 Arts&crafts: picture them instead of buying them. by danielcv | Tips and photos of Santiago tourist attractions and tourist traps, posted by real travelers and Santiago locals. Santiago Map |
 | Santiago Tourist Traps | Tips 1 - 10 of 25 |  |
I just saw the news last night and realized that I didn't put this important tourist trap in my page. So here it is.
There are loads of money exchange shops all over the city. A lot of them are located downtown and they are 100% reliable. But what's not, is the people offering you money exchange in the street. Be careful. They will always offer you a better exchage rate, but probably they will exchange your money with either fake money or none at all (meaning that you've just been robbed!!!).
So be careful. Change your money only at shops. Don't have me tell you "I told you so" afterwards. Leave a Comment
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 Arts&crafts: picture them
instead of buying them. by danielcv
If you want to take something home, try the big arts and crafts market near the Cerro Santa Lucia. There you will find lots of merchants offering everything since moai statues and masks to the famous lapislazuli stone (which, by the way, is not extinct as they tell you in order to raise the price).
The alternative is to avoid shops recommended by local tour operators (the also profit from it). Leave a Comment
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This is quite usual when you're downtonw. I don't know the name in English, but here in Chile is called "Pepito paga doble". What is it? It's practically a game with 3 cups and one coin, and the guys put the coin (or whatever) in one cup, moves the cup around, and then you've got to bet money on the cup where you think the coin is. Usually there's going to be a guy winning, and this brings quite a lot of attention. He works with the guy moving the cups! Don't get fooled. And never, never bet money on the cups. You'll loose. Believe me.
Just don't go. Nobody is making you play the game. Don't get tempted!!! Leave a Comment
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When we arrived at the airport in Santiago, a first priority was to get some Chilean pesos. Shortly after exiting the plane and before going through customs, there is a money exchange booth. I had been forwarned about the horrible exchange rates, so I did not exchange many dollars.
The rates were the worst that we encountered in almost 6 weeks of travel. At that time (Nov 2003), the rate given was 600 per dollar. After that there was a commission of 1% deducted. Net rate to me was a paltry 594 pesos to the dollar. Read on as this might not be as bad as it sounds.
At an ATM (there are several) in the airport on the same day the rate was 608. This is better until you factor in the charge by my bank of $3 per transaction. This reduced the rate down to 597 pesos to the dollar. If my math is correct, the 3 peso difference between the airport money exchange and the ATM is only about 1/2 of one penny per dollar. Not much until you factor in that the maximum ATM withdrawal was 100,000 pesos. In our case, this worked out to anywhere from about $160 to $165 per ATM transaction (before the $3 bank fee). So the bottom line is IF your bank charges a fee for each withdrawal and you always withdraw the maximum, you save about $0.80 per transaction depending on the exchange rate at an ATM over the airport rate. If $0.80 is real important to you, don't change money at the airport cambio. Go to one of the airport ATMs or wait until you get downtown. Whew!!
TIP: The ATM exchange rate will vary a dollar or two from one day to the next. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Another Tip: We discovered that (at least with our ATM card) we could only get one maximum withdrawal per day of 100,000 pesos. If you will need extra money for big purchases or are going to towns with no ATM (like San Pedro de Atacama), you better figure on lots of trips to the ol' RedBank.
Also, dont forget to check the box on the bottom left side stating that you are a foreigner (ATM wont work otherwise with your card).
There are ATMs all over town. Getting money is not hard. Outside of Santiago, it is not so easy sometimes. Leave a Comment
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 Cathedral, mirror building,
Correo Central by Glospi
They're not a threat or danger, and are far from being as pesterous as, say, the vendors at Giza pyramids in Egypt, but it can be bothersome to get rid of them, mostly if they show you their saddest face and claim that they're trying to make money to pay for their studies (a strange thing, as I see them at their hunting places all the day round).
Those places are mainly the open explanade in front of the Cathedral and the Correo Central (Central Post Office, see photo), which is a highly tourist-transited place, and the small shady square on the W side of Cerro Santa Lucia, in front of Biblioteca Nacional (National Library).
