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Chile: Practical information

Accommodation

Residenciales: A facility half-way between hospedaje and a hotel. They are generally family homes offering four or five rooms, but sometimes even ten or more. They are expected to be more chic than hospodajes, but this is not always the case.
Hospedajes: They are widespread throughout Chile and are private homes renting rooms at a modest price. Breakfast is usually included. There are often other faciliites included such as a laundry service, a TV room, an Internet access point and sometimes wifi.
Hostel: In principle, a hostel is a simpler type of accommodation than a hotel. The various names are, in reality, often interchangeable.
Youth Hostel: Chile has around ten member hostels that are part of the Hostelling International Association. Additionally, there are plently of private hostels offering essentially dormitory accomodation, but often also double rooms for couples, which are not much more expensive. Most have a shared kitchen and free Internet.
Hotels: Beyond a certain category, all establishments are called 'hotels' -- they have a reception desk and the staff is permanently looking after the guests. A growing number of hotels have signed agreements allowing foreign non-residents to claim a VAT exception if payment is made in cash, in euros or dollars, or by a payment card.

Chili-Hotels
Booking

Chilehotel
Bed & Breakfast: A growing trend in Chile, especially in Valparaiso, are Bed & Breakfast venues. These are private homes, often very old and full of charm, with rooms to rent. Breakfast is often included. You can also find varying levels of comfort with reasonable prices and a warm and friendly welcome.
Cabanas: Common in coastal towns, national parks and some campsites, cabanas are essentially vacation homes. They resemble bungalows or little cottages, and are generally well priced for small groups and families.
Camping: It is quite easy to camp in Chilean national parks as most of them have a dedicated camping area, often with toilet facilities and showers. In some cases, you can also set up a tent in the garden of a hospedaje.
Hotel Rules: Hotel prices are generally quoted per room, or per bed in the case of dormitories.
For all hotel services, non-resident foreigners are exempt from paying the 19% VAT, on the condition they pay in dollars, euros or/and by a credit/debit card.
Tipping, or propina, is common in Chile. In hotels, it is good to tip the person who helps carry your bags.
For Further Information: Hotel Accommodation Guide in Chile (in Spanish)
Travellerspoint Travel Community

Price Indications

Economy Room	< 22 EUR
Medium Price Room	22-45 EUR
Good Quality Room	> 45 EUR

Source: Lonely Planet

Eating Out

Categories of Restaurant
Cocinas custombristas: A true Chilean institution, cocinas custombristas are ordinary restaurants serving traditional dishes, often with seafood.
Fuentes de soda: Sandwich schops offering completos, hot-dogs served with avocado salad, tomatoes and mayonnaise.
Bistros: Bistros serve fresh salads and sandwiches, but also casseroles and Chilean seafood dishes.
Picadas: Small restaurants offering cheap home cooking. Sometimes specialized in a particular kind of dish. There are many in each town.
Others: Classic restaurants, fast food shops, steakhouses and pizzerias.
Rules For Eating Out: Tipping, or propina, is common in Chile. In restaurants and bars, a tip is usually 10% of the total bill. This is a important part of the employees' wages, which are usually very low.

Price Indications

Economy Meal	<10 EUR
Medium Price Meal	10-15 EUR
Good Quality Meal	> 15 EUR

Food Specialties: Chile has various food specialities such as Cazuela, which is a chicken stew made with rice, corn and potatoes or Empanadas, which are a sort of fritter stuffed with meat, poultry or fish with onions, eggs and olives. Other specialities include alpaca steak (also known as Altiplano), chicha (fermented corn), mutton and fish and seafood on the coast.
Drinks: The most common drinks in Chile are water, fizzy drinks, fresh fruit juices, mote con huesillo which is made from husked wheat and sun-dried peaches, tea, coffee and maté which is a stimulating infusion of the dried leaves of yerba mate.
Dietary Restrictions: There are no dietary restrictions in the country.
Table Manners: You must use cutlery (knife and fork) when eating. Hands should remain on the table and never in your lap. Licking one's fingers or using a tooth-pick is considered rude.

Getting Around

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Recommendation: Taking the bus in Santiago can be a challenge with multiple routes. Another option is the colectivo, a car similar to a taxi but with a sign on the roof indicating its number and destination. The route is fixed in advance and it drops people off all along its route, it tends to be a little more expensive than the bus. Taxi fares are reasonable and most of them have a meter.
Maps of Urban Networks: Google Maps
Bing Maps
Urban Transport Agencies: Santiago Underground
Find an Itinerary: Santiago Underground
Taxi Companies: Radio Taxis Chile

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Santiago - Benitez Intl (SCL)	18 km / 12 miles	USD 23-28 / 30 min	USD 3 / 30-40 min.	-	Available
Concepción - Carriel Sur Intl (CCP)	6 km / 4 miles	Available	-	-	Available

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Recommendation: Chile only has a few train lines in operation. In the North, there are the lines the Calama Uyuni and Arica Tacna and, in the South, the lines Santiago-Temuco and Santiago-Concepción. Buses in Chile are efficient, fast, popular and mostly cheap. All the cities are served daily by many companies, the two main ones: Tur Bus and Pullman Bus. Airplanes can also be a practical means of transport; however, they are much more expensive than the buses or trains.
Rail Companies: Empresa de Los Ferrocarriles del Estado

Airlines

Name	Type	Domestic Flights	International Flights
Skyairlines	Major	Yes	No
LAN	Major	Yes	Yes
DAP	Major	Yes	Yes
CDA	Major	Yes	Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Travelling By Yourself

