What to know before your first trip to Chile

by | Feb 5, 2017 | Chile | 22 comments

Travel to Chile

If you have already scheduled your trip to Chile, it is because you have probably already heard that Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

You will probably be arriving in Santiago, and if this is the first time I recommend you to start your trip with a City Sightseeing and Wine Tasting Tour that will show you the highlights of the city and will bring you to one of the most beautiful vineyards right in Santiago.

Not only I say it (and the recommendation comes very closely … in case you don’t know yet … I’m Chilean), but many others agree that Chile is a country to fall in love with.

Even Lonely Planet defined Chile as one of the best destinations to travel this 2018 in their “Best in Travel” selection

Why traveling to Chile?

Due to its geographical location, Chile is located in a kind of bubble along the South American continent.

This has its pros and cons like everything. The most positive thing is that this location gives Chile a unique climatic and landscape variety. From the arid lands of the north to lush landscapes in the south.

It is very interesting because you can be on the same day first up in the mountains and finish the day seeing the sunset at the Pacific Ocean. If you are in Santiago you can take a Day Trip to ValparaĂ­so and Visit some Vineyards, or go to the Ski centers or trekking in CajĂ³n del Maipo.

If you were always dreaming about learning more about wine, you can make it true and BOOK HERE a 4-hour Sommelier class and learn how to enjoy the best of Chilean wines.

The least positive thing is that the infrastructure you will find in big cities can have international quality, but it gets more rudimentary across the territory when you are far from big cities.

Rapa Nui, Isla de Pascua Chile

When is the best time to travel to Chile?

Chile has a Mediterranean climate and you can find four seasons.

The best time to visit is in Spring-Summer, between September and March. Especially if you plan to travel to Patagonia and visit Torres del Paine, where rain and cold are part of the landscape most of the year.

 

How to get to Chile

The main entrance to Chile is Santiago, at Arturo Merino BenĂ­tez Airport (SCL). Most tourists don’t need a special visa and are allowed to stay 90 days in the territory.

Passengers from Canada (U $ 132), Australia (U $ 56), Mexico (U $ 15) and Albania (U $ 30) have to pay a reciprocity fee when entering the country.

It is very easy to get to the city center in Santiago if you arrive by plane. You can take a bus going to the city center, or book your own transportation in a shared or a private car. Be careful, even if Santiago is a very safe city generally, there are some Taxi Scams at the airport and in the city to be aware of.

International buses arrive directly to the terminals located in the city center where you can connect with the Metro lines or buses.

Metro de Santiago Chile Travel

What you should know before arriving in Chile

Basic things

– Local Currency: Chilean Peso. Don’t get scared by all the zero’s in our currency and don’t think every Chilean is a millionaire cause of this.

– Telephone code: 056 + city code (9 for mobiles) + number (have 8 or 9 digits)

– Time zone: Chile has two time zones, one for the mainland and another for Easter Island and Salas y GĂ³mez islands.

Usually, it is between UTC -3 or -4 depending on the time of year. The changes almost always occur in May and August.

Best hotels in Chile

The offer of hotels and hostels in Chile has increased in recent years.
Today you can find luxury hotels to lodgings in private homes and the quality is not necessarily related to the price you pay.

I always book through Booking.com when I travel and I recommend that when you book through the internet you always read very well all the details of the offers, as well as the references and comments from previous passengers, is what will give you a better idea and more details about the place.


Booking.com

 

Health

No special vaccines are required to enter Chile and there is no mosquito-caused disease to worry about.

There is only a small outbreak of Zika virus in northern Chile.

Chile has strict border controls for the entry of products of animal or vegetable origin, and trying to bring something not allowed might cost you something close to $300USD! Basically, any biological product like fruits, vegetables and non treated wood including others are not allowed to enter the country. If you have doubts, always mark that you have something and ask the Agricultural Security to be sure.

Please don’t forget to check these rules and you can risk heavy fines and even a few days in jail if you falsify the document, so please, be accurate and careful.

Plaza de Armas Santiago Chile Travel

Language

The official language in Chile is Spanish and is spoken by 99.3% of Chileans.

Without doubts, as in all South America, your trip will be easier if you speak Spanish since English or other languages speakers are not too easy to find among its citizens. Indigenous languages such as MapudungĂºn, Quechua, Aymara, and Rapanui are spoken in lower numbers, from which come many of the Chilean slang you will find in your daily life in the country.

Spanish spoken in Chile is famous for being very fast and with a characteristic intonation that is changing according to the country area. For those who have studied Spanish in Spain, they will notice a great difference, especially in the use of the ‘z’, which is non-existent in its pronunciation in Chile. 

