Valpariso to Santiago airport...

[smeyer418]

A couple of questions, it looks like we save $600 per person if we make our own air arrangements with a cruise that starts in Buenos Aires and ends in Valpariso....we already lost the transfers coming in because we aren't staying at their hotels. But coming back we still have them but how do we get from Valpariso where the ship ends to Santiago-where the plane leaves from? does the ship sell that transfer? if there a car service to arrange? Any one done this?

 

Thanks (its not until March 2010 so we have time)....

[Keith1010]

It might help if you mentioned what cruise line you are on.

 

Keith

[smeyer418]

X if that helps you.

 

thanks

[greatam]

You are an independent kind of guy. Rent a car and drive yourself. VERY easy to do-much like driving the Central Valley in Calfornia. The roads are very good. You can go to the "high point" on the road out of Valparaiso, which is too small for the tour buses-amazing views. The road is almost all toll to Santiago. Don't forget Chilean pesos to pay the toll-they HATE trying to take US dollars.

 

Rental cars car be booked one way on the US Advantage Rental car site. They partner with Rosselot, a Chilean car dealer which also runs a rental car operation. Cost is about $100.00 for the day. Drop at the airport. You can even go on a winery tour, if you want. Very easy to do. The rental car dealer is a $10-15.00 cab ride from the port.

 

Otherwise, do a search on this forum. There are many many tour companies that offer tours from Valpo. Just DON'T use Port Compass. Long story, but they left us on the dock in 2006.

[smeyer418]

You are an independent kind of guy. Rent a car and drive yourself. VERY easy to do-much like driving the Central Valley in Calfornia. The roads are very good. You can go to the "high point" on the road out of Valparaiso, which is too small for the tour buses-amazing views. The road is almost all toll to Santiago. Don't forget Chilean pesos to pay the toll-they HATE trying to take US dollars.

 

Rental cars car be booked one way on the US Advantage Rental car site. They partner with Rosselot, a Chilean car dealer which also runs a rental car operation. Cost is about $100.00 for the day. Drop at the airport. You can even go on a winery tour, if you want. Very easy to do. The rental car dealer is a $10-15.00 cab ride from the port.

 

Otherwise, do a search on this forum. There are many many tour companies that offer tours from Valpo. Just DON'T use Port Compass. Long story, but they left us on the dock in 2006.

 

Thanks- all is forgiven :)(its about another thread..we sometimes fight-like we were married....to each other :) )

[Peregrina651]

We also booked our own flights. Since our flight from Santiago was at 2 pm, we bought dock to airport transfers from Celebrity. Sadly, we had no time for any touring on our way to the airport and this seemed the easiest (and most relaxing) solution for us. Our luggage was waiting for us when we got to the airport.

 

Figure on arriving two to three hours before your flight. We spent over an hour waiting in line just to check in--and the first class line did not move any faster. After that you still have to go through Chilean immigration (another line) and the security check point.

[greatam]

smeyer418,

 

Just wanted to add-you mentioned cruise line hotels in Santiago. You did not mention how many days. I personally think you will enjoy yourself more spending some time in Vina/Valpo. Lots of quirky hotels and fun things to do. Cap du Cal is my favorite-on the seawall with FANTASTIC views. You can even stay at one of the top wineries in Chile for a VERY reasonable price (for a luxury hotel).

 

Even though I spend quite a bit of time in Chile for business, I truly prefer staying at the beach rather than in the City (Santiago). I get upset when they schedule 2-3 days meetings in Santiago where I have to stay there. Really NOT a lot to do-how many cathedrals can you see, how many museums??? IF you have a car, you can get into the Andes. But again, you have to have a car.

 

Casa de Silva is the winery I am speaking of. S-SE of Valparaiso. Fantastic place-polo is NOT something most Americans have seen and the gaucho show/rodeo is very "fluid"-NOT a homogenized tourist show. (if you happen to be there on polo or gaucho days-no schedule per se)

 

This website is actually the winery's website:

 

http://www.casasilva.cl/

 

This is the booking agent for the hotel and has some fantastic deals on this hotel: wine, breakfast, free winery tour. The white horse carriage ride around the vineyard is simply a stellar experience (was $25.00pp).

 

http://www.kiwicollection.com/property/casa-silva-hotel-chile

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!!!

[smeyer418]

smeyer418,

 

Just wanted to add-you mentioned cruise line hotels in Santiago. You did not mention how many days. I personally think you will enjoy yourself more spending some time in Vina/Valpo. Lots of quirky hotels and fun things to do. Cap du Cal is my favorite-on the seawall with FANTASTIC views. You can even stay at one of the top wineries in Chile for a VERY reasonable price (for a luxury hotel).

 

Even though I spend quite a bit of time in Chile for business, I truly prefer staying at the beach rather than in the City (Santiago). I get upset when they schedule 2-3 days meetings in Santiago where I have to stay there. Really NOT a lot to do-how many cathedrals can you see, how many museums??? IF you have a car, you can get into the Andes. But again, you have to have a car.

