We will be arriving Santiago on Christmas Eve around 0800 then immediately enroute to Valpariso for the duration of our stay. Will the buses to Valpo (Tur, Pullman) be operating? Alternately, will buses be running the reverse route on Jan. 2, as we fly out of Santiago. Also, I'm thinking no restaurants will be open in Valpo on Christmas Eve. When do shops/deli/markets typically shut down on Christmas Eve?

Also, wanting to day trip from Valpo to the Casablanca wine region. Is it feasible to transport via bus and then taxi to the specific wineries (i.e. Indomita, Matetic, William Cole)?

Any tips/suggestions are welcome. Thank you in advance for your considerations.

There will be no problems with buss early in the day. They will be operating as normal, every 20 minutes. That will also be the case on January 2, but you will find that there will be a large number of travellers. Both are peak days for travel between the two cities. You might be better off spending the money for a taxi.

Shops will close around 6 although small stores will probably be open later. Not much will be open Christmas day as Christmas is celebrated after midnight on Christmas Eve.

when we did the trip last year we found that the cost of a taxi two was only marginally more expensive than teh bus fare for two plus a taxi at teh other end to the hostal. There are loads of minibus type taxis at the airport offering fixed prices.

Thanks for your reply folks. I actually spaced out the dates and will be arriving Santiago on Christmas morning. I'm thinking, the buses will NOT be operating. What are your thoughts? "Crellston": Those taxis you mentioned, will they be up and running on Christmas day? I'm thinking we'll have no luck in dinning somewhere or even getting food for some type of dinner. Discovering now that it may have not been the best idea arriving on Christmas. Thanks again for your suggestions and thoughts.

Hotels will have to provide dining for their guests and that may be where you need to head.Families celebrate the evening of the 24th and most things will be closed by 8pm. On the 25th most things will be closed all day. That day a lot of people will head to the beach. So, there are buses to the coast but they might be full as there will be fewer of them.
If you are planning to go straight to Valparaiso, maybe you should treat yourselves to a Christmas taxi. The official taxis (desks inside the customs area) have fixed prices for the trip. It would cost about US$130 from the airport but it is nearly a two hour taxi ride. You could email and ask:
http://www.taxioficial.cl/

Kalani, as Huentetu lives in Chile he is certainly far better placed than I to comment on the availability of taxis but $130 is a LOT more than I was quoted for the trip but there is bound to be a supplement for Xmas travel

crellston, I am talking about taxis from the airport to Valparaiso. A trip of nearly 2 hours. A taxi from the airport to a hotel in Santiago would be about US$30. There could be a Christmas supplement on either or both. If you got a lower quote, or anyone did it for less in the last few months on that trip, share a link. From Valparaiso to the airport can often be cheaper. But the cruise ships at that time of year make it a seller's market.

We plan to be in our hotel in Santiago on Christmas Day. Will there be anything for us to do besides hang out at our hotel???

Thanks everyone! One more question, is it possible to purchase bus tickets in advance from the U.S.? We have attempted to receive a password for the Pullman and Tur sites, however no luck. Any ideas?

peggieonthego, most people walk in the parks or go to the beach on Christmas day. If you tell me the general area of your hotel, I could think about what is near it.

Kalani, you cannot book Chilean buses with a foreign issued credit card. If you are just wanting to take a bus to Valparaíso, they normally leave every 15-20 minutes and you don't need to book. I am getting a bit confused about what your plans are for the day you arrive. Are you hoping to go to Valparaíso on the 25th?

We're at the San Christobel Towers. Thank you, Huentetu.