Maybe you want to try and mingle with locals to try your Spanish. I can recommend you this amazing bike tour to explore Santiago’s hidden gems and local markets by bike. You can BOOK HERE 

In addition, the use of a lot of very creative and local words makes it a little complicated for those who visit the country and want to interact with Chileans.

¿Piola, Cachay, BacĂ¡n, WeĂ³n?

I always tell my foreign friends: When you can read without asking anyone this newspaper, called La Cuarta, you will be totally immersed in Chilean culture and Spanish. It’s even difficult to understand everything they say to me!

Security in Chile

Chile is one of the safest countries in South America, but I’m not saying nothing happens.

Traveling in Chile is easy and safe in general. Even if you love nature we have a very friendly fauna and there is almost no dangerous animal or insect that could endanger your life (except the spider called ‘araña del rincĂ³n’).

Just as in all the continent and especially as in any big city, always be careful with your belongings.

Don’t walk with your camera hanging and always have your backpack or wallet at sight, as the most common are pickpocketings or ‘cartereos’.

Although I’m not particularly proud of this and would love to not need to share this with you, in recent years there have been a lot of complaints about foreigners having problems with taxi drivers and it’s best that you keep this in mind to avoid being cheated on your visit.

Social rules and curious Chilean etiquette

  • Chileans greet with kisses on the right cheek and a hug. If you are introduced to someone in a meeting, even if you barely know each other, everyone makes this greeting. There are some exceptions, such as in business, restaurants or very formal occasions.
  • Punctuality is not our greatest virtue. If you are meeting up with someone and you’ve been waiting for almost half an hour and they tell you that they are on the way, believe it, is on the way to decide to leave.
  • The common thing is a window of a half-hour and always the encounters are ‘eight to eight and a half’, for example.
  • Chileans are terrible at saying no. This applies to things as basic as saying no when you offer them another plate of food. No wonder they say ‘we talk’ or ‘see you’ and you never know anything about that person, it’s just a way of avoiding telling you:  I’m not interested in having contact with you.
  • At meetings, parties or barbecues no one wants to be the first to arrive, so always leave a window time of 30 minutes after the appointment time to arrive.
  • You can get to a party if someone just warned you that there was a ‘carrete’ that day. It is usual that you can come with more friends to a party in a house.

Churrasco sandwich santiago Chile food

Things to know when it comes to eating and drinking in Chile

Chilean food is simple yet comforting and with great flavor. Although Chile’s name the food is NOT spicy and nobody knows with certainty why the name of this country.

If you love wine, salmon, and seafood you will be in the right place, you will find them of very good quality at very accessible prices.

If you want an introduction to Chilean cuisine in Santiago, you can BOOK HERE a unique food tour exploring the local markets and trying the best of the Chilean delicacies.

 

  • Lunchtime in Chile is around 2 pm and dinner from 8 to 10 pm.
  • We usually tip 10%, but beware that in some restaurants is already included at the end of your bill and your risking tipping double.
  • Check your change in stores and restaurants.
  • If you are not a customer of the bar or restaurant, they will not be very happy to lend you the toilet. Even in some places, they charge for their use if you are not consuming customer in the place, but more likely they will don’t allow you to enter.
  • It’s not very common to find good places to eat breakfast outside the touristic areas, so if your hotel includes the service, I would take it there
  • It’s not common to share tables with strangers.
  • If you are invited to have ‘once’ (literally meaning: eleven), that is what almost all Chileans get after work. It’s the Chilean tea time, consisting of a light dinner with tea, coffee, bread and things to add to it and sometimes sweet things too.
  • If you don’t like mayonnaise, ask in advance, since Chileans love excess mayonnaise, as well as avocados.
  • Don’t forget to try the local version of hot dogs: Completo Italiano is my favorite.
  • Yes, we have a drink called ‘Earthquake’ in Spanish: Terremoto and it’s delicious and dangerous!
  • If you are a vegetarian ask specific details of your dish, often consider a dish that contains vegetarian.

 

Planning your next big trip?

Find here the best offers to book your trip at the best rates


You can find the cheapest flights to Santiago with Skyscanner to compare with different airlines, or if you prefer you can GO DIRECTLY TO Air France website


Find the best rates and make online reservations on Booking.com before arriving. 

⇒Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor


Don’t forget to travel with Health Insurance. Check HERE the best plan at a monthly payment.


Find here the best tours and skip the line tickets in English, German, Spanish or French at the best rates.

