How to get to Chile

Most people fly into Chile, arriving at Santiago’s modern international airport, though some travel by land from neighbouring countries, and a handful arrive by sea.

Airfares depend on the season. You’ll generally pay the most in the December–February and June–August periods, the southern and northern hemisphere’s summer holiday months, respectively. Fares drop slightly during the “shoulder” months – March and November – and you’ll normally get the best prices during the low seasons: April, May, September and October.

Note that if you plan to visit Easter Island, your flight there from Santiago is likely to be cheaper if bought in conjunction with a LATAM international flight .

Flights from the US and Canada

American Airlines (http://aa.com), Delta (http://delta.com) and LATAM (http://latam.com) offer non-stop flights to Santiago from US airports such as Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta. It is also possible to travel via other Latin American countries such as Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Typical fares are around US$950–1600 in the high season.

Air Canada (http://aircanada.com) – and sometimes LATAM – has flights from Toronto to Santiago; typical high-season fares are around C$1450–1800. It is, however, often cheaper to fly via the US.

Flights from the UK and Ireland

British Airways (http://britishairways.com) has direct flights from London to Santiago, but it’s often cheaper to travel via a European, Latin American or US city; LATAM (http://latam.com), Iberia (http://iberia.com) and Air France (http://airfrance.com) are among the options. High-season fares cost £900–1200. Unless you’re flying with BA, pay attention to the route, as well as the price; even the shortest and most convenient indirect flights via Madrid or Buenos Aires entail a total traveling time of more than sixteen hours. Flying via the US takes longer still (though is often cheaper).

Round-the-world flights

If Chile is part of a longer journey, consider buying a round-the-world (RTW) ticket. An “off-the-shelf” itinerary including Santiago costs around £2400. Alternatively, a travel agent can custom-make a RTW ticket for you, though this is more expensive. Trailfinders (http://trailfinders.com) and Round The World Flights (http://roundtheworldflights.com) sell RTW tickets.

Flights from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

Qantas (http://qantas.com) and LATAM (http://latam.com) offer direct flights from Sydney and Auckland to Santiago; cheaper indirect flights are also available. In the high season, expect to pay around Aus$2500–4500 or NZ$3000–4400.

South African Airways (http://flysaa.com) and LATAM (http://latam.com) have direct flights from Johannesburg to Santiago. Expect to pay around ZAR26,500–51,000.

Air passes

If you plan to visit several South American destinations, air passes are another option. The Visit South America pass (http://oneworld.com) offered by the Oneworld alliance (which includes LATAM, British Airways, Iberia, Qantas and American Airlines) allows you to plan your own itinerary, with set flight prices depending on the distance traveled between (or within) countries; you must use a minimum of three flights. The LATAM Pass is similar. However, you may find that promotional fares online or within Chile are a better option than either.

Buses from neighbouring countries

Several roads connect Chile with Argentina – from Mendoza to Santiago or Valparaíso via Los Andes; from Bariloche to Osorno and Puerto Montt, and from Río Gallegos to Puntas Arenas – all of which are served by buses. There are other routes, one of the most dramatic being from San Juan to La Serena, which goes leads over the mountains and through the Elqui Valley; the route only opens in the warmer months between October/November and April. All Andean routes, even the road from Mendoza, can be blocked by snow from April onwards. A decent road and regular buses link Peru to Chile from Tacna through to Arica. You can also catch buses from La Paz in Bolivia to Arica; this takes you through the stunning scenery of the Lauca National Park . But if you’re doing the journey in reverse, beware: it means traveling from sea level up to 4500m in just a few hours – take plenty of water and expect to feel pretty uncomfortable. Many travelers cross from Uyuni in Bolivia to San Pedro de Atacama via a salt flats tour.

Trains from neighbouring countries

Chile has international rail links between Arica and Tacna in Peru (the line re-opened in 2016) and between Uyuni in Bolivia and Calama. Plans to construct a railway line between Arica and La Paz in Bolivia have been mooted.

Visas and red tape

Most foreign visitors to Chile do not need a visa. The exceptions are citizens of Cuba, Middle Eastern countries (except Israel) and African counties (except South Africa). Some nationalities also have to pay an arrival tax .

Visitors of all nationalities are issued with a ninety-day tourist entry card (Tarjeta de Turismo) on arrival, which can be extended once for an additional ninety days. It will be checked by the International Police at the airport or border post when you leave Chile – if it’s expired you won’t be allowed to leave the country until you’ve paid the appropriate fine at the nearest Intendencia. If this happens when you’re trying to fly out of the international airport in Santiago, you’ll have to go back downtown to Moneda 1342 (Mon–Fri 9am–1pm; 2 2672 5320).

If you lose your tourist card, ask for a duplicate immediately, either from the Fronteras department of the Policía Internacional, General Borgoño 1052, Santiago (2 2698 2211) or from the Extranjero’s department of the Intendencia in any provincial capital. There’s no charge for replacing lost or stolen cards.

If you want to extend your tourist card, you can either pay US$100 at the Intendencia of Santiago or any provincial capital, or you can simply leave the country and re-enter, getting a brand-new ninety-day Tarjeta de Turismo for free. Note that under-18s travelling to Chile without parents need written parental consent authorized by the Chilean Embassy, and that minors traveling to Chile with just one parent need the written, authorized consent of the absent parent.

Chilean embassies abroad

• Australia 10 Culgoa Circuit, O’Malley, Canberra ACT 2606; 02 6286 2098, http://chileabroad.gov.cl/australia.
• Canada 50 O’Connor St, suite 1413, Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2; 613 235 4402, www.congechiletoronto.com.
• New Zealand 19 Bolton St, Wellington; 04 471 6270, http://chileabroad.gov.cl/nueva-zelanda.
• South Africa 333 Main Street, Waterkloof 0181, Pretoria; 012 460 8090, http://chile.gob.cl/pretoria.
• UK 37–41 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9BP; 020 7222 2361, http://chile.gob.cl/reino-unido.
• US 1732 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036; 202 785 1746, http://chileabroad.gov.cl/estados-unidos/en.