Day trips Vina del Mar?
 

I will have 4-5 days in Santiago before flying to Buenos Aires. I would like to spend some time in Santiago but would also like to see Vina del Mar/Valpariso. We are not beach people but would like to see the area. Do you suggest using Santiago as our "home" and doing day trips to repacking and heading down to Vina del Mar?
Thanks
Pat

You can definitely do Valparaiso and/or Viña del Mar as day trips. There are tour companies which do the trip or you could hire a car with driver. Your hotel will be able to help with this. See if you can get a tour which includes a visit to one or more vineyards on the way. If you are coming in summer, Viña gets quite crowded as it is a popular beach resort.

Huentetu

I am so sorry, I just saw your reply tonight - thanks so much. I would love to do the vineyards. I am sure we will have no problem booking a tour. Sounds like a better idea for us to just stay put using Santiago as a base and do the day trips. Thanks again
Pat

In Santiago a good location is Providecia, a residential and commercial place, very calm, with many green areas, underground train, near restaurants “Aquí esta coco“ http://www.aquiestacoco.cl/english.htm is a excellent restaurant of seafood.
In this locality there are good hotels of four stars like: Hotel Torremayor y Eurohotel , A good company that can help it with transfer and trips by the city are www.enaturchile.com A visit that you cannot lack is to the vineyards “Concha y Toro”.
The old part of the city is an interesting place with constructions of century XVII, where is the Government House ,
Mercado Central is a place where the fruits and seafood of country are commercialized, there are good restaurants of seafood and they are not expensive and of very good quality. near this place this La "Plaza de Armas" it counts with a really beautiful Cathedral
The new part of city is: the state of "las condes" and "Apoquindo", a good sector of these states is AV. El bosque and the "pueblito Los Dominicos" that are a place of craftsmen.
Santiago is a safe cleaning and very organized city. worthy to be visited.
Excuse my English is not very good
I hope to have been able to help

Macarena
Thanks so much for your information, I found it very helpful.
I am glad you mentioned the Conch y Tora tour as that was one I was considering
Pat

I was in Santiago last August and did the Concha y Toro winery tour. I thought that they did an excellent job. I would recommend. On the way back our guide asked if we wanted to stop for lunch at a paradillo (sp?). We did and it was very good and interesting. By the way, I spent a week at the Ritz Carlton in Las Condes and loved it.

Ok Tom, now I am sold and we will do the Concha y Toro tour - I am assuming I can just book that through my hotel.

I was planning on staying at the Four Points by Sheraton (to use my points) but I will look into other options.

Macarena - thanks for the restaurant name - sounds great.
Pat