South America - SCL to Vina del Mar bus service

Hey everyone,

I'll be traveling to SCL on DL in late October and am trying to find the most reliable and quickest way to get to Vina del Mar from SCL. I found an old thread from 2005 that mentioned a couple of websites for bus services but they're all in Spanish. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage in that I don't speak Spanish and my friend I'm going with only does a little.

We're staying at the Sheraton and I was thinking of emailing the concierge there for some help but definitely wanted to check in with the experts in our forums too. We're only staying in VDM for 1 night before traveling back to the W Santiago so will need to book round-trip bus service.

Any suggestions would be appreciated for reliable services. Also, will there be an issue for us traveling with 2 large suitcases each?

Thanks,
J.D.

Turbus (http://www.turbus.cl) is your best bet. Yes their website is in Spanish, there is a Chilean flag in the top right hand corner, I don't know if it is supposed to change the language but does nothing on my PC

Viña del Mar is currently on sale for $1100 chilean pesos, about 2 bucks.

Their website is superb, you can even pick your seat, however last time I tried to buy tix it would not let me do it without a Chilean DNI (ID document) so you have three choices

1) Find someone in Chile to buy it for you
2) Find a Chilean wherever you are to buy it online for you
3) Wait until you get there and buy it at the bus garage.

SCL to the terminal is cheap and easy on the Turbus transfer aeropuerto service. Great buses, great safety etc. Just a shame about the online ticket buying glitch

Cannot purchase bus tickets online without a Chilean issued card and RUT number.

Pullman is also reliable and should be considered along with Turbus.

There is no need to buy way in advance UNLESS you will be traveling during the beginning or ending of a holiday.

For late October, this would be the very long weekend of October 28 to November 1.

Turbus and Pullman have ticket offices all around the city so it is possible to buy them without having to go all the way to Terminal Alameda.

When you buy RT, the return ticket will be "open" and thus you need to go to the ticket window at your destination when you decide on your return to get a time and seat number.


RE the Tur (Turbus) Airport Transfer Bus:

Be aware that there are two routes. One terminates at their main office in Santiago Centro and the other at Terminal Alameda. Make sure you verify the final destination of the bus before you get on and pay. Chilean pesos only and you can buy a RT for a slight discount.


The taxi stand at Terminal Alameda is on the west side. Look for the new bathroom complex separate from the main terminal after you get off the bus and that is the side where the stand is.

Is it worth the effort of buying a ticket in advance?

When I was in VdM, there were buses for SdC every 15 minutes or so, so it was very easy to turn up at the bus station and buy a ticket (3000 CLP, which is of couse more than 1100, but for me it's still cheap). All the buses I saw had a baggage compartment and seemed comfortable enough for not just a 2-hour ride.

I bought a ticket for bus about 45 minutes before departure (simply because I was hungry and decided to go to eat something in the meantime), and got a seat in front of bus. The seat near mine wasn't occupied, and many seats in other rows weren't either.

As far as I understand, all the companies use the same terminals in both cities.

It would be nice to hear from experienced travelers if there are some drawbacks about simply turning up at bus terminal on this route (besides paying 1900 CLP more).

Is it worth the effort of buying a ticket in advance?
There is no need to buy in advance UNLESS you will be traveling during the beginning or ending of a holiday.

There is no need to buy in advance UNLESS you will be traveling during the beginning or ending of a holiday.

+1
i travelled twice from SCL to Valpo (and back) and i did not have any problem showing up at the last minute (i mean one hour or less before the departure)

the bus system in Chile is very reliable and comfortable

Thanks, everyone. I will actually be trying to go from SCL to VdM on October 27. Do I understand that there might be an issue with the long weekend in getting there or back to SdC? I'm only planning to go for the one night and then return to SdC on the afternoon of Oct 28.

I actually just received an email back from the concierge at the Sheraton VdM stating, "Another way to travel is by local bus, you can board the AEROPUERTO blue bus which leaves every 20 minutes from the airport to PAJARITOS Bus Station. At Pajaritos Bus Station you may get off the bus, walk 20 steps over to the out going buses that are heading to Viña del Mar, the ticket costs around $5 USD. At Viña del Mar Bus Station there are always taxis available and can bring you to Sheraton Miramar, the Hotel is about 10 minutes away and the cost would be around 10 USD."

Has anyone ever taken the AEROPUERTO blue bus to VdM before? Thanks, again.

Thanks, everyone. I will actually be trying to go from SCL to VdM on October 27. Do I understand that there might be an issue with the long weekend in getting there or back to SdC? I'm only planning to go for the one night and then return to SdC on the afternoon of Oct 28.

