Trains leave from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes several times a day. The trip takes 3 1/2 hours and costs about $60 round-trip. From Aguas Calientes, a short bus ride gets you to Machu Picchu. There are a number of hotels in the town but only one at Machu Picchu, the Sanctuary Lodge, where the rates are around $250 a night.
Admission to Machu Picchu is $20, twice as much as it was a year ago. The Peruvian government is realizing what it has in this place. The latest master plan calls for some of the entrance fee to stay in the area to be used to develop cultural events in Aguas Calientes.
Peru's former president, Alberto Fujimori, liked the idea of expanding tourism in Machu Picchu, despite warnings from some archaeologists that the site could not support more visitors. The country's new president is Alejandro Toledo, the first cholo (part Caucasian, part Native American) ever elected. Since his wife is an anthropologist, Toledo is expected to be more of a preservationist. To celebrate his election, Toledo planned a ceremony at Machu Picchu, replete with offerings to the Andean gods.
When you visit Machu Picchu, expect to share the place with up to 2,500 others. Thursdays and Sundays are often less crowded, since those are market days and some tourists would rather shop than tour.