Metropolitana de Santiago is the central Chilean region built around the capital, Santiago, a city of about seven million set in a valley between the Andes and the Coastal Range. Beyond the capital it holds the Cajon del Maipo canyon, the pottery town of Pomaire, the Maipo Valley vineyards and the Andean ski centres of Farellones, La Parva, El Colorado and Valle Nevado.
- Public
- Santiago has the best public transport in Chile: a clean, air-conditioned Metro network (lines 1 to 6 plus 4A) and the Red Movilidad bus network share one Bip