You must have a valid International Drivers License and the license from your home country to drive in Chile. When you drive, bring these two licenses with you along with your passport or Chilean Identification Card and any documents related to the car. If a carabinero (police oficer) pulls you over, he will ask to see these documents.

If the air quality is bad in Santiago, you may not be permitted to drive your car in the city particularly in the winter months. Check the newspaper or the television news for vehicular restrictions (restricción vehicular), or call the vehicle restriction hot-line. The government selects numbers the day before those numbers will be subject to restrictions. The numbers corresponds with the last digit of your license plate. There are numbers for automobiles without catalytic converters (vehículos no catalíticos) and fewer or no numbers for automobiles that have catalytic converters (vehículos catalíticos). If the first number of your car is among these numbers, do not drive in Santiago. You could receive penalties for driving a car that is subject to a restriction.

The maximum speed limit is 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour).

Take caution when driving in Chile, especially in Santiago. Chilean drivers have a reputation for lack of courtesy at intersections. Drivers often jump red lights and fail to signal. Lane discipline is almost non-existent.

Make sure not to break traffic laws. Violations are subject to fines and immediate confiscation of your driver’s permit.

Road maps are available in bookstores, newsstands and the Chilean Auto Club (Automóvil Club de Chile).

Overview

Highway Information Hotline
139

Vehicle Restriction Hotline
(2) 700-0142

Chilean Auto Club
Avenida Vitacura 8620
Vitacura

There are three forms of transportation to travel in and around Chile: trains, buses and airlines. See the Airlines section for domestic carriers.

Train
The Chilean train system was in decline for a century, but its slowing starting to grow Santiago. If you are a dedicated rail fan, you can take the brand new Santiago-Chillan line.

Metrotren is a modern and efficient commuter train system that travels between Rancagua and Santiago.

Addresses

Estación Central
Avenida Liberatador Bernardo O'Higgins 3170
Estación Central
(2) 689-6070
Metro Station Estación Central

Buses
There are many buses that leave Santiago for the provinces and neighboring countries. Bus travel is comfortable and relatively inexpensive. Timing longer trips for overnight will save you hotel fare and help you avoid spending an entire day on a bus.

There are a few class options for bus travel. Some buses offer Salón Cama o Semi-Cama. These buses carry fewer passengers, making room for large seats that lean back further than most buses. They are more expensive than regular buses. Salón Cama has the largest seats and is most expensive.

Most buses leave from the Santiago Terminal near the University of Santiago Metro Station. At the Santiago Terminal there are dozens of bus companies that will take you almost anywhere. If you are patient, you can compare prices. Prices are often negotiable at this terminal. A promodor (promoter) with will almost certainly approach you and ask you where you are going. Promodores will find you the best deal, but they mention afterwards that they expect a tip.

Next to the Santiago Terminal is the Alameda Bus Terminal. This terminal is a more relaxed than the Santiago Bus Terminal, but it only services Pullman Bus and Tur-Bus. These companies are more expensive than the companies in the Santiago Terminal, but they have more extensive bus routes and cleaner buses. Tur-Bus services the entire country.

There are smaller terminals closer to downtown Santiago.

Addresses

Terminal Alameda
Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 3724
Estación Central
(2) 270-7500
Metro Station Universidad de Santiago

Tur Bus
Serves entire country
Terminal Alemeda
(2) 776-3694
www.turbus.cl

Pullman Bus
Serves Valparaíso and all points north between Santiago and Arica
Terminal Alemeda
(2) 779-0024, (800) 320-320
www.pullman.cl

Terminal Santiago
Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 3848
Estación Central
(2) 376-1755
Metro Station Universidad de Santiago

Buses JAC
Serves Villarrica, Pucón, Temuco and Valdivia
Terminal Santiago
(2) 776-1582

Buses LIT
Serves cities between La Serena and Puerto Montt
Terminal Santiago, Of- 35-63
(2) 779-5710
www.lit.cl

