Travel Time Between Santiago and Valparaiso

[Keith1010]

Approximately how long is the travel time by car from Santiago to Valparaiso. We will be staying in Santiago prior to boarding our cruise ship in Valparaiso and are trying to get a feel as to the distance.

 

Thanks,

Keith

[LibLively]

I believe it is about two hours, depending on traffic. We will also be flying into Santiago and leaving from Valparaiso.

[Bill S]

We did the same thing last December and I as I recall, it took us about 2 - 2.5 hours with a brief stop at a winery. We used Port Compass for the transfer and tour of Vina Del Mar and Santiago. We had one other couple join us and it worked out great. The tour included a lunch in Santiago at a small eatery with a verandah overlooking downtown Santiago and the harbor. We were at the check-in point for embarkation by 3:30 and there were no lines at all at the HAL counter. The road between Santiago and Valparaiso was very good, divided 4-lane most of the way, as I recall. Hope this helps!

[Aussie Gal]

Bill,

 

Thanks for that information. I hadn't thought of Port Compass for transfers. We will be doing the opposite, arriving in Valpariso and wanting to go to Santiago. I was thinking about a ship transfer so will keep Port Compass in mind.

 

Jennie

[valpojamie]

Hi,

 

Transfers from the port are easy. I live here and help lots of folks make their way back inland. Whether you purchase in advance or right outside the terminal, usually half price, your only real concern is time. Most flights back to Miami or Dallas leave at night. If that's the case then you can spend the day and either take in the coast or as the others mentioned a winery tour. You will pass a large number on your way to the airport. Typically Santiago is hot and humid in the summer. Most people who live there come to the coast. It's why I live in Valpo and not Santiago.

The terminal (new terminal) creates a headache in departing the ship. First you must board a bus and drive around the actual pier of Valpariso to get to the terminal. So it adds some time in simply leaving the ship in the am. Just something extra to consider.

 

All the best,

 

Jamie in Valpo

[Aussie Gal]

Jamie,

 

Thanks for that information. Do you mean that we can find a transfer when we leave the ship to take us to Santiago and our hotel and perhaps to a winery on the way. If so that would be wonderful. What sort of cost would this transfer be in US dollars. Thanks

 

Jennie.

[olderpilot]

Jennie, Portcompass amongst others provide transfers from Valpo to Santiago with sightseeing ( Valpo, winery, Santiago, your choice - all depends on your flight time enroute.

 

We already have a private individual lined up for a Valpo tour and drop-off at Vina del Mar where we are going to spend a couple of nights before going on to Santiago in 2005.

 

Check the Portcompass website - http://www.portcompass.com - for some ideas.

 

Jerry

[Aussie Gal]

Jerry,

 

I thought that Port Compass needed more than two people. We are travelling on our own and not with friends so I am wondering about finding extra people. Perhaps you can tell me the secret of this.

 

Jennie

[olderpilot]

Jennie,

 

I apologize for not going back and seeing which ship/cruise you are on. Portcompass will link you up with others on your ship to meet their minimum requirement which might be something to discuss on your Roll Call thread.

 

If you are interested in a tour with your transfer other than what the ship offers there are other alternatives that can be scheduled in advance. We have done that for our 2005 cruise because none of the Portcompass offerings fit our desires. I am working with a gentleman in Santiago recommended to us by our Buenos Aires agent.

 

Jerry

[valpojamie]

Jamie,

 

Thanks for that information. Do you mean that we can find a transfer when we leave the ship to take us to Santiago and our hotel and perhaps to a winery on the way. If so that would be wonderful. What sort of cost would this transfer be in US dollars. Thanks

 

Jennie.

 

Hi Jennie,

 

A typical transfer to either the airport or hotel is usually anywhere from $100 to $160 dollars for your own cab/car. Most drivers include brief tours of Santiago in on the way. Your only real problem is that there are very few drivers who speak english. How they do tours is beyond me but I guess so long as you have a bit of spanish and they a little english then somehwere in the middle with the view everyone is happy.

 

Usually myself or one of my staff (all who speak English) are organizing free crew shuttles for the crew members to come and use my cafe services. This is how I have figured out prices and met the few who speak english. The other guys usually end up asking me to assist in the barter/haggle to set up a shuttle or tour. I pretty much try to stay out of it as on a slow day you can imagine how grabby they can become.

 

All are well licensed, the port is patroled strongly by the authorities and anyone who is not a licensed cabbie minimum is shuttled off the port area. So you can feel safe in doing whatever you wish for transportation. Depending on exactly what you wish I have helped many folks last year with a dependable english speaking driver. Saves the last minute hassles. In turn on of ship days these guys direct tourists to my cafe for cofees and phone calls.

 

I have spoken to many people who use portcompass and are very happy with their dependable and professional service. But they have minimums and you may not get the individual personal chauffer type service.

 

In terms of the tours I set up some last year that were about $35 per person on top of the transfer fee of $120. It included two wineries. Depending on your timeline there are some very interesting ones I know of including one over 100 years old that was a Franciscan monestary. I don't think port compass or any large bus tour will find or take you to this one. Very unpolished and original.

 

All the best,

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks so much for that information. I will keep it in mind for our trip in January, 2006.

 

Jennie

[Bill S]

Jennie: getting more than 2 people for the transfer/tour last year was a challenge for us as well. I put a post here on this forum asking for "company" and also worked by email with Sue May at PortCompass, who found another couple who wanted to do the same thing as us, so we wound up with a driver, tour guide (who was just great) and the four of us. It worked out quite well.

