacsafe bags. As well as being slash-proof and having lockable zips, you can easily secure them to permanent objects so they’re much harder to grab.
But most of the responses I got just couldn’t get away from the fact that a bag looks like a bag, practically inviting anyone with nefarious intentions to try their luck. The only solution, of course, is to get a little sneaky, like Flight Finder Kash:
“I always take a scrunchie with a secret zip, they are the best! As long as you remember that it’s not a regular scrunchie, and you don’t just fling it somewhere and lose it!”
Along the same lines, a quick search also revealed belts with hidden pockets. Though maybe not as useful on the beach, it could definitely come in handy for that emergency stash. Both of these options sound good if you’re just looking to carry a little cash or a small room key, but anything bigger, and that scrunchie is quickly gonna lose its scrunch.
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JFC-er Carol suggests a slightly larger decoy, designed to be left lying around with your towel and book while you cool off:
“My daughter has a container that looks like a well known brand of sun lotion but if you take the top off it has a compartment that can hold cash, a card and keys.” - Carol
In my opinion, you may as well go one better and opt for a fully-functional water bottle that also has a secret compartment on the bottom. That’s your hydration and security all in one place! Inspired by TikTok (of course), Andrea from our Member Experience team did suggest more of a DIY hiding spot… inside a nappy. Just don’t get those mixed up after a couple of beach-front cocktails!
And now we come to the cautionary tales. People have been burying treasure for centuries, so why on earth change the tradition now? Well, I’ll leave this one to our Chief of Ops, Robin:
“Occasionally I've been known to bury my keys/cash in a waterproof pouch in the sand under the towel, but top-tip—try to put a recognisable pebble/twig/something over the top so you have an X to mark the spot, otherwise you might spend an hour excavating the beach...”
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And then there’s the sad story of JFC-er Dave, whose X clearly marked the spot too well:
“Hello,
I had a fail that might amuse you and your readers whilst I was on holiday in South Africa. My parents dropped me off at a beach so that I could go surfing. I had some flip-flops, a t-shirt, a hat, sun cream and about £5 in cash so that I could get a drink. I put it all in a plastic bag, then once I had reached a secluded part of the beach, I buried it in the sand and marked the spot with a rock. After surfing for a couple of hours, I came back to find someone had dug up & stolen my belongings. I then had to walk barefoot in the burning sun for 2 miles back to our accommodation. Live & learn, I guess!
Keep up the good work, love the newsletter.”
Thanks for sharing your kind words and rather toasty walk of shame with us, Dave. I hope you were able to rehydrate and bathe in aftersun when you eventually made it home! It sounds like the pirate’s life just isn’t for you.
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All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.
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