baladeuse

I know having a car in Valparaiso is probably not a good idea, but I'm having trouble with our reservation with Sky Airline, so now thinking of renting a car to travel around Chile instead of flying. We plan on going from Santiago airport to Valparaiso, spend two nights there, then on to La Serena. We're booked at the Ibis in Valparaiso, which has no parking. So does anyone know where we could park the car for two days while we explore Valparaiso? Google maps shows a parking garage at Plaza Bellavista. No idea what the rates are. We would take a taxi to the hotel and use public transit while we're in the city. Any reason this is a bad idea? Or alternative suggestions?

thursdaysd

Have you looked at taking buses?

crellston

We got the bus from Santiago airport to Valparaiso. It was pretty straightforward and took a couple of hours. I can’t imagine that a car in Valparaiso would be anything other than a hindrance. I would investigate the bus routes from there to La Serena and maybe get a tour, hire a car plus driver there.

baladeuse

Thanks for your responses. We have considered buses, and maybe that's the way we'll end up going, but we're also thinking that having a car would give us flexibility to explore along the way - maybe there are some interesting seaside villages we could visit? Just looking at our options...

Hoping someone who has driven in Chile could give us some feedback about the roads. We emailed the hotel and they've told us there's paid parking available, though not offered by the hotel.

crellston

We have driven a little in Chile and a LOT in Argentina. The roads in Chile were fine as I recall, better than much of Argentina.

Bus to Valparaiso and pick up a rental car there, might be a good compromise option. - if that is possible? One way hire fees tend t9 be on the high side in South America and I would definitely stick with one of the international brands like Hertz or Avis and go for the fully comprehensive insurance with zero excess. We rented a very small, VW Gol one time and it was fine for what we needed. You don’t need a 4WD.

Hopefully Huentutu, a Chile resident will see this and chip in.

mlgb

https://cl.parkopedia.com/aparcamiento/garaje/sotomayor

Plaza Sotomayor is not far. Its also where the Tours4Tips meets.