 

Sue May at PortCompass was super to work with---all by email and she even got us a discounted rate at the hotel we wanted to book (Hyatt Regency in Santiago). The other couple and us, wanted to focus on Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso rather than Santiago and the winery, and our guide accomodated our request and we left Santiago right away on the morning of the transfer, had a very quick rest stop at the winery and spent most of the day seeing and exploring the sights around Vina and Valpo. The guide dropped us off right at the entrance of the pier where you surrender your checked luggage to the stevedores and got on the shuttle bus to the ship. Smooth all the way.

 

Hope this helps you!

[Aussie Gal]

Bill,

 

Thanks for that. Did you do any other Port Compass excurisons whilst on the cruise and if you did, did you work with Sue May the whole time? Sorry for all the questions but it is a completely new experience for us. We are so used to Europe.

 

Jennie

[olderpilot]

Jennie,

 

If you are looking for a private tour and transfer service, I would be happy to refer you to the gentleman who will be assisting us in Feb, 2005. Since you are not going until 2006, we could pass on our experience to you.

 

We have contracted for pick-up in Valpo, tour of Valpo, transfer to Vina del Mar, transfer from Vina del Mar to Santiago, a city tour and a day tour to an Andes village and winery. The cost for the two of us is competitive with Portcompass and of course we are able to set our own course and pace.

 

This gentleman referred us to another tour guide in Puerto Montt. We are working with her at arranging a tour there.

 

Jerry

[Bill S]

Jennie: we wanted to use Port Compass for a few other excursions, but they do require a minimum number of people for each excursion and neither Sue or I could find anyone else to sign up for excursions in advance. So, we were able to use them only for the Santiago-Valpo transfer/tour. The only thing I could figure is that very few on that cruise used the internet for researching alternatives to HAL's excursions. Anyway, we still had an excellent cruise and with one exception, HAL's excursions were fine.

[Aussie Gal]

Jerry,

 

Thanks so much I would appreciate any info you have and would love to hear about your trip when you return.

 

Bill,

 

I thought that might be the case with Port Compass. It is so hard to find people to share the exercusions unless you are on the cruise with friends.

 

Jennie

[Bobbie63]

Jennie: we wanted to use Port Compass for a few other excursions, but they do require a minimum number of people for each excursion and neither Sue or I could find anyone else to sign up for excursions in advance. So, we were able to use them only for the Santiago-Valpo transfer/tour. The only thing I could figure is that very few on that cruise used the internet for researching alternatives to HAL's excursions. Anyway, we still had an excellent cruise and with one exception, HAL's excursions were fine.

 

Bill: When are you going on your cruise. We need transportation from Santiago to Vapo for the April 15, 2005 sailing of the Amsterdam. Would you please give me further info. Thanks

Bobbie

[AWOL]

We used PortCompass for the transfer from Vapo to Santiago last week and were well pleased with the service and our Tour guide. We had a few other folks with us but we did another tour with them in Puerto Arenas to see the Penguins where we were by ourselves. What they do is cost the tour by the number of people who are taking the tour, the more people the less the cost. When we booked the Transfer/Tour, we only had one other couple signed up and as it got closer to the cruise, more people joined and they refunded some of the cost. We would highly recommend the use of PortCompass and would use them again in a New York second

 

Regards

Roger

[juliejoe]

AWOL - Thanks for your comments on Portcompass. They are looking like the way to go for dependable tours in SA.

 

Will you be elaborating on all of your port experiences? PLEASE DO!

 

Julie

[digby]

The Concierge at the Ritz arranged our transfer to the port. We were a party of 4, and we traveled in a very comfortable air conditioned van for $12/person. The ship's transfer on a bus would have cost $69./person.

[Marleo623]

Bill: When are you going on your cruise. We need transportation from Santiago to Vapo for the April 15, 2005 sailing of the Amsterdam. Would you please give me further info. Thanks

Bobbie

 

Hi Bobbie.

We are also transferring from Santiago to Vapo for the Apr. 15 sailing of the Amsterdam. I think I have found someone. Would you like to join me and my husband? A van will hold 4 people and luggage. Are you arriving in Santiago that morning? We will be picked up from a hotel in Santiago because we are arriving 2 days earlier. We are travelling with 2 other couples who have arranged the transfer from the airport but the van will hold only 4 people with luggage. I am going to reserve it with the same person that they did. I can't remember what the cost was for 4 people. For 2 people it was $95 for the van, not per person. If you would like to do this, let me know and I will let you know exactly how much it will be.

Marilyn

[NDRB]

Jennie, are you having second thoughts about using "Pancho" between

Valparaiso and Santiago? We lined up our transportation with him for April, so I was curious...

 

 

Nina

[Aussie Gal]

Nina,

 

No we are going with Pancho. I have been in contact with him for the past few weeks and we have worked out where we want to be taken. He has been busy with tourists so his emails have been spaced but we are happy to use him. We will be having a very full day with him when we disembark. We are planning to see a lot including something of Santiago as well.

 

Jennie

[NDRB]

I'm curious, Jennie- just how detailed did you get with Pancho? We just received a very general description of the day, nothing specific. What sort of requests did you have?

 

Nina

[Aussie Gal]

Hi Nina,

 

We want to see some of Valpariso and Vina del Mare. We would like to visit a winery and we want some time to see Santiago. A very full day but we are in no hurry to go anywhere so I think it can be done. He is very amenable and we can even decide on the day if we change our minds to what we want to see.

 

Jennie.