 

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What to know before your first trip to Chile - The Nomadic Chica What to know before your first trip to Chile - The Nomadic Chica

(Updated August 2019)

Are you planning your trip to Chile? What else would you like to know about this country?

Gloria Apara

Gloria Apara

Writer | Digital Content Creator

I’m Gloria, the creator of Nomadic Chica, with a passion for Travel, Coffee, and Asian food.

Growing up in Santiago Chile and dreaming of travel and international exploration. I have set out my life to make my dreams come true.

Having traveled through Asia, Europe, and South America, for the last 20 years, I have a wealth of travel knowledge and experience to share. NomadicChica.com was created to inspire others to travel and empower solo female travels with knowledge.

22 Comments

  1. gloria this article is amazing. saludos desde chile

    Reply
  2. Thank you for the good advice! I am Celuac and must eat gluten free. How is Chile for that? ( also allergic to seafood)

    Reply
    • It should be ok if you can explain yourself and/or know what kind of food to eat outside. There are several healthy restaurants but if you go to a very local or a market it can be more difficult to find not only a salad. Try to research the options available and if you can speak Spanish tell them you have a disease so if you eat gluten (explain what contains gluten) you will be at the hospital. I had to do that years ago when I was vegetarian as not many could really understand what it was)

      Reply
  3. Hi, nice post, also you could include this one
    “If you don’t like the dogs on the streets then you’ll be considered a bad person” . This is a classic one.

    Reply
  4. Hi Gloria. Thanks for the great info! My family and I will be visiting Santiago and La Parva in August. What are the must things to see in Santiago?

    Reply
  5. I am so excited to see this beautiful city!! However, my friends said to leave my iPhone and nice camera (I’m a photographer) at home because they will get stolen. I can’t imagine not taking photos while i am there. Is it really so risky? I will likely stand out as a tourist with or without it…

    Reply
    • Hi Dawn,
      I wouldn’t say don’t have them with you. Just be careful and not hang your camera on your neck and try to keep your phone in a safe place. The most common way to get things stolen is through pickpocketing, so if you are careful you will be fine!
      Enjoy my city!

      Reply
  6. We recently returned from our first trip to Chile and we fell absolutely in love with the south! We have been traveling to countries in Central & South America looking for a place to retire to and we think we have found it in the little town of Futrono. We still want to return and travel some more though.

    Reply
    • I’m glad you liked it!! One of the most beautiful areas in the country!

      Reply
  7. This was excellent and very informative. Someone told me to register my cell phone before arriving to Chile Do you know anything about this?

    Reply
  8. Gloria, thank you for sharing about your beautiful home country. I will visit Talca in late May with a group from my church to work with the local church there. Do you have ‘must see’ sites in that area you would recommend? Thanks again.

    Reply
  9. My family and zi will be visiting your country in March this year (2018). I am hoping to use my iPad online. I have a pocket wifi that I can switch out sim cards. Whill this work? If so, can you recommend a carrier and tell how reliable the connectivity may be?

    Thanks in advance.

    T

    Reply
    • Hi Todd, You shouldn’t have any problems in Chile. Just be sure you don’t have anything internationally blocked so you can put a local SIM card. You can get one very easily at Entel, Movistar, Claro or Wom (my favorite).
      I hope you will be having a beautiful trip to Chile!!

      Reply
  10. I’m so excited to celebrate my birthday in Chile! It’ll be my first time. Are there any festivals going on between January 30-February 13th?

    Also, what’s your favorite restaurant in Santiago and favorite vineyard to visit in Chile?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • I hope you had a great party in Santiago!!

      Reply
  11. I am a Muslim, I am wandering if I can find mosques where we can offer our pryers during our visit to Chile?

    Reply
    • Hi! Yes, there are a few mosques in major cities, the ones I know are in Santiago and a really pretty one in Coquimbo you can check here

      Reply
  12. So excited that you referenced me to La Cuarta! I relocated to Puerto Varas from my home in the US a few months ago, and I’ve quickly learned that I need to be studying Chilean — not Spanish. Definitely adding la Cuarta to my studies :p

    Reply
    • Hey Katie! I’m glad you liked this! I wish you to have a great stay in Chile, Puerto Varas is such a beautiful place to live!! Let me know when you can read La Cuarta or if I can help you with that, lol

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Gloria, a serious travel addicted from Chile, passionate about going out of my comfort zone, trying delicious food, beautiful destinations and Luxury Places.

I’m here to hopefully inspire you enough to make your own travel dreams true!

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