Travel Information
Weather of Chile
Time Change
Visas
Reciprocity tax
Custom Formalities
Sanitary Formalities
Health
Currency and Automatic Teller machine
Transport
Getting Around
Fuel
Safety
Communications
Shopping hours
Holidays in Chile
Technical Parameters (electricity)
Meals and drinks
Cultural Santiago
Santiago at night
Clothes
Tourist Information
Climate
As a result of its extension and topography, Chile
has all climates.
In the north is the desert, very
warm and dry throughout the year, without rains.
The coast presents
an annual average
temperature of 18°C, whereas in the plateau the
average temperature fluctuates between 10°C
and - 5°C at night.
La región central
es templada. Siendo
diciembre, enero y febrero los meses más secos
y calurosos, con temperaturas que superan los
30 °C. El período más frío es el invierno, que va
de junio a agosto, cuyos valles están siempre
verdes debido a la irrigación de la
gran
cantidad de pequeños ríos que fluyen desde a
Cordillera de los Andes.
In the south the
climate is cold in winter (April to September),
with small climatic variations during the day and
the night, which is remarkably calm during the
summer.
In Patagonia the climate is variable, determined
by its latitude, which corresponds to a region of
less influence of the sun, marked by the strong
sea influence that regulates the temperature
and by the strong winds that blow from the South
Pacific.
On Easter Island,
the climate is marine
subtropical. June and August are the months of
lowest temperature with an average of 18°C.
February is the warmest month of the year with
an average of 24°C. It
frequently
presents
tropical rains being May the rainiest month. The
island is very luminous and multiple rainbows
usually take place.
Seasons
- Spring (September 21 to December20)
-
Summer (December 21 to March20)
-
Fall (March 21 to June 20)
-
Winter (June 21 to September 20)
Time Change
From the second Saturday of October to the
second Saturday of March, Chile has 4 hours
earlier that in central Europe and the same hour
than in Miami. During the rest of the year, 6 hours
earlier that in central Europe and 1 hour earlier
than in Miami.
Visas
Although
it is always advisable to collect
information about the obtaining of visas previous
to a trip, when arrival to Chile all passengers must
pass through the international police check and
present their identification documents (either an
Identification Card or passport) and the visa
stamp (depending on the country where you are
coming from)
When entering Chile the international police give
tourists a Tourist card (Tarjeta de Tourismo), a
non-transferable and personal document, which
lasts for 90 days and can be extended for a
further 90 days. Tourists must hand in the tourist
card when they leave the country. The extension
of this card can be requested in Regional
Intendancies, in the Foreign Office.
Reciprocity tax
All passengers with Passports from Australia,
Canada, United States and Mexico must pay a
reciprocity
tax before
going through
International Police.
Australia U$ 61
Canada U$ 132
United States U$ 131
Mexico U$ 23
Enquires by telephone (56 2) 6901063.
Custom Formalities
Passengers have the right to enter with – free of
customs duties and taxes- merchandise that
makes up travel luggage ,
travel items (
suitcases, bags, personal effects), clothing items,
ornaments, electrical toiletry appliances, items
for personal use ( alarm clock, camera, portable
type writer and calculator), appropriate for the
use and normal needs of a person.
Objects exclusively used for the practice of their
profession or trade, as long as they are used,
portable, for manual use, simply made, that do
not need to be installed for their normal use and
correspond to the profession or trade of the
traveller.
A quantity that does not exceed, per adult (
over 18 years of age), 400 cigarettes, 500 grams
of pipe tobacco, 50 cigars, 2,5 litres of alcoholic
beverage.
Excluded from the concept of luggage are:
Household furniture, Household goods, crockery,
linen and
paintings,
Musical instruments,
Apparatus, electrical or electronic appliances,
and their spare part, office equipment.
Sanitary Formalities
On entering the country, you must declare the
following:
- Milk, butter, cream and cheese.
- Fruit, vegetables and fresh vegetables.
- Meat of any kind, cured meats,
sausages.
- Seeds,
grains,
nuts and fruit dried or
dehydrated.
- Fruit, ornamental, and forestry plants or parts of
them: branches, sticks, bulbs and others. Flowers,
dried flowers and garden plants. Soil.
- Wood and bark.
- Insects, snails and others. Bacteria and fungus
for scientific
investigation.
Bees,
honey
and
beeswax.
- Animal semen,
biological products
and
veterinarian medicines.
- Small animals and pets (dogs, cats, others).
Birds
- Live species, products or sub-products of these, made from wild fauna
It is important to bear in mind:
To make a sworn statement that is untrue is a
crime and is punishable by law , with a minor
prison sentence of a minimum of 61 days to a
maximum of 3 years; declining to fill out the form
will be penalized with a fine.