Terminal 11 de Septiembre
Avenida 11 de Septiembre and R. Lyon
Providencia
Metro Station
Varmontt
Serves southern Chile
Terminal 11 de Septiembre
(2) 232-1116, (2) 555-0516
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Torres de Tajamar
Terminal with northbound buses
Avenida Providencia 1072
Providencia
Metro Station Manuel Montt

Buss JAC
Serves Villarrica, Pucón, Temuco, Valdivia
Terminal Torres de Tajamar
(2) 235-2484
Los Corsaros
Terminal Torres de Tajamar
(2) 235-2410

Pull Man
Serves Valparaíso and all points between Santiago and Arica
Terminal Torres de Tajamar
(2) 235-8142, (800) 320-320
www.pullman.cl

Terra Puerto Los Heroes
Terminal with buses throughout Chile and international
Tucapel Jimenez 21
Santiago Centro
(2) 696-9250Metro Station Los Heroes
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Santiago's transportation system is extensive, inexpensive and fairly modern. There are four public transportation options: the metro (subway), micros (buses), colectivos and taxis.

Santiago recently went through a major change in public transportation called Transantiago, which got rid of the privatized micro system and added the Bip! Card (Tarjeta Bip!). The Bip! Card can be bought at any metro station and is the only way to board a micro.

Metro

The Metro is Santiago’s subway system. It is inexpensive, efficient, spotlessly clean but often overcrowded. The subway has five lines that reach key areas in and around Santiago but not all. The Metro costs 380 or 420 pesos per trip. You can buy one ticket at a time or put it on a TranSantiago card called a Tarjeta Bip. On weekdays, the Metro runs between 6:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. On Sundays and holidays service begins at 8:00 a.m.

Click Here for a map of the metro!

Micros (Buses)

Santiago’s streets are less crowded since the Transantiago change. You must have a Tarjeta Bip to board a micro! Santiago's buses can take you within a short walk of anywhere you want to go. They run between the two boroughs displayed above bus’s windshield, always passing through downtown. Look for a bus stop that serves buses to the borough you want to reach. There is a sign on the bottom left hand corner of every micro's windshield with the bus’s destination and a list of the streets on its route.  Check to find the routes that best serve you. Micros cost 380 pesos. The Metro system has blue buses called Metrobuses. The buses run from Metro stations to boroughs that do not have Metro service. They are usually cheaper than micros, but run with less frequency. Click here for the Transantiago web site!

Colectivos

Colectivos are taxis that work like buses. They follow a regular route and will fill the car with passengers. Colectivos are more comfortable than buses, but cost more. The price varies depending on how far you travel. Colectivos also tend to run late at night when there are fewer buses. You can catch a colectivo anywhere along the Alameda, but it is easiest at Plaza Italia (Metro Station Baquedano) and in front of La Moneda (Metro Station La Moneda).

Taxis

There are two main types of taxis: normal taxis and radio taxis. The normal taxis are black and yellow cars that circulate throughout the city. They are inexpensive for short rides, but are expensive for longer trips. If you are downtown, it is best to walk to the Alameda or to Parque Forestal to hail a taxi. Taxis cannot legally enter the downtown area unless they are dropping off passengers, though many drivers ignore this law. If you take a taxi, it is best to give the driver (taxista) directions than to simply tell him your destination. Some taxi drivers take advantage of foreigners by taking roundabout trips to increase fares.

It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers, but it is common to round up the taxi fare.
More expensive blue taxis wait outside of major hotels.

Radio taxis have fast service and are more inexpensive than normal taxis for longer trips. Since thay take your from door to door, it is also safer to take radio taxis at night. Radio taxis are also a good choice for trips to the airport.

Addresses

Transportes Lautaro
(2) 204-7467

Jorge Valenzuela Andrade
English speaking taxi driver
(2) 683-2741

Lobster Travel
(2) 522-8001

Radio Taxi Arauco
(2) 246-1114

Radio Taxi Providencia
(2) 209-0445

Radio Taxi El Golf
(2) 212-8744

Radio Taxi Apoquindo
(2) 211-6073

- United Car Rental

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- Hertz Car Rental