We're planning on spending two nights in Santiago, one night in Colchagua Valley, one night in Valparaiso, and then a final overnight in Santiago before our 6:20 AM flight to Atacama. My question is how many days should we rent a car for, and from where. I assume we want a car for our drive from Santiago --> wine country --> Valparaiso --> Santiago, but is it worth it to have a car during our two days in Santiago as well? And, on a related question, is it better to rent the car from the Santiago airport (if we're going to have the car the whole time), or from in the city (if we'll only have it for the end of our journey)? One concern is that some of the airport car rental companies may not be staffed so that we can return the car in the morning before our flight to Atacama. Thanks very much.

Driving in Santiago is not the best way to see the city - too much traffic. I would suggest you rent the car in the city and take taxis to and from the airport. The service is good and not unreasonably priced.

I agree you can and should take a taxi to see the sites in Old Santiago.

You can also have a taxi/tour guide for the wine country and Valparaiso unless you want to stay over night in Valparaiso.

If you leave in the early morning you can take in sevral wine country places...sample some wine and then on to Valparaiso and Vin del Mar.. tour the major sites and get back home to Santiago in the late evening .

Percy

Thanks very much for the replies. We like driving around at our own speed (literally), and we're inclined to spend a night in the wine country and then a night in Vina del Mar/Valparaiso (probably Vina, because I can use Starwood points there). But I appreciate the advice about not dealing with a rental car at the airport.

Is it worth it to have a rental car to do any other excursions from Santiago (e.g., the Andes), or is there enough to do in Santiago for two days w/out a car? Thanks.

There is lots to do in Santiago, but if you do find one day enough then rent a car and drive up the Cajón del Maipo. Do not do this on a weekend as the traffic jams get to be 10 kilometers long.