Health
Vaccines are not necessary. It is suggested to be
precautious
with the
water you
drink,
raw
vegetables and seafood. Some problems as
mountain sickness can be experienced in the
plateau. The best prevention for these symptoms
is a gradual exposure to height, light food, a lot
of
liquid
and,
if
necessary,
some
type
of
medicine available in pharmacies for these
problems. The private system of medical
attention (clinica),
is within the international
standards,
also payable through medical
insurances acquired abroad.
Currency
LThe official currency is Peso. Coins of $1, 5, 10, 50,
100 and 500 are in circulation; Bills are of $ 1,000,
2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20.000. The currency
exchange has been relatively stable during the
past few years, fluctuating between $ 500 and
$600 for 1 American dollar. In the airport the
exchange houses operate the 24
hrs. From
Monday to Sunday.
In the main commercial
centers the exchange houses operate even on
Sundays. Banks also exchange currency only
from Monday through Friday from 09:00 to 14:00.
It is advisable not to exchange with people in
the street.
All the
credit cards are
accepted, Visa,
MasterCard, Diners and American Express. In
remote places like Patagonia, payments with
credit card are not always accepted. Traveler's
checks in dollars are accepted everywhere in
the country.
In case of loss of the credit card, contact Visa
MasterCard Tel. 698 2465 / Diners 232 0000 and
American Express 672 2156.
Automatic Teller machine (ATM)
They are easy to find, generally in the banking
and exchange areas, they can also be found in
Gas
stations,
pharmacies,
malls and
supermarkets. Tourists can use an Automatic
Teller Machine (ATM) if it has the ‘Cirrus’ or ‘Plus’
logo, these also show that the ATM is bilingual.
The ATM’s only dispense money in national
currency.
Transport
Air Transport:
Modern commercial airlines offer
daily flights to the main cities of the country.
Interurbans Buses: In Santiago there are 4 bus
terminals that serve national and international
destinations. They run daily and it is possible to
choose economic services or more costly
services,
which are more direct
and more
comfortable. Ask about the different classes:
clásico (classic), semi-cama(semi-reclining seat),
executive,
cama (fully-reclining
seat)
and
premium.
- Tur Bus Station Terminal
Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 3750,
Metro Universidad de Santiago (line 1)
Fono: (56) 2 2707500
- Santiago Bus Station Terminal
Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 3850, Metro
Estación Central (line 1)
Fono: (56) 2 3761750
- Los Héroes Terminal
Tucapel Jiménez 21, Metro Los Héroes (line 1)
Fono: (56) 2 4200099
- San Borja Terminal – Northern Terminal
San Borja 184, Metro Estación Central (line 1)
Fono: (56) 2 7760645
Metro:
It has 85 stations, covers a surface of 84,4
kilometers, the Metro stations are distributed in 5
lines that run across the City from east to West
and North to South.
Opening hours are from 6:30 to 23:00 Monday to
Friday, 6:30 to 23:00 Saturdays and Sundays and
Holiday 8:30 to 22:30. During the day different
fares are charged, depending on The time you
wish to use it.
Urban Buses:
In Santiago the main mode of
public transport is the ‘Transantiago’. Which
covers entire journey not just individual legs of
journeys. There is an electronic card system
which can be purchased in any metro station,
and recharged when necessary ‘Tarjeta BIP’( BIP
Card).
Taxi Service:
Can be found at any time of the
day and can be recognized by their black and
yellow color. All have taximeters and you should
pay only what is indicated on the taximeter at
the end of the journey. The initial fare starts at
$200 pesos and marks between $80 and $120
pesos every 200 meters. It is prohibited to smoke
inside a taxi.
IMPORTANT:
When you arrive in our country ask
at the counter in the airport the costs of journeys
to avoid being charged excessively.
Car rental: The car rental service is a good option
for the independent traveler but also a little more
expensive. The requirements for the leasing of
cars are: valid Driver’s License, be older than 25
years and a credit card.
Getting Around
Highways:
The main highway is the Pan-American which
stretches from Arica to Chiloe in Chile. There are
also other highways that cross to neighboring
countries, in excellent conditions. In the city of
Puerto Montt the Austral Highway begins which
joins the austral region, with its fjords and canals,
to the Villa O Higgins locality. This road is 1.200 km
long,
passing through the
scenery
and the
almost virgin landscape, is a real adventure,
which brings you to Chilean Patagonia
Border passes: The country has 66 border passes in operation
throughout the country, the most important are:
Chacalluta in Arica, which joins Chile and Peru;
Los Libertadores in Argentina in the central zone
and also Cardenal Samore also in Argentina, in
the southern province of Osorno.
Maximum speed limit: On the highways the maximum speed limit is
120km/ph, on the secondary roads 80km/ph and
in cities 60 km/ph. There are speed checks by
radar and camera; above all there are
permanent police checks by ‘Carabineros’ or
civil police (in their impeccable green uniforms),
who are very strict. Never doubt in turning to a
‘carabinero’ (policeman)
if you have any
problems,
but do
not try
to resolve
any
misdemeanor on your part in any way other than
the correct procedure.
