hi
reading through it seems bus travel is easy in Chile, which is great. Am just wondering, I arrive in Santiago on 16/12/07 at 9.40 in the morning and want to go straight to Mendoza by bus. Do I need to book in advance from UK or will I just be able to turn up (as it's December holidays etc). If I need to book, who do I need to go through?
Thanks
Pippa
It is not possible to book buses from abroad.
Previous reports:
* We took Tas Choapa bus company. It took about 7 hours..(night bus) and cost about 20.00 US$. Many people take the day bus because the view passing over the mountains is incredible.
* There are several companies which run this route. The most recommended would be TurBus or Pullman Bus. The terminal for TurBus is at the Universidad de Santiago metro stop and Pullman is right next to it. The Terminal Sur, on the next corner same side of the street, has several options as well. Each company will have about 3 buses a day. It takes 6 or 7 hours depending on how long you have to spend in customs on the way.
* Buses run daily, except when the pass is closed due to snow. There are several companies and a few mini-buses companies. Most leave from Terminal Sur ( Metro Universidad de Santiago ). The trip takes about 6 hours, but the exact crossing time depends on the time needed to pass customs. Can be pretty long during long week-ends. Costs vary according to services offered on board and type of bus. Expect to pay about US$ 16.00 one way, more if crossing during a long week-end. Speaking of long week-ends, you may want to reserve a couple of days in advance if you are going to cross during long week-ends ( May 1st and 21st are national holidays in Chile ). Starting in May, it is not possible to do the crossing overnight ( winter schedule ), but you should do the crossing during the day, as the view is spectacular. It is well possible that the pass closes due to snow in May, but it usually closes for a few days at a time ( often only a day ).
* During Summer, the border is open 24 hours a day, so there are departures quite late at night ( do not think of taking an overnight bus, though, as the scenery is stunning ). There are clusters of departures: buses leave early morning, late morning, early afternoon, and at night. All companies have more or less the same schedules. Shop around a bit for both the best service and price, but also for the best seats. Going from Mendoza to Santiago, you want to sit on the right side of the bus ( not the driver's side ) if you want to spot the Aconcagua.
* You can get tickets minutes before the bus leaves usually. Make sure you get to the bus station early; the last bus for Chile leaves at 11:30 because the border closes at night. I recommend taking one of the bigger buses just because they are more comfortable. All the Chile ticket windows are next to each other.
* I will say it before anyone else does: watch your stuff in the Mendoza bus station. I have relatives in Mendoza, and traveled by bus from there twice, once to Santiago and once to Catamarca (northwest Argentina), and both times my relatives warned me that there was a problem with thieves at the bus station. In fact, while a cousin and I were waiting for our bus, there was a commotion nearby that turned out to be an attempt by a thief to take someone's unguarded luggage.
* On average there are buses every hour, but in the facts, buses leave at certain times of the day (all companies leave at approximately the same time), namely: 8-9, 10, 12-13, and 21-22 hours during the Summer. (there may be exceptions to this "rule"). Expect to pay around 20.00 US$. The exact travelling time depends largely on the time needed to go through customs. It is about 7 hours. On busy week-ends, it takes quite a while.
Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.