I actually just received an email back from the concierge at the Sheraton VdM stating, "Another way to travel is by local bus, you can board the AEROPUERTO blue bus which leaves every 20 minutes from the airport to PAJARITOS Bus Station. At Pajaritos Bus Station you may get off the bus, walk 20 steps over to the out going buses that are heading to Viña del Mar, the ticket costs around $5 USD. At Viña del Mar Bus Station there are always taxis available and can bring you to Sheraton Miramar, the Hotel is about 10 minutes away and the cost would be around 10 USD."

Has anyone ever taken the AEROPUERTO blue bus to VdM before? Thanks, again.
(1) Oct. 27 Santiago to Viña will be no problem, Oct. 28 Viña to Santiago should also be no problem as the main flow will be incoming to Viña not outgoing. Expect very crowded stations on the 28th. Always keep your bags attached to you.

(2) The blue bus is not the bus to Viña, it is an airport transfer bus to the bus stations in Santiago. This bus, called the Centropuerto, competes with the Tur airport transfer bus. I would not take the Centropuerto as there is no luggage storage in the hold, only a small area inside the bus when you get on. The Tur airport transfer bus has a regular hold for your luggage. The Tur airport transfer bus also makes a stop at Pajaritos bus terminal (ask before you check your bags into the hold). Remember payment is in pesos not dollars.

(1) Oct. 27 Santiago to Viña will be no problem, Oct. 28 Viña to Santiago should also be no problem as the main flow will be incoming to Viña not outgoing. Expect very crowded stations on the 28th. Always keep your bags attached to you.

(2) The blue bus is not the bus to Viña, it is an airport transfer bus to the bus stations in Santiago. This bus, called the Centropuerto, competes with the Tur airport transfer bus. I would not take the Centropuerto as there is no luggage storage in the hold, only a small area inside the bus when you get on. The Tur airport transfer bus has a regular hold for your luggage. The Tur airport transfer bus also makes a stop at Pajaritos bus terminal (ask before you check your bags into the hold). Remember payment is in pesos not dollars.

Awesome. So, I can just grab the Tur airport transfer bus once I arrive? Just making sure I don't need to book anything before hand.

Thanks

Awesome. So, I can just grab the Tur airport transfer bus once I arrive? Just making sure I don't need to book anything before hand.

Thanks
Correct. Walk outside and look for the concrete pilar with the Tur airport transfer bus schedule and wait. There are two routes, one bus terminates at the main Tur-Bus terminal on Alameda and the other terminates at the Tur-Bus headquarters on Moneda in Santiago Centro. I believe both make a stop at Pajaritos Metro/Bus terminal. Ask before you check your bags underneath and get on.

When you get to Pajaritos, get off, get your bags and then purchase your tickets at a Pullman or Tur-Bus desk and wait for or locate your bus, check you bags onto it and get on. Seats are assigned on the intercity buses.

On the return, if you are staying in Santiago, you should probably take the bus all the way into Terminal Alameda in Santiago and take a cab from there.

Perfect. Can't thank you enough for your help. Cheers!

If there are a few people, you can just rent a minibus (a taxi) so that you don't have to wait for departure, as i don't know how frequent they will be scheduled now, given that it is low-season for Vina (winter).

If there are a few people, you can just rent a minibus (a taxi) so that you don't have to wait for departure, as i don't know how frequent they will be scheduled now, given that it is low-season for Vina (winter).
Buses leave every 15-20 minutes year round from early morning into the night. Buses are heavily used by locals for daily commuting, going home for the weekend, escaping Santiago, going to Santiago for business and goods and services as well as by travelers.

Buses leave every 15-20 minutes year round from early morning into the night. Buses are heavily used by locals for daily commuting, going home for the weekend, escaping Santiago, going to Santiago for business and goods and services as well as by travelers.

I am surprised....Vina is practically a ghost town in the off-season.

Do buses depart that often from SCL, or is it only from the downtown bus terminal?

Buses start at Terminal Alameda and stop at Metro/Terminal Pajaritos before proceeding onward to Viña. So 15 minutes applies to both Alameda and Pajaritos.

Most travelers think Viña is primarily a resort town but it also a standalone populated city next to the major working port of Valparaíso. Any place in Chile that has a covered mall and movie theater has a threshold year round population to support it.

I realize this thread has been inactive for awhile, but I thought I would revive with this question. I am arriving into SCL late on a Friday night (8/31) around 19:55. By the time, I grab luggage, get an airport bus, etc. will it be too late for a bus from Pajaritos to VDM? I guess my question is "how late do the buses run into the evening?" Thanks!

The site:

https://www.turbus.cl/wtbus/indexCompra.jsf

has 22:15 as the last bus out of Terminal Pajaritos.

Remember there are two other competitors, Pullman is the other biggie on this route.

The potential problem is Friday night and thus full buses going that direction. You must calculate the risk that all seats are sold out.

If you absolutely must get to the coast, then a taxi to the coast FROM THE AIRPORT is an option (expensive).