Tourist Information Chile - T |
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Taxis
Taking a taxi is safe and relatively cheap. The black cars with their yellow roofs can be hailed anywhere. In Santiago, there is a base price of 350 pesos (USD 0.60) plus from 60 to 80 pesos for each 200 m driven (or per minute when waiting). The rates are posted on the windscreen; the meter has to be where you can see it. For longer hauls or cross-country, you can negotiate a price beforehand. Tipping is not customary. You cannot rely on some driver's sense of orientation, often they barely know their way around. The more you know about how to get to your destination, the better.
You can request a radiotaxi by phone to pick you up from your place (Yellow Pages under "Taxis"). See also Colectivos, Airport Shuttle.
Telephone Calls
The Chilean market for telephones has been vastly liberalized in recent years; several carriers compete with the still dominant, formerly state-owned company Telefónica Chile.
Local Calls
From a regular phone line, approx. 25 pesos (USD 0.04) per minute between 8 PM and 8 AM and about 25% of that on weekends. Coin-operated phones charge at least 100 pesos (USD 0.15) per call (3 minutes), 200 pesos when calling a cell phone. For local calls, simply dial the respective phone number (no prefix).
In-country Calls
The rates for long distance calls are becoming more like those for local calls all the time. Dial the three-digit carrier code before the local prefix and phone number: carrier code + local prefix + phone number; i.e. Valparaíso via Telefónica: 188+ 32+ phone number.
International Calls
The rates are confusing and change all the time and there is no one place to find them all. You have to dial a carrier code +0 +country code + prefix + phone number; i.e. Washington D.C. via Telefónica: 188 + 01 + 202 + phone number. The cheapest rates to Europe and North America are around USD 0.25 per minute and quite a bit higher from a Call Center (Centro de llamados).
Centro de Llamados
Throughout the city centers, various phone companies maintain places from which calls can be made from the privacy of a booth and faxes can be sent.
Phone Cards
A very handy item for travelers in Chile, prepaid phone cards named "Línea propia" from Telefónica and similar cards from Entel and Smartcom allow calls to be made from and to any phone (local, long distance and mobile) without getting charged to that line. After dialing a specific number, the connection is made and the call is debited to the card (or to your virtual account) automatically. The rates are a bit more than those for regular phone lines and the cards are available from kiosks, where you can also obtain cards for the public card phones.
Cell Phones
These have meanwhile become standard in Chile. The different calling plans are confusing and coverage is mainly limited to the big cities and along the Panamericana. Foreigners without permanent visa (i. e. most tourists) can only buy prepaid phones that are more expensive to use, and work for international calls, but at a steep price. There is hardly any difference between the three most important Prepago providers, Telefónica, Entel and Smartcom. Watch for special offers with free minutes of airtime in exchange for some of the purchase price.
If you bring a compatible (GMS only) cell phone to Chile, it will only work if your provider offers roaming for the country (check before you leave).
Cell phone numbers start either with 08 or 8 and with 09 or 9 - when dialing from another cell phone, omit the 0. From abroad, dial 00568 or 00569.
Important Phone Numbers
- Emergency: 131
- Fire: 132
- Police: 133
- Directory Assistance: 103
- Chile's Country code: 0056
Time Zone
UCT/GMT minus 4 hours. Daylight saving time in Chile starts on the second Sunday in October and ends on the second Sunday in March.
Tipping
In restaurants a tip of about 10% is expected, it is not included in the bill. It is customary to take all the change first and then leave a tip. Gas station and parking attendants also expect a tip of 100 or 200 pesos, but cab drivers are not tipped.
Tourist Information
The sate-owned tourism agency Sernatur (Servicio Nacional de Turismo) maintains offices and information booths in all major cities and at the airports. The main office is at Av. Providencia 1550 (Metro Manuel Montt). Mon-Fri 9 AM-5 PM, Sat 9 PM-1 PM; phone: 236 1416.
Trains
Passenger trains, which had been pushed out of the market by the competition from buses and by a lack of timely investments, have now been modernized and they again offer an excellent service. They run from Santiago south to Concepción (approx. 520 km) and Temuco (approx. 680 km). Compared to the bus, this train is faster and safer. The original 1920's German sleeper coach, however, makes it a nostalgic trip back into the past. Leaves from Estación Central. Reservations: phone (2) 376 8500. There is fast and reliable light rail service once an hour between Santiago (Est. Central) and Talca. See also Buses.
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