Fuel
There are service stations along
the
Pan-
American Highway
and in
cities along the
country’s main roads. The vast majority have mini
markets, fast food services, bathrooms, ATM’s.
Safety
In Chile there are 2 types of police. ‘Carabineros
de Chile’ (Chilean Police) is a militarized police
force, dressed in a green uniform, they are in
charge of keeping order and interior public
security within the national territory.
‘Policia de Investigaciones’ (Investigative Police)
are the civil police in Chile in charge of the
scientific and technical investigation of crime.
Only members of the police force can ask you
for you ID documents and passport. In the case
of the investigative police (who do not use a
uniform) always ask them to show you their
identity badge.
Emergency Numbers
Carabineros 133
Fire Service 132
Ambulance 131
Communications
Public telephones operate with coins of $100 or
phone cards,
which are
on sale
in the
newsstands.
Shopping hours
Commerce opening hours are between 09:00
and 10:00 in the morning until 20:00 hrs. The
shopping malls and supermarkets are open from
10:00 until 21:00 hrs. including weekends.
Holidays in Chile
New Year (1 January)- Easter (late March or early April)
- Labor Day (1 May)
- Iquique Naval Combat (21 May)
- Saint Peter and Saint Paul (29 June)
- Assumption of Mary (15 August)
- Independence Days (18 and 19 September)
- Columbus Day (12 October)
- All Saints Day (1 November)
- Immaculate Conception (8 December)
- Christmas (25 December)
Technical Parameters (electricity)
Electricity 220 V, 50 HERTZ (like in Europe).
Meals and drinks
In all the cities, excellent restaurants with great
variety of dishes of national and international
cuisine can be found. The Chilean cuisine that is
recommended is the barbecue (based on beef),
the typical “empanadas”, (mass stuffed with
ground meat, ground onion, olives and boiled
egg), Chicken “cazuela” (Chicken broth with
potatoes, pumpkin, corn and green beans),
“pastel de choclo” (corn and very similar to a
tamale).
Within traditionally Chilean plates on
the basis of fish and seafood, nothing better than
a “caldillo de congrio” or a “chupe de loco”.
One of typical dishes of the South zone of the
country is the traditional Curanto (a mixture of
fish, seafood, potatoes and different types of
meat, beef and pork), that is cooked in a pot of
clay in a hole in the ground.
Finally, the production of fruit in Chile exceeds
the one of any tropical country. The traditional
drink in Chile is the Pisco Sour, made from pisco
(grape liquor), lemon, ice and sugar. The Chilean
wines are known world-wide,
specially the
Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
The usual gratuity in restaurants is 10%.
Cultural Santiago
The cultural
life is complemented
with
specialized exhibitions, museums with extensive
collections and relics that show the history of the
country, in addition to the American culture. The
Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, considered one
of the best in the world in its kind, shows the
evolution of the American man and its cultures
divided by areas. The Convent and Museum of
San Francisco, with a rich collection of colonial
art.
The specialists consider it as the best collection of
cuzqueña painting of the continent. The Cousiño
Palace, built between 1870 and 1878 by the
French Paul Lathaud for a well-off Chilean family.
(All museums are closed on Mondays).
The Municipal Theater, is a symbol of the cultural
life of
Santiago,
where between April
and
November, famous operas, ballet and concerts
are performed,
with the outstanding
participation of soloists, directors and producers
of the highest
national and international
category.
Santiago at night
The Bellavista district is like an island limited by
the Mapocho River and the San Cristóbal hill,
placing together a series of elegant restaurants
of different denominations, in addition to art
galleries and outdoors theaters. This it is the
sector where one of the house-museum of the
famous Literature Nobel prize awarded poet,
Pablo Neruda is located. For gourmet visitors, a
variety of restaurants can be found on Isidora
Goyenechea street, El Bosque Avenue, Borde Rio
and for the younger, the outdoors coffee-bars of
Plaza Ñuñoa.
Clothes
In summer, light clothes are recommended and
a light jacket for those who visit the North or the
South of country. In Patagonia, it is always
advisable to wear woolen clothes, light jacket
and comfortable shoes to walk. In Santiago, to
go out to eat to any restaurant, the use of jacket
and tie is generally recommended. For more
informal restaurants, casual outfit.
Tourist Information
The National Tourist Service SERNATUR - counter
in Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in
Santiago, telephone 601-9320. Is open Monday
to Sunday from 08.15 to 20.00.
SERNATUR office in Santiago: Calle Providencia
155
0, Manuel Montt metro station.
Open: Monday to Friday, from 9.00 to 18.00,
Saturday 9.00 to 14.00.
Telephone numbers: 731-8336 / 731-833
CONTACT: MARITZA GONZALEZ /
E – MAIL: cartografia@ctsturismo.cl /
PHONES:
(56-2) 2510400/
FAX
(56-2) 251 0518 /
ADRESS:
ANTONIO BELLET 77 OF. 202 PROVIDENCIA, SANTIAGO, CHILE / www.ctsturismo.cl
