Transportation in Chile
Getting to Chile is easy; most travellers arrive by air or overland from one of its neighbours. It has regular air links with North America, Europe, Australia and other parts of South America, with most international flights arriving in Santiago. Travel within Chile is easy, either by domestic flights or the fast, punctual and comfortable buses that ply the main highways. Competition has lowered expensive domestic air fares somewhat, and buses are cheap and efficient.
Despite its shape and perceived remoteness, Chile is one of the most modern and convenient travel destinations in South America, with a well developed transportation system and contemporary infrastructure.
This Chile transportation guide tells you all about both getting to and from Chile, as well as getting around Chile once you are there. A great way to get around and explore Chile is by taking a Chile tour. You can find out about local transport in:
Chile Transportation Guide
Getting to Chile
By Air
Chile has a number of airports in larger towns, but most international travellers will arrive at Santiago's international airport due to its numerous convenient connections. Chile's major national airline is LAN Airlines.
For transport from the airport to the city (or from the city to the airport), we recommend Green Path Transfers, who offer eco-friendly airport transfers in hundreds of destinations around the world.
By Bus
For visitors coming from other South American countries, a cheaper and reasonably convenient way to of getting to Chile is by bus. There are good daily connections to Bolivia, Mendoza in Argentina and Arequipa in Peru. There is also a bus that travels twice a week between São Paulo in Brazil and Chile every Monday and Thursday.
Remember to be prepared for changes in altitude since most buses will end up traversing high routes into Chile and can go as much as 13,000 feet/4000m above sea level. The roads connecting the country with Bolivia and Peru are not in the best of shape so the buses may travel slower than you'd expect - try not to get restless or impatient, it will only make the journey feel even longer! Be warned that the Mendoza bus route sometimes shuts down in winter (June-August) without warning for a few days.
Getting Around Chile
By Air
Chile's airlines and airports work well for international as well internal connections. Santiago's Arturo Merino Benitez Airport operates services to the furthest ends of the country. Flights from Aerolineas del Sur, LAN and Sky Airline all fly out here. However, try and book your tickets for travel within towns in Chile before arriving in the country.
If you're flying LAN to Chile, then they can ticket you for your onward connections within the country at the same time. If not, book online at their web site. Aerolineas del Sur does not have online reservation facility so you will have to call a travel agent in your country to help with the bookings. If you can read and understand Spanish then you can reserve your tickets for Sky Airline at their website which is currently only available in Spanish.
Owing to the unusual shape of Chile, flights have several halts along the way if you're travelling longer distances. Some might have as many as four stops between the first and last destinations, so pick your flights carefully.
Airlines operate Airbus 319 and Airbus 320 in general, while the older and not-so-quiet Boeing 737-200s are used by LAN express, Aerolineas del Sur and Sky Airline.
By Bus
Chile's bus system is efficient and quite advanced, making it a great option for short haul trips. There are a number of stops along the route so it will be slower than driving your own car. The Pullman and Turbus companies have nationwide services. Santiago has separate terminals for each operator as well others that run services from the subway station ‘Universidad de Santiago'.
La Micro
These local transit buses in Chile are the cheapest mode of transport in Chile and the best way to see the bigger towns and cities. There are buses connecting different towns at very reasonable rates. Unfortunately no route and service maps are readily available, so you will need to use your knowledge of Spanish to find out which buses to take. Santiago has a more upgraded, modernised system which can be explored online at http://www.transantiago.cl/
Colectivo
A cross between taxis and micros, these tiny cars have fixed routes like buses but are a faster and less crowded way to get around Chile. Rates tend to be similar to the Micro and prices vary depending on the time of day.
Metro
The metropolitan rail in Chile is a good way to get around in Santiago as well as Concepcion and Valparaiso. Pay a one-time fare on entering the metro and use it to go to as many stops as you wish. Once you exit, however, you will need to buy a new ticket to enter again. Recently added extended lines in Santiago have made the system even more useful. Details are available at http://www.metrosantiago.cl/
