Travel to Chile on bus??

[sanfrancisco]

Hi,

has anyone here ever taken a bus to chile?
Or know when i can find information on this.

im trying to get to - Port of Valparaiso, Chile - its where the cruise ships are.

thanks in advance!

SF

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Hi,

has anyone here ever taken a bus to chile?
Or know when i can find information on this.

im trying to get to - Port of Valparaiso, Chile - its where the cruise ships are.

thanks in advance!

SF

If you are in Bs As, go to Retiro Bus Station. All the ticket offices are upstairs on the mezanine floor and the ticket offices for the international companies are at the end furthest from the main entrance - once you are upstairs, follow the signs. There you can check out each company's departure and arrival times, prices etc - ask any questions you want - and book to travel at a future date or to leave there and then. A Chilean operator may be able to book you straight through to Valpo but you will probably have to change buses in Santiago.


I've made this run several times and my personal preference is to busk it by catching one of the dozens of buses between Retiro and Mendoza then (after a decent meal in the city of Mendoza) catch one of the dozens of buses between Mendoza and Santiago and then one of the gazillions that shuttle between Santiago and Valpo and Viña del Mar.


If you are not familiar with Santiago, it's worth knowing that there are four main bus terminals - all along the Alameda (Av Libertador Gral Bernardo O'Higgins) and the three most popular ones are very close together. Even if you are booked all the way through with one company, ask if you will have to change buses in Santiago and ask which terminal the one bus arrives at and which terminal the other departs from. I speak as one who stood in one place muttering under his breath about the punctuality of Chilean buses while his ever-punctual Chilean bus was loading in the next bus station only 100m away. Even if you buy a ticket in one terminal, check that the bus actually leaves from that terminal. Yes, I've done that too.

 

[soulskier]

I think LAN is running a special BA-Santiago you might be interested in as well. It will save you a full day.

 

[rockbodyrock]

To add on to "elhombresinnombre"

from BsAs to Mendoza, just make sure you confirm the time tables

the buses from Mendoza do to Santiago/ vina del mar-valpo in the mornings.

around 7-8-9-10

so make sure you confirm your connecting bus in Retiro before you leave.

Tac/el rapido/ etc

 

[tinto]

i use plataforma 10 to check bus schedules and purchase tickets. not all companies are on it but since pricing is similar across the board, you might as well buy without leaving your house!

www.plataforma10.com.ar

 

[TomAtAlki]

Just out of curiosity, do you have to pay the visa charge (for US Passport) at the border if you go by bus?

 

[Serge]

Hi everyone, could you please share your experience - travelling by bus Santiago de Chile - Buenos Aires? Which bus provider would you recommend? I'm looking for safe, comfortable and money-wise solution. Thank you very much!

 

[Rich One]

Andes Mar Bus is good, CATA and El Rapido Argentino that stops in Mendoza and continues to Santiago in the same bus others lines require a bus change in Mendoza. In transfers at Mendoza if the bus is delayed on the way from Retiro you may miss the connection. Select a coche cama window side single row . Only 9 coche cama in a bus.

See Schedules on plataforma 10 web page. , Avoid the food on the bus , other than water and crackers, salads with mayo and fruit salads are a no-no ! The buses pick up the food trays on the road from some nondescript caterers ?? Cost $1000 pesos aprox.


http://www.plataforma10.com/Servicios#buscar/10/426/20-08-2014/1

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Just out of curiosity, do you have to pay the visa charge (for US Passport) at the border if you go by bus?

Now a part of the Visa Waiver Program, Chile no longer collects a retaliation fee. Even before, they never did so at land borders, but only at SCL.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Hi everyone, could you please share your experience - travelling by bus Santiago de Chile - Buenos Aires? Which bus provider would you recommend? I'm looking for safe, comfortable and money-wise solution. Thank you very much!

You might get a cheap one-way air fare to SCL, which is only a two-hour bus ride from Valpo. There are also buses from Mendoza direct to Valpo, without going through Santiago.