o.k

We're arriving to Santiago in the morning, and have to be on our ship in Valparaiso by afternoon. Between these 2 events, we would like to see a little of Santiago even if we can do it from a window. Questions:<BR>1. Are there any 1-2 hours bus tours we can take in Santiago?<BR>2. How much would cost a taxi trip aroung the city?<BR>3. Are there any other options, and how costly they are?<BR>4. How we can get to Valparaiso from Santiago? How long does it take, what are the options and prices<BR>Thank you

M & J

We have used a transport service from the airport to the downtown areas. And we are using them again for our next trip. They also offer some tours.<BR>www.gotolatin.com and click on Chile.<BR>Remember---there is a $61 visa cost at customs--cash only. No credit card. Do not expect them to give you change.If you USA citizen--use dollars<BR><BR>

JP

That's $100, not $61 (we did it a few weeks ago). Make sure where you need to go from Santiago; our Celebrity cruise from Valparaiso required checking in at Vina del Mar, not Valparaiso. If you are going from central Santiago to Valparaiso, Turbus has departures every 15 minutes for about $4.

Merriem

The first time we did that trip we flew into Santiago the day of sailing. It is quite a bus trip (we had cruise line transfers), the traffic is very heavy, and we got their about two hours before the ship sailed. Frankly, I would skip Santiago, or go a couple of days early. You just do not have time to see the city and get to the ship. Have a good trip. E-mail me if you have any questions.

customs

The customs charge is $61 dollars US.

o.k

JP:<BR>Where does the Turbus stop? How to get from the airport to that destination? (are there any city buses going there?) Is advanced ticket purchase and/or reservation required? Where to buy the tickets? How long does the Turbus take to vet there? How did you get to the port from the bus station in the town?<BR>Sorry for too many questions...<BR>Thank you

JP

There's a bus transportation desk inside the customs hall at the airport, just before you exit. The tickets may be purchased there ($ or pesos) or out at the curb (pesos only). Tell them where you want to go, and they'll direct you to the right bus. They're cheap (a few $), easy and frequent. We went from the airport to the central rail station in Santiago, but I think you can go directly to Valparaiso or Vina del Mar if you want. You can also go to the main Santiago bus station (Alameda) and get the bus to the coast from there if you want. I don't remember exactly how long the bus from the airport to Santiago took, but maybe 1/2 hour? Santiago to the coast takes around 2 hours and $4. You shouldn't need reservations for any of them.<BR><BR>If you're running late and they have you checking in up at Vina del Mar like we did, you might want to go directly to the ship anyway; they were letting people check in there, too (even though they told us on the phone that we couldn't).<BR><BR>We didn't go directly from the bus station to the port, because we came into Valparaiso early the previous morning. We walked to our hotel, but it was a ways (more than a mile). You would definitely want a taxi. They aren't expensive, and the bus station and pier are at opposite ends of Valparaiso (although someone said that they may use a different pier on some sailings).<BR><BR>And the Chilean entry fee really was $100 (3 weeks ago). The U.S. raised its visa fee to cover additional background checks because of the terrorist attacks, and Chile raised theirs to match.<BR>

o.k

JP: Thank you very much for the reply. It is very informative. I appreciate it.<BR>Would you suggest anything (places to visit, excursions to take, things to do etc.) in the ports of call (did you take Celebrity's Zenith?)?<BR>Thank you<BR>