Travelling from Santiago to San Pedro - Bus Recommendations, Green Toad?

February is the main summer holidays in Chile so buses may book up, but not this far in advance. When I was there in February I only had one instance where I couldn't buy a ticket on the spot (Osorno to Santiago), but I was able to go via Concepcion with no problems.
The biggest companies are Turbus and Pullman, but there are many others, and they won't necessarily have a big web presence. For Santiago to Valparaiso you won't need advance bookings, there are many buses per day. There are also direct buses from Valparaiso to La Serena, should be easy enough to book a day or 2 in advance. To get from La Serena to San Pedro you usually need to change buses in Calama.
Never heard of Green Toad so can't comment on their quality.
A good detour on the route up to San Pedro is the Elqui valley (inland from La Serena). There aren't a huge number of attractions, but Vicuna and Pisco del Elqui are very scenic, relaxed towns. The Huasco valley (east of Vallenar) is meant to be similar, but much more off the beaten tourist track.

Companies like GT are usually not good value and more trouble than buying your own tickets. You really need to read their T&Cs carefully. Bus is the preferred way to travel in Chile and there are many good lines going anywhere you want with a variety of seat options (comfort, space). Some companies can be booked online paying through Paypal, others not. If you want to use a company like Turbus, you can buy all the bus tickets you might need later in one of their sales points. Do check arrival times as many night buses going north stop at La Serena very early in the morning. Try to book accommodation for La Serena and anywhere on the coast before you go. Also book for San Pedro if you want a choice.

Aside from that, there is a company called Pachamama which does a northern itinerary. Some love it, others not so much. Have a look and read plenty of reviews before you decide.

Thanks!
This was really helpful and cleared up a lot! I'll definitely check out those places :)

Thanks, this was super helpful! I thought Toadbus was a hop on and off bus service that allowed you to get on and off at different stops at your leisure but I emailed them and it seems to just be a medium to book buses through, so not sure if it is worth the markup. I'll look up Pachamama too though. Thanks for your help!

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