Arrival at the Airport
VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE: Chile is a country free of many agriculture pathogens. Therefore, there is a very strict control by the customs (ie. all your belongings will pass through x-ray check points). If you bring any food, wood or beverages that were acquired outside Chile you must declare them in the custom form. If not, you can risk expensive fines and a lot of time wasted at the customs before being able to leave the airport.
S.O.S.
If it happens that you run into serious trouble upon arrival (loss of documents, money, etc), call to the cell phone of the Chair of Conference (Francisco Melo) from a public phone at: 9732 1374 (at any time). In that situation you may need to beg for a coin to someone at the airport to make the call (or contact representatives from your airline). However, Chilean people are very charming thus that should not be a problem at all.
Currency
The currency in Chile is the Chilean peso (CL). US$ 1 is about CL$ 690. EU$ 1 is about CL$ 780. These conversion rates may fluctuate in the range of 5-10%. All major credit cards are generally accepted (Visa and Mastercard are the most popular). Most of ATMs in Chile are compatible with Maestro and Cirrus (check the logo in the back of your debit or credit card). It may be more convenient to get money in an ATM machine than in currency exchange booths at the airport. There are many ATM machines inside the airport and a couple of machines just after exiting the controlled airport area (you must walk a few meters to the right, after exiting the customs).
Where can I find a money exchange office at the airport?
The airport features several Exchange houses, located on the first and third level of the public Hall, in international departures. In Viña del Mar there are also several Exchange Houses. Also, banks offer this service at a slight higher rate. You will also find many automated cashiers (ATM) on the streets and at the hotels.
Are there means of transportation for arrival or departure airport?
There are no direct buses from Santiago Airport (SCL) to Viña del Mar. However, there are services departing from the airport with arrival at the Pajaritos Metro station, from where buses depart every 10 minutes to Viña del Mar. The trip, including the transshipments, takes approximately 1 h 40 min.
To get to Pajaritos, you must take a bus from the airport to the station (a bus called "Centropuerto").
Once in that station, there are several bus companies with frequent departures to Viña del Mar, whose buses arrive at the Viña del Mar bus terminal.
Emergency numbers
- 131 Ambulance
- 132 Fireman
- 133 Police
- 134 Investigation Police (PDI) 227081043
Getting to Vina Del Mar from Santiago International Airport
There are no direct buses from Santiago Airport (SCL) to Viña del Mar. However, there are services departing from the airport with arrival at the Pajaritos Metro station, from where buses depart every 10 minutes to Viña del Mar.
The trip, including the transshipments, takes approximately 1 h 40 min.
To get to Pajaritos, you must take a bus from the airport to the station (a bus called "Centropuerto").
Once in that station, there are several bus companies with frequent departures to Viña del Mar, whose buses arrive at the Viña del Mar bus terminal.
The simplest / cheapest route to go from Santiago Airport to Viña del Mar is:
- Take a bus from Santiago Airport to "Terminal Pajaritos" or "Terminal Alameda". You should take a TurBus:
We have services from 05:00 hrs until 00:00 hrs every 10 minutes and additionally night services are made from the Airport to the Alameda Terminal between 00:30 and 04:30 hrs. every 30 minutes.
Departure from the first level next to door number 5 of the SCL Airport.
More information is available by clicking here
Approximately: $ 1,900 CLP (2.8 dollars) - In "Terminal Pajaritos" or "Terminate Alameda", take a bus to Viña del Mar. These leave approximately every 30 minutes (even less) and there are many companies that do the service. The most reliable are:
TurBus
PullmanBus
CondorBus
Approximately: $ 6,000 CLP (9 dollars). - At the Viña del Mar bus terminal, you can take a taxi, Uber or Cabify to your destination.
Private Car Transfers are also available. We advise that you book in advance. Some of the most trusted companies and where you can pay by credit card are:
http://www.transfer-santiago.cl
http://www.transferviña.cl
The trip to Viña del Mar should not take more than 2 hours, depending on traffic on the road.