A "No, thanks" is enough to get rid of them without being (or feeling) rude; waving your finger in a "no" while they approach you, also works (unless you actually want to buy what they offer...)
BTW, the picture shows not only one of their favourite hunting places, but it's also the picture most tourists stop to take: the Cathedral opposed to the modern mirror-walled building next to it.
(Nikon F4s, Nikkor 20 mm., f.16, 1/60, POL filter, Kodak Ekrachrome Elite 100 film) Leave a Comment
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Call them like that or gipsies. I've got no problem with gipsies, but the women will always try to get you in their stories about fortune telling, palm reading and all that kind of crap. Is incredible how convincing they can be!!! I've got to confess that once I even fell in their games. But that was long ago. I'm wiser now (I hope). Anyhow, these women will ALWAYS try to take money from you, asking for it and the robbing it. It wouldn't be a robbery since you offered them the money, but then they will always take it. So don't give them anything!!! ANYTHING!!!! Not even a coin, otherwise they will ask for more, and you will fall.
Don't even make it bearable. If you fall for their stories, you're probably end up poorer. And then you'll remember me. Just remember me with a grin on my face and telling you "I told you so". That's all. Leave a Comment
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 Dawn by ywok
Taxi touts, shared van stands, bus info booth?
First, get your bearings. It´s pretty easy as this is one of the smallest international airports, no triple digit gates, terminals separated by a mile. Easier said than done because some drivers will follow you forever. Unless you sprint to the loo. That´ll lose them.
Do you know where you are going?
If you do, and you have the address handy, check into www.mapcity.cl and insert the street name where it says calle. number where it says numero. and behold the magic of internet.
The city is divided into Comunas, sort of like neigbourhoods or arrondisements (I know, that´s not how you spell it), and downtown is Santiago (centro), uptowns are Providencia, Vitacura and Las Condes. Some other ones are La Reina and Lo Barnechea.
The cost of the ride depends on the distance.
Bus to a metro station downtown is about 2.25 dollars.
Taxi same distance comes to about u$19 ( Diez mil pesos, 10000). Providencia is about 12,000, Las Condes or Vitacura around 15,000.
The shared van is about u$ 10. and probably the slowest, unless you get off first.
If you do take a cab, Murphy´s law will kick into effect: the first driver will say it will cost 20,000 pesos to downtown, the second, 15,000, the third ... until you reach the magic number.
Now, what to do if you have no idea where you are going?
Now´s the time to investigate.
Best of luck and enjoy!
Have a laugh, the drivers are trying to make a living, not make your life impossible.
Wear them out
Smile and the whole world will smile with you
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Be aware that some taxi drivers will try to raise your negotiated fare. When traveling from the airport to the hotel in Santiago, we negotiated a fare of $20 US. The driver agreed. When we arrived at the hotel, he demanded $25. We said, no and gave him the original $20.
Make sure to negotiate beforehand if the taxi is not metered and stick to your original agreed upon price. You can pay in US dollars, but I think that the opportunity to cheat you is less if you pay in Pesos.
Try to take a share ride to and from the airport. It's much cheaper and you pay in advance. This is not a good alternative, however if you are in a hurry since it took us over an hour with a share ride as opposed to 20-30 min. in a cab. A good share ride in the Santiago Airport is TransVip. Depending upon the barrio you need transportation to it could range anywhere from $5-$7 US per person. Leave a Comment
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Normally in turistic spots like restaurants neightborhoods, bus station, railway satation you see taxis waiting for clients, in Chile Taxis prices are not well regulated . They have first a price since you get in the taxi ( bajada de bandera ) normally 200 pesos and a price for every 200 meters normally 80 or 90 pesos, but they put the other price for you, they ¨ll charge you 200 pesos every 200 meters not the 80 or 90 as they have to do. ( they overcharge more then 100% )
Really check carefully before taking one.
Radio taxis are very good , you have to wait a little longer, but is safer.
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 Smog covering Cerro San
Cristobal by Jefie
If you do travel to Santiago in the winter time, I can only recommend buying a bunch of beautiful postcards to see what you've missed!
From October to April, the smog might still be present but it probably won't be as bad so if you can, try aiming for those months! Leave a Comment
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