Chile – General advices

Chile is not a typical holiday destination for Slovaks. However, this is definitely not because it has nothing to offer. In the north, there are landscapes that seem to be from another planet, salt flats, geysers, wind-carved canyons, volcanoes, salty lakes, and thermal springs. In the south, there is the unique Patagonia with wild nature, endemic fauna and flora, glaciers, and penguins. In the middle, there is the capital city with a turbulent history, which is just a stone’s throw away from the Pacific Ocean.

When to Travel

We planned our trip for the period from 20.11. – 22.12. And it was a very good decision. While winter is starting in Slovakia, in Chile temperatures are around 25ºC (Patagonia around 15ºC). In Patagonia, it gets dark around 11 pm during these dates, which is great for tours. Also, the beginning of the tourist season is quite pleasant. We didn’t have to fight through crowds of tourists. Especially in Atacama, January is said to be pure madness. The summer school holidays in Chile start in mid-December and end in late February, so you can imagine how crowded it must be then 🙂

Flights

• We found affordable flights on the website KadeTade and purchased them through Pelikan.
• The flight was from Milan via Rome to Santiago de Chile. It cost us 450 Euros. We flew to Milan a day in advance with Ryanair. However, we had to pay extra for checked baggage, so it ended up being a bit more expensive.
• We flew with Alitalia, which does not have a very good reputation and has been teetering on the brink of collapse for some time. Our Italian friend laughed when we told him who we were flying with. However, it turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant flight in terms of both the staff and the catering. We departed from Milan at 6:00 PM and arrived in Santiago at 9:30 AM local time.
• For flights within Chile, we arranged through SKY Airline, which is like the Chilean version of Ryanair. One-way tickets could be found for as low as 30 Euros. However, we needed a lot of baggage, so it ended up costing us a bit more.
• In total, the main flight to Santiago + 2 Ryanair flights + 4 flights within Chile cost us around 900 Euros per person.

Transportation

• Metro – In Santiago, we tried the metro first during Tours4Tips tours (great city tours for tips) and then on our own. We were warned to be careful with our belongings, but overall felt safe. Tickets (one way) cost up to 1000 CLP depending on the time of travel. We always bought them at the ticket window in the metro.
• Long-distance buses – Comfortable travel with quality buses. In Patagonia, we mainly traveled with BussSur. We recommend buying tickets online in advance, as they are often sold out on-site. From Santiago to Viña del Mar, we used TurBus, which departs from Pajaritos station (recommended), or from Terminal Alameda. Buses run approximately every 15 minutes, so there’s no need to buy anything in advance.
• Public transport – Very cheap way of getting around. Price is around 500 CLP+/- per ride. You need to know which bus to take though 🙂 It’s ideal to ask the locals.
• Taxis – The most expensive way to travel. If you don’t agree on a fixed price, they will drive you up and down like taxi drivers in Slovakia when taking a foreigner from the airport. However, in Puerto Natales, they had a fixed rate written on the window, which was very reasonable.
• Colectivo – A great way of transport mainly used by locals. These are shared taxis that operate on specific routes. The number on the roof indicates the route. Simply wave to flag down the car at a stop and tell them where you need to be dropped off along the way. It costs only about 600 CLP+/- per person. It’s good to ask locals where the stop is and the number of the car you need to stop.
• Car rental – During our stay in the Atacama Desert, we rented a car through Wizzair. The advantage is that they refund 7% to your Wizzair account and you can also directly order insurance. We rented it in Antofagasta upon arrival at the airport. However, closer to the Atacama is the city of Calama, we recommend arrival and car rental there. An alternative to renting a car is to take a bus to San Pedro de Atacama and then book tours with local agencies. However, you will lose flexibility and the opportunity to stop wherever you like.

Accommodation

• We pre-booked all accommodation in advance through Booking.com or AirBnb. It is most cost-effective if there are 4 people. For two of us, accommodation cost between 25 – 35 Eur/person/night.

Money and prices

• Keep in mind that in Chile, things are slightly more expensive than in Slovakia.
• You will get a worse exchange rate at the currency exchange than at an ATM.
• On the other hand, ATM withdrawals are subject to fees. The ATM will charge you 3500 – 5000 CLP for a withdrawal.
• You can withdraw a maximum of 200,000 CLP at once. The goal is probably for you to have to withdraw multiple times and pay the fee each time.
• We mostly withdrew from the ATM at the Santiago airport.
• We used a MasterCard from Unicredit. With U Account, the card and payments/withdrawals abroad are free. Just to be safe, notify the bank that you are traveling abroad. They may flag a payment in Chile as suspicious and block your card.
• When making payments and withdrawals, always choose to pay in their currency, and your bank will handle the exchange rate, not them. It is much more advantageous!

Internet

• What we had previously found out on the internet did not match the reality. At the Movistar operator’s stand, we were informed that Chilean SIM cards have not been working in phones not purchased in Chile since September 2017. As I was planning to work remotely in Chile for a few days, this put a big dent in my budget. Here are the following options:

1. Buy a local phone
2. Purchase a portable WI-FI module, which costs around 80 Euros.
3. Register your phone via email and wait for unlocking to use their SIM cards. It’s free, but the whole process reportedly takes 10-15 days. In addition, you need to email them information about the phone that you certainly do not normally carry with you on vacation – from the PUK code to even your great-grandmother’s ID number.

• Wi-Fi is quite widely available in hostels and restaurants, so basic information searching while traveling is not a problem.

Tips and interesting facts

• If you speak Spanish, you have a great advantage. It’s good to know at least basic phrases and numbers because English won’t get you far. A handy thing to have is an offline Spanish dictionary on your phone – the DIC-o app, which you can download for free.
• There are a lot of stray dogs in Chile. You don’t have to be afraid of them at all. They are very friendly. Chileans themselves have taken a liking to them and take care of them. They are well-fed and enjoy human company. In Santiago, you’ll see them waiting at traffic lights and even riding public transportation. In winter, locals say you might spot them running around in knitted sweaters. If you pet one, you won’t get rid of it :). It will become your companion and protector on walks. We can confirm this from our experience in Santiago and Punta Arenas, where they kept us company for several hours.
• Chileans love sugar. They sprinkle large amounts of sugar everywhere. If you want to have a great fresh fruit juice, be aware that they will add quite a few tablespoons of sugar to it. So don’t forget to ask for it “sin azúcar” (without sugar).
• On Sundays, supermarkets and most restaurants are closed. Keep this in mind, especially if you need to stock up on supplies for a multi-day trek in Patagonia upon arrival.
• Chile’s history is so rich and interesting that it’s worth exploring the cities with a “tours4tips” guide. Wandering around cities in a group with a guide is advantageous not only for safety but also for a sense of security. While Chile is much safer than, for example, Brazil, there are areas in many cities that are best avoided. This information can be found with a quick Google search.