Easter Island Transportation

  LAN Flight
by pure1942
 
  • LAN Flight
      LAN Flight
    by pure1942
  •   Transportation
    by Lunaina
  •   Transportation
    by Lunaina
  •   Transportation
    by Lunaina
  • Arrival by plane is without pain.
      Arrival by plane is without pain.
    by melosh
 
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Two ways to Easter Island

by melosh

There are two ways to get to Easter Island -- by ship and by plane. A resident fisherman told me the freighter from Santiago made the trip in 7 to 10 days and charged $30 a day. I could see it anchored off the coast and it looked like it was listing a little to one side. It reminded me of those wrecked ships I have seen in ports or just off the coasts of various third world countries. On the other hand, the planes of LAN (the Chilean airline) are top notch. There are regular 5 hour flights from Santiago and a few flights from the East. The airfare is not cheap probably because there is no competition, but you may be able to save some money by purchasing a Latin America (LA) or Chile Air Pass. The first requires at least 3 flight segments within LA and the second at least 3 flights within Chile. LAN will give the greatest discount on the segments to people who get to LA on LAN, but they...

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The only choice: LAN Airlines

by balint01

As I heard there are a small number of cruise ships that stop-by (like 4-5 in a year), but that's not the best alternative - and you would only get a quick tour of the island.So basically the only way is by air, and the only airline that flies here is LAN Airlines (LAN Chile), a member of the oneworld alliance. They fly five times a week during the summer and two times during the winter period. The two weekly flights all year around are connecting Santiago de Chile to Papeete, Tahiti, but make a stop at Rapa Nui in both directions, so you have the option to fly in from one of these two places. The other three in the summer connect Santiago with Hanga Roa only, leaving you only one option to depart from: Santiago de Chile.The ticket is very costly, and if you are an airline or tourism employee traveling with a "Zed" ticket, this is rumoured to be the toughest destination in the world to...

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Gas: Shell

by balint01

Like the church, the airport, the port and the bank, the Shell gas station is also a one-of-its-kind facility on Easter Island. It is located on the road passing the airport, can be easily found as everybody goes there to get gas (scooters, quads, cars, 4×4s, cranes, everything that needs fuel).Price is cheap (compared to Europe) and as the island is very small, you will never experience how much a full tank of fuel costs! :)Update in 2008: still fully valid.

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The Roads

by balint01

The roads on Easter Island are typically dirt roads. There are a few paved roads on the Southern side and across to Anakena, as well as in and around Hanga Roa, but the majority is dirt road. If you want to see more than the most famous Moai groups you will be forced to go to dirt-roads...If you prefer to go off the beaten path, then you will definiately end up on "roadless" roads, which if you have a 4×4 are only fun-fun-fun! And you may access the most remote spots, which I liked the most.Some of the roads, though are paved or made of brick (mostly in town), even some of the sidewalks on the main streets of Hanga Roa (where they exist) are of brick.Update in 2008: This is all still valid, even though some of the most remote areas and roads are now closed from tourists to protect the natural habitat.

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4×4!!

by balint01

As most of the roads on Rapa Nui are not paved, the best way to get around is by a 4WD. You can rent "regular" small cars as well, but it is definiately worth to get one of these, as you don't have to worry about the roads where you go, and it's real fun as well!If you drive one of these, you will be able to discover the most remote areas of the most remote island of the Earth! Go for it, it's a great experience!Typical types: Suzuki Jimny (on my pictures), Suzuki Vitara, Daihatsu TeriosTypical price: around USD 50/day (24 hours)Typical rental place: ask at your accomodation, they will know!Update in 2008: some of those most remote areas are now closed from regular visitors or at least protected by "do not enter" signs, so the weight of having a 4×4 has decreased, but it's still a lot of fun and is needed for Rano Kao and Ahu Akave among other destinations!

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Time to call LAN

by sswagner

There is one practical way for the vast majority of travelers to get here, and that is by airplane. Unless you have arranged sea transportation (very sporadic), you will have to fly here. One airline flies here, and that is LAN. It flies mostly from Santiago, however there are some flights from Tahiti. LAN does operated a Santiago-Easter Island-Papeete route. This means that Easter Island can serve as a stopover between the cities. The island can also be visited on the Oneworld Alliance round-the-world tickets. Airfare is not cheap, but the difference of a day can matter significantly. For example, I noticed that leaving for the island on December 15 was much cheaper than going on December 16. The website had a comparison chart with fares for departure/arrival combinations withing the desired date range. LAN is a good airline, which is fortunate since they have a monopoly on this route.

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jeep rental

by bighock58

when you rent a jeep as it is the only was to get around on your own as you will need a 4 wheel drive trust me,as the only paved road besides whats in Hanga roa,is the cross island road that goes straight across the island,after that you pretty much on your own,as roads change with the rainstorms,and you might find yourself stuck in the mud even with a 4 wheel drive like i was

XC bike the whole island

by dragonfr7

Best thing to do is rent a XC dirt bike in town. These tires will get you virtually any where on the island, as a 4x4 will encounter some serious volcano rocks in the fields. Alternatively, if you can handle a steed, horses are great, too, and plenty of them on the island. Both go for about $30/day, but the bike will probably get you further faster.

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Once you're there

by TheWanderingCamel

Hiring a 4x4 on Easter Island will give you the flexibility to go pretty well anywhere and everywhere you want. Many of the island's roads are little more than tracks, some very rough, making a 4x4 the best way to get to the more out of the way places - though even then you may have to leave the car and continue your exploration on foot at times - heavy rain can make the ground extremely boggy, and there are places that are accessible only by a walking track.We rented our 4x4 from the owner of our B&B - an ideal arrangement as it was charged for a 24 hour period and we took the rental up from the evening of our first day after returning from a tour. This meant we had the fullest use of it - right up until we had to be at airport for our late evening departure - Bicky was kind enough to come to the airport to collect it from us (and to farewell us with shell necklaces), leaving us free to...

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Only one option

by TheWanderingCamel

Reaching Rapa Nui, one of the most isolated places on earth, is never going to be straightforward! You could play Thor Heyerdahl and make your own way there by sea - not exactly practicable - or opt for a cruise that calls at the island, but that would only give you a few hours there - nowhere near enough to really appreciate the place, and the ships don't send people ashore when the seas are high, as they often are! - which leaves you with the only alternative - flying.Chile's national airline - LAN - is currently the only airline flying into Easter Island. They operate daily flights in the high season (Nov-Feb), and three or four the rest of the year.From Chile, flights leave from Santiago. Some are classed as domestic flights and leave from the domestic terminal in Santiago. Others are international flights that continue on to Tahiti - they leave from the International terminal at...

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Questions and Answers

ANNE930 profile photo

Q:  Hi All, I live in Macau PRC and am thinking of visiting Easter Island which is always one of my dream places. But travelling to... 

langlanglangpelikan profile photo

A: Hi! Was on that amazing island a few years ago. And then the only flights from South America was from Santiago, Chile. But there were also possible to fly there from... 

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