Guide to leave the airport of Santiago de Chile

Today I am writing this guide, given the increasing amount of stories I have heard from travelers who do not know how to get out of the airport to get to Santiago and move to the city. The "Arturo Merino Benítez" airport is located outside the city of Santiago and above all, if this is your first time in Chile, this information will be useful.

Some considerations…

• Until today there is no subway line that arrives at the airport, although its construction is planned, this will not happen until a few years later (between 2025 and 2045). Therefore to get to the city you have 4 options and to a large extent it will depend on the arrival time of your flight to the country and the money you want to spend on your transport.
• The airport of Santiago since 2016 has free wifi. This will help you to stay connected and evaluate other options.

These are the options to leave the airport...

Turbus: these buses offer a shuttle service to the metro and bus station "Pajaritos", a nerve center that will connect you to the rest of the city of Santiago or take a bus to other cities of interest such as Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, which are an hour and a half from Santiago and are very touristy.

These buses departure from the first level of the airport, next to door number 5.

• Good: It is the most economical of the options, the one-way trip has a price  of $ 1700 Chilean pesos (2.8 US dollars or 2.5 Euro or 53 Mexican pesos) and $ 3.400 Chilean pesos if they buy round trip. They have good frequency, they leave every 10 to 15 minutes.

• Bad: These buses operate only between 6 AM and 11:30 PM, if you arrive after that time, you have to use another option or to make the time at the airport. The space for suitcases is a little uncomfortable and small. It only reaches Pajaritos Metro station 

Bus Centropuerto: these buses offer a shuttle service of several stops to the metro station "Los Heroes", central point of Santiago that will connect you with the rest of the city

• Good: the one-way trip has a price  of $ 1700 Chilean pesos (2.8 US dollars or 2.5 Euro or 53 Mexican pesos) and $ 3.400 Chilean pesos if they buy round trip.

• Bad: Having several stops the time to get to Santiago increases and you only have buses from 6 in the morning until 11 at night which is the time in which the metro is open

Taxi: Just leave the control area and you will be besieged by official and unofficial taxi drivers. Before boarding any taxi, request the fare immediately, if the taxi driver says it is a taximeter, ask the approximate value.

• Good: faster and more comfortable, it can be economical if you share it with friends and operate 24 hours a day.

• Bad: It's more expensive than taking a bus. Even if it works all night, if your goal is to get to the Santiago metro, keep in mind that this does not work all night. If you aren't cautious you can be scammed with the prices. Always take the car's license for any subsequent problem. There are many who  will try to cheat you.

Transfer: It is a service shared with other passengers, which decreases the value a little, but this will always depend on the specific address to which they are directed. Some companies that operate in Santiego airport (which I suggested) are Delfos (https://transferdelfos.com/transfer/) and Transvip (http://www.transvip.cl/), in whose pages you can consult in a specific way according to the address to which you are heading and the value of the trip. From both companies, I have used the second one, and they are extremely serious and responsible.

• Good: The cost decreases because it is a shared service, but always depending on the distance traveled. It is the most comfortablea way to get directly to your accommodation.

• Bad: Longer waits in getting where you are going depending on where the other passengers go.

Uber: Uber or Cabify works a long time ago in Santiago and other cities in the country. It is a service that does not have legal regulation and does not have permission to operate at the airport. Even though the service of both Uber and Cabify is usually better than that of ordinary taxis (yes, they have tried to cheat me countless times), I think it is not responsible to recommend the service from the airport considering the latest events, it is preferable to use the options listed above and not take unnecessary risks.

Whichever option you choose, with these tips you will save yourself the bad moments in your arrival to the country and you will be ready to enjoy the kindness that it offers, once you get to the metro, it is very easy. If you have any questions, write us here https://www.facebook.com/InternationalStudentsSantiago/ we will be very glad to help you.