Now if you have ever traveled to any Latin American Country, you probably already know that the primary form of transportation is buses. Now, don’t worry, forget those conjured images of chickens in the bus with you. Chile is the most economically stable country in South America and Santiago is a very modern city.
Getting Around Cities
Micros (pronounced meecros) are generally $300 pesos that go on fixed routes throughout the city. The destinations are listed on the front of the bus and the streets that the bus uses to get there.
Until you get the hang of it, ask which buses go where as when they are flying by the “paraderos” it’s hard to read everywhere that the bus goes.
Try and ride close to the front in the evening and make sure the bus it lit. The buses are generally safe, but use common sense. Keep bags in front of you when riding and don’t expect change for anything bigger than a $2000 peso note(use small bills when not paying in change.)
The buses are great to ride albeit a bit slow. Vendors pop on and off the buses selling their wares of ice cream, candy, pens, sewing kits, supplemental school books for children, and “1000 words in English”. Go ahead and pick these up for the fine price of $500 pesos as they will help teach you how Spanish phonetics translate to English.
Long Distance Buses
If you would like to travel to other parts of Chile, there are buses that go to just about every part. Keep in mind that Chile is REALLY long. Rides to the beach from Santiago are about an hour and a half, but if you want to go to the north or to the south, plan on spending anywhere from 6-24 hours depending on your destination. Tur-Bus is the largest and most reliable bus service in Chile. If you don’t like long bus rides, consider flying or take a train to the south.
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