Recommendation: The road networks are in great condition; however, one should avoid leaving the main roads with a regular vehicle and take gas reserves for long journeys. There is also a very dense and effective network of buses throughout Chile. Public transport can be dangerous due to the fierce competition between companies that push drivers to drive fast and dangerously. The Metropolitan network is only slightly developed, but reliable and clean.
Driver's License: Foreign driver's licenses are generally accepted by car rental companies and by the police at checkpoints, but for legal reasons foreign drivers must have a valid international driving license issued in their country of origin, with the exception of Argentinian citizens, who can drive with their own national license.
Conditions For Renting a Vehicle: To rent a car in Chile, drivers must be at least 21 years old and have held a driver's licence for more than a year. The age requirement may vary depending on the vehicle category. Drivers must be in possession of a valid driver's license at all times and must be able to show vehicle registration documents and insurance papers. A small car can be rented for 20,000-25,000 pesos (40-50 USD) per day, but the rates in Santiago are more competitive.
Rental Agencies: Europcar
Budget
Tolls or Taxes: See the website of the Ministry of public works.
Road Maps: Maps of Chile
Find an Itinerary: Google Maps
Mapquest Chile
Traffic Conditions Online: Ministerio de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones, Unidad Operativa de Control de Tránsito
Ministry Of Public Works
Parking Facilities: Since most of the parking spaces are very narrow, it is advised to use a small vehicle.

Rules of the Road

Minimum Driving Age: 18 years minimum
Side of the Road For Driving: Right
Speed Limits: Unless otherwise specified, the maximum speed is 75 mph on roads and 30 mph in town.
Safety Belts: The use of seatbelts is compulsory for all passangers.
Permitted Amount of Alcohol in the Blood: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is considered a serious offense. Chile has a zero tolerance policy to drinking and driving.
National Roads Organizations: Highway Concession Toll
The Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, Operational Unit for Transit Control

Time and Time Difference

Current Local Time: It is %T:%M %A In Santiago
Summer Time: Summer time from October to March.

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

Climate

Type of Climate: The vast length of Chile accounts for its various climates. The northern part of the country has a desert-like and arid climate, the central part has a Mediterranean-like climate, while the south has a more oceanic climate. Additionally, the mountainous regions have a tundra-like climate.
For Further Information: Chile Meteorological Direction

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

Climate

Electrical Standards and Measurement Systems

System of Measurement Used: Metric system
Unit of Measurement of Temperature: Degree Celsius

Use our service Measurement Converter.

Electricity
Voltage: 220 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of Electric Socket: C & L
Type of Telephone Socket: US RJ-11
DVD Zoning: Zone 4

Paying

Domestic Currency: Chilean Peso
ISO Code: CLP
To Obtain Domestic Currency: The currency is the Chilean peso (CLP). Major world currencies can be exchanged easily in Santiago, as well as in most regions of Chile. Some banks or bureaux de change in remote towns still sometimes prefer the U.S. dollar. For shopping, restaurants and small hotels generally accept local currency only. Bureaux de change are generally closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. They also change traveller's checks without commission. Banks are open during the week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Exchanging money on the black market is not advisable.
Possible Means of Payment: MasterCard and Visa are usually taken at top of the range establishments, unlike the American Express card that is not very widespread. Withdrawing cash with a credit card is widespread and very easy.

To Find a Cash Machine Where You Need, Use the ATM locator

Speaking

Official Language: Spanish.
Other Languages Spoken: Indigenous dialects, such as Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua and Rapa Nui
Business Language: Spanish, English
Getting Some Knowledge: Yes = Sí
No = No
Thank you = Gracias
Hello = Hola
Good day = Buenos días
Good afternoon = Buenas tardes
Goodbye = Adiós
I don't understand = No entiendo
How much does it cost? What is the price? = ¿Cuánto cuesta? ¿Cuál es el precio?
I would like to buy ... = Me gustaría comprar ...
Do you take credit cards ? = ¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito?
Where is ... ? = ¿Dónde está ...?
The post office = la oficina de correo
The bank = el banco
The police station = la estación de policía; la comisaría de policía
The pharmacy = la farmacia
The airport = el aeropuerto
The train station = la estación del tren
A ticket for .... please. = Un boleto (billete) para ..., por favor.
Do you have any rooms available for tonight ? = ¿Tiene habitaciones para esta noche?
Free Translation Tools: Babel Fish : Free English-Spanish-English translation of texts and web pages
Dictionarios.com : Free Spanish-Catalan-English-French Dictionary
Word Reference : Online dictionary

Emergency Numbers

Ambulance	131
Fire Service	132
Police	133
Information	134
AIDS helpline	+56 2 222 83 56

Communications

Quality of Communications: Both local and international telephone communication works well and rates are usually competitive.
Telephone Codes: To Make a Call From Chile, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in Chile, Dial +56
Number of Digits of National Telephone Numbers: Area code + a 6, 7 or 8-digit number according to the geographic area.

For more details, please see this link.
Mobile Telephone Standards: Standard GSM (Global system for mobile communications)
National Mobile Phone Operators: There are a number of mobile phone operators, including Claro, Entel and Movistar.

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix: .cl
National Internet Access Providers: The largest internet providers are Telefónica, VTR Banda Ancha, Claro Comunicaciones S.A., Telsur, GTD Manquehue, Entel-Chile S.A., Pacífico Cable, CMET.
Access in Public Places: In Santiago there are many wifi hotspots, but in rural areals infrastructures and telecommunications are less developed.
Access in Hotels: Most hotels offer wifi connection, as well as a business center.

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