 

Casa de Silva is the winery I am speaking of. S-SE of Valparaiso. Fantastic place-polo is NOT something most Americans have seen and the gaucho show/rodeo is very "fluid"-NOT a homogenized tourist show. (if you happen to be there on polo or gaucho days-no schedule per se)

 

This website is actually the winery's website:

 

http://www.casasilva.cl/

 

This is the booking agent for the hotel and has some fantastic deals on this hotel: wine, breakfast, free winery tour. The white horse carriage ride around the vineyard is simply a stellar experience (was $25.00pp).

 

http://www.kiwicollection.com/property/casa-silva-hotel-chile

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!!!

we added another day so we have two after we get off the ship. We literally saved more than $1000 doing it ourselves(the air anyway) and that includes amounts for getting to and from the airport. The only thing I don't know for sure yet is if we need a visa from Brazil to change planes.

 

My thinking now is to stay the first night in Valparaiso- with a local tour(we get in at 5 am and Celebrity throws you out of the room before breakfast) and then have a car and driver drive us for a tour through the country up to Santiago. It won't cost us that much more than a rental car(I can't drive a stick) and then I can enjoy it too. The plane leaves at 12:50 and we have to be at the airport at least a few hours earlier. We are discussing which airport hotel to use. Thanks for the suggestions we did take some of them and we will try this hotel...

 

Sid

 

ps just checked the site you suggested for a two day car rental its Total USD 461.25 with taxes...I car and driver sounds better all the time....

[greatam]

Sid

 

ps just checked the site you suggested for a two day car rental its Total USD 461.25 with taxes...I car and driver sounds better all the time....

 

Sure that wasn't a Chilean peso price?

 

Even on the Rosselot website (which is more expensive than going through a "partner"), the price is 63492 Chilean pesos which converts to approx $119.00. And that was for a Mitsubishi Galant which should have an automatic.

 

I never even gave it a thought about not being able to drive a stick. And yes, automatics are more expensive to rent in South America because there are so few of them. Maybe much more-I have never rented one.

 

Check out National Rental Car. Their cheapest price for an automatic one way is $38.00 per day (small car) PLU $.70 per kilometer. I can't imagine that you would drive more than 150 KM per day.

 

What ever you do, enjoy. I will be flying back and forth from the Middle East to SA for the fruit growing season this year. Should be interesting.

[smeyer418]

National gets terrible reviews on trip advisor in Valparaiso always trying to ding the customer....

[greatam]

National gets terrible reviews on trip advisor in Valparaiso always trying to ding the customer....

 

They all do. Too many Americans expect things to work as they do in America. Not so-"dinging, overcharging, (hate to say mordida) etc., etc., just a simple fact of life in a lot of the World (probably the worst in Asia).

 

I just pull out the camera when I first rent a car (at least 6 times per year in South America). Take pictures all the way around the outside and also the inside when I get the car and also when I drop it off. AND make sure I pay with a credit card from a international bank (Citi usually). Avis in Rio tried to ding me one time. I pulled out the pictures-discussion over. If there was STILL a problem, the pictures would have gone to Citi as well as a dispute.

[Peregrina651]

we added another day so we have two after we get off the ship. We literally saved more than $1000 doing it ourselves(the air anyway) and that includes amounts for getting to and from the airport. The only thing I don't know for sure yet is if we need a visa from Brazil to change planes.

 

Sid, in January, we changed planes in Sao Paulo on our way home from Santiago. We did not have to get a visa since we did not pass through customs to get from one gate to the other. I called the airlines a couple of different times before we left just to make sure that we would not need a visa.

 

As for docking in Santiago at 5 am, you aren't thrown off the ship at the hour. In fact, disembarkation of our cruise was delayed for over an hour and did not begin until after 8:30 am. Of course, we were still stuck in our waiting areas until we were called. My notes say that it was 45 minutes from the time our group finally disembarked until our bus left for the airport, and I don't know that we waited for all that long once we boarded the bus. Once off the ship, you get on a bus to take you to the arrival terminal where you pass through "agricultural" inspection (dogs, etc.) before being allowed to leave the terminal.

[smeyer418]

Sid, in January, we changed planes in Sao Paulo on our way home from Santiago. We did not have to get a visa since we did not pass through customs to get from one gate to the other. I called the airlines a couple of different times before we left just to make sure that we would not need a visa.

 

As for docking in Santiago at 5 am, you aren't thrown off the ship at the hour. In fact, disembarkation of our cruise was delayed for over an hour and did not begin until after 8:30 am. Of course, we were still stuck in our waiting areas until we were called. My notes say that it was 45 minutes from the time our group finally disembarked until our bus left for the airport, and I don't know that we waited for all that long once we boarded the bus. Once off the ship, you get on a bus to take you to the arrival terminal where you pass through "agricultural" inspection (dogs, etc.) before being allowed to leave the terminal.

 

Thanks....I said they kick you out of your room after breakfast. we have two days to make it to the airport....One day we will stay in Valparaiso and then at the airport before we leave....