Social ConventionsChileans are often seen as more formal than others in South America. Handshaking is the customary form of greeting between men. On informal, social occasions, women usually greet friends with a single kiss on the cheek. It is very common to entertain at home and it is acceptable for invitees to give small presents as a token of thanks.
International Travel:Getting There by AirChile's main airline is
LAN (LA) (
www.lan.com), which deals with international
flights.
Air PassesMercosur Airpass: valid within Argentina, Brazil, Chile (except Easter Island), Paraguay and Uruguay. Participating airlines include
Aerolíneas Argentinas (AR), Aerolíneas Del Sur (AS), Pluna (PU) and
VARIG Airlines (RG). The pass can only be purchased by passengers who live outside South America and must be booked in conjunction with an international ticket. It is valid for a minimum of seven to a maximum of 45 days. At least two countries must be visited; dates can be changed but the flight route cannot. A maximum of three stopovers is allowed per country.
oneworld Visit South America Pass: valid within Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile (except Easter Island), Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Participating airlines are
Aer Lingus (
EI),
American Airlines (
AA),
British Airways (
BA),
Cathay Pacific (
CX),
Iberia (
IB),
JAL Japan Airlines,
LAN (
LA) and
Qantas (
QF). The pass must be bought outside South America in the country of residence. It allows unlimited travel to 34 cities. A minimum of three flights must be booked; prices depend on the amount of flight zones. For further details, contact one of the participating airlines.
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsSantiago (SCL) (Arturo Merino Benitez) (
www.aeropuertosantiago.cl). The airport is 21km (11 miles) northwest of Santiago (journey time - 30 minutes).
To/from the airport: Bus services to the city center operate from 0530 to 2400 every day. TurBus and Centropuerto both have cheap shuttle services, which take new arrivals to Pajaritos metro station or to Los Heroes in the city center. There are a lot of taxis to the city available at the airport.
Facilities: Bar, ATM, bureaux de change, restaurants, shops, car hire, post office and tourist office.
Getting There by WaterMain port: Several towns on the coast are now regular stops in cruise company itineraries.
Valparaíso (
www.portvalparaiso.cl) is the best known. Shipping lines such as
Compañía Chilena de Navegación Interoceánica (CCNI) (
www.ccni.cl) and
Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV) (from New York and European ports) (
www.csav.cl) operate there. The country's biggest port is
San Antonio.
Getting There by RailUnless you're wildly curious about rail travel, there's no point in trying to enter Chile by train. A sporadic service did exist between Chile and Bolivia, and there is talk of reviving that line. However, if you want practical travel by land, stick to the bus.
Getting There by RoadThe Pan American Highway enters Chile through Arica. There are frequent, reliable and comfortable
buses that can come from as far north as Ecuador. There are also services from Argentina and Brazil to Santiago.
OverviewThe following goods may be imported into Chile without incurring customs duty:
• Items bought duty-free to the value of US$500.
• 400 cigarettes and 500g of tobacco and 50 cigars.
• 2.5l of alcohol (only for visitors over 18 years of age).
• A reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use.
Prohibited ImportsFruit, seeds, unprocessed vegetables and animal products.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirThere are frequent services between main towns. The southern part of the country relies heavily on air links. Reservations are essential. Flights are operated by LAN Express, a subsidiary of
LAN (
www.lan.com), and
Sky Airline (H2) (
www.skyairline.cl), as well as by a number of air taxi companies.
There are regular flights with
LAN from Santiago to Easter Island (journey time - 5 hours). Flights fill up quickly so it is essential to book in advance throughout the year. Discounted flights to Easter Island can only be purchased in conjunction with
LAN long-haul flights; some round-the-world tickets include Easter Island. An air taxi runs a daily service during the summer months to the Juan Fernández Islands from Valparaíso and Santiago.
Air PassesVisit South America: replaces the old Visit Chile pass. It is available with
LAN transatlantic flights,
and covers Chile as well as Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Passes must be obtained outside South America and it is advisable to make reservations well in advance. Once purchased, reservations can be changed at no additional cost; but for re-routing, a charge is made for each change.
Getting Around by WaterFrom Puerto Montt there are various ferry operators - with the main one being
Navimag (tel: (65) 432 300;
www.navimag.com) - that travel south. The most popular routes are from Puerto Montt to Chacabuco, running inland to the spectacular San Raphael glacier, and between Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales. Cargo boat services running from Valparaíso to Robinson Crusoe Island (part of the Juan Fernández Islands) occasionally have cabins available. Enquire in Valparaíso.
Getting Around by RailEmpresa de Los Ferrocarriles del Estado (state railway company) (
www.efe.cl) runs between south from Santiago. Services used to go all the way to Temuco but now just run to Chillán. Principal trains also carry vehicles. Children under 1m (3ft) in height travel free.
Getting Around by RoadTraffic drives on the right. Chile generally has good roads. The Pan American Highway threads right down most of the country from north to south (a total of 3,455km/2,147 miles) from the Peruvian border to Puerto Montt. It is advisable in remoter areas to carry plenty of water, spare petrol and an additional spare tyre; tires should be hard-wearing. Four-wheel drives are necessary In some of the more remote areas with dirt roads.
Bus: Intercity buses are generally comfortable and reliable, running along the very well maintained Pan American highway. There are more luxurious
semi-cama (literally half-bed) services running most of the length of the country. Most long-distance coaches have toilets. For further details, contact
SERNATUR (see
General Info).
Taxi: Taxis are black with a yellow roof. Most should have meters, but, If you can, find out roughly what the fare should be beforehand. Fares for long journeys should be agreed beforehand. Tipping is not expected.
Car hire: Drivers must be over 21 years old. Self-drive cars are available at the airport and in major city centers. A 20% tax is added and a credit card is required as guarantee. The
Automóvil Club de Chile in Santiago can supply road maps (tel: (2) 431 1000;
www.automovilclub.cl).
Regulations: Seat belts are mandatory for the driver and passenger. Smoking, using a mobile phone or a personal music player with headphones is prohibited for the driver. The maximum legal speed limit, unless otherwise stated, is 120kph (75mph) on highways and 70kph (45mph) in urban areas.
Documentation: A valid driving license.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesSantiago has an excellent
metro (
www.metrosantiago.cl), as well as
bus, and shared
colectivo services, although the modernization of the city's transport infrastructure has had various teething problems. Metro fares increase at peak traveling times; you can buy single tickets or a pre-paid 'Bip!' card, which is more convenient for longer term stays. The city's bus network is now automated and you need to have the Bip! card to travel.
Taxis are plentiful, and can be flagged down in the streets.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times from
Santiago (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in Chile.
| | Air | Road | Rail |
| Arica | 3.30 | 28.00 | - |
| Concepción | 1.00 | 9.00 | 7.00 |
| Puerto Montt | 1.40 | 14.00 | - |
| Easter Island | 5.00 | - | - |
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