williamx

Hi:

I'm going to Santiago, Chile next month, for 5 days. This is my 1st trip to Chile. It is a short vacation with kids, what to do to make the most of it? Any suggestions on itinerary? I'm thinking of Santiago, Valparaiso, but open to any advice.

Also, is it safe to travel/tour in Chile, especially with kids?
Any suggestion on hotels, and rental car?

thanks a lot

Eastbay1K

Chile is one of the safest places in all the Americas, especially where you'd be as a tourist. A good "taste of" for your short trip would be 2 nights Viña del Mar, 2 or 3 nights Santiago. (I don't know if your 5 days has 5 nights.) If you are coming from the US, you'll probably arrive early AM, so it is best to pick up your car @ SCL and drive right to the coast. (Viña is extremely close to Valpo, and it is better to stay in Viña.) This way you won't be dealing with no hotel room at 8 AM.

I recently had a disastrous experience with Alamo. I typically rent from Econorent and have had generally good experiences over the years. I probably have had a few Avis and Hertz rentals over the years.

williamx

Thanks for the info.
We'll be arriving 3am in the morning, most rental car company opens at 7am. Any one open in early morning? If no, we probably have to stay in Santiago first. How much does it cost for taxi or shuttle from airport to Santiago?

Also, any recommendation on things to do in Santiago? Good seafood restaurant in Val? any good winery to see around the area? Any other place worth for a day trip?

williamx

Hope to take a 2-day trip to Easter Island, but airfare is about $800 rt. Any local travel agency might offer lower fare?

Siempre Viajando

I doubt it. I'm pretty sure that the only airline offering flights to Easter Island from Santiago is LAN. If you check the fares on the LAN website you're not likely to find anything for less.

Note, SCL - IPC is roughly four-and-a-half hours in the air, a bit more westbound and a bit less eastbound. If you want two full days on the ground at Easter Island (which is the absolute minimum I would recommend) then that side-trip is going to eat up most of your time in Chile.

Here are a couple of recommendations for Santiago and area:

1) The Museo de las Memorias (Museum of Memories) documents the years of the Pinochet dictatorship, which lasted from 1973 when the armed forces under Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected left-wing government of Salvador Allende, until 1989 when Pinochet stepped down from power, leaving in place a democratic system that has flourished ever since. The museum is very well done and gives a lot of insight into a period that haunts Chile to this day. It's English friendly. Highly recommended.

2) If you're renting a car, head out to the Casablanca Valley, about an hour's drive from Santiago along Hwy 68 that connects the city with Valparaíso and Viña del Mar on the coast. The Casablanca valley is where most of Chile's best white wine and Pinot Noir are produced. Several wineries have set up restaurants where you can have lunch, sample some wine, do a tour, etc. Some of the restaurants have playground facilities for kids. Casas del Bosque is particularly nice but there are others...google them.

JMN57

Agree about Alamo - it took 90 minutes from when I got to the counter to getting a car and it was filthy. Vina is much nicer than Valpo and probably safer as well.

Unfortunately, I can't give you an exact location but on the ride back to Santiago, about half way, there is a small roadside restaurant right off the highway that had great empanadas. I'll try and add a picture of the place. Here it is:

timpdx

Yeah, I booked that same deal as you did, it will be the worst arrival time I have ever had in my travelling life, worse than arriving in BOM at 4:45. Let me know what you find, I am also doing 5 days, but I know there is plenty to see in Santiago and the coast/wineries. I am going to let Easter Island slide this time, a bit much for such a short trip.

BradFalchuck

Hi everyone, I'm also headed to Chile later in the year but I'm planing to go to Peru and Brazil as well so I've been looking at places that runsouth america tours. I did find this one place but I'd really like to hear any more recommendations anyone has

richardinmotion

I just returned from Santiago and can add a few tidbits:

You can negotiate the taxi fare from airport to centro Santiago down to around $22, including tolls. I had to pay $30 for the return trip to the airport. The meter came to $20ish, but the driver wanted extra for the tolls.

I feel that Santiago is a fairly dangerous city. On our very first subway ride in town, my buddy was pick pocketed out of all his money. I spotted his passport laying on the subway floor, but the pickpocketer was long gone. 10 minutes later, on another subway, I caught a guy with his hand in my front pocket, around my wallet. I was 1 second away from losing it.

Also, we were in a cafe in Santiago and there was some kind of riot outside. The cafe pulled down steel doors. I ventured out a bit later and saw dozens of riot policemen and equipment in the area, with water cannons hosing down people. This was just a few days ago. Not a good situation.

Valapraiso is a nasty town, except for a few windy streets up on the hill. Vina Del Mar is a bit better. GREAT wineries to be had in the region.

We stayed at the Portillo Hotel at the Chile/Argentina border. It was wonderful.

Everything is pricey.

Drivers seem fairly safe, so renting/driving should be OK.

Siempre Viajando

I think you had bad luck. Yes, Santiago has its rough side and yes, sh*t happens on the Metro. But by and large the Metro is safe---I have ridden it for years and I have never been robbed or felt threatened---and as long as you stick to the better parts of the city (the northeast quadrant, more or less, including the upscale districts of Providencia, Vitacura, Las Condes, La Reina and Lo Barnechea) you are safe as a tourist. Of course, you have to keep an eye on your things and you have to keep your wits about you, like almost anywhere in the world.

In fact, Santiago is arguably the only city in Latin America where you can live an essentially "normal" existence, if "normal" to you is to live in a house in the suburbs with two cars in the garage, and to commute to work each day, drop the kids off at school, walk the dog in the evenings, etc.

I'm sorry that your visit was so, ummm, eventful.

I do agree with two points in your post: for the most part the drivers here are sane, especially compared to places like Lima; and yes, everything is expensive here (with the notable exception of wine in restaurants).

Eastbay1K

Metered taxi fares are also inexpensive.

Siempre Viajando

True, and come to think of it, public transit is also a bargain.

atLAS, aLAS

I arrived on the same 3am Avianca flight. (thanks Mileage Run Deals) I paid CLP 12000 to Estacion Central. No rental car companies open at that time. Transport companies at SCL wanted CLP 17000 for the same trip.

I saw a policeman that was probably in his 40s run down a snatcher thief when I was stuck in traffic last Saturday afternoon on Av Bernardo O Higgins, so sometimes the criminals do not win. Bystanders did not help the policeman out until the policeman tackled the thief.

I have driven about 2000 km in Chile over two trips and I would say that driving in Chile is no more difficult than driving in the USA. Drivers are consistent and predictable. I have been to Peru twice and I do not rent a car there. Driving in Lima is for the very brave.

atLAS, aLAS

I can offer an explanation in the difference in Siempre and Richard s perceptions on Santiago. Foreign tourists are simply much more frequently targeted. A criminal is both less likely to be caught and more likely to be richly rewarded by targeting a foreign tourist.

Orlando Vic

Valparaiso just had a massive forest fire, so choose your hotel wisely to make sure it is still standing and accepting guests.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/chile-f...omes-1.2608499

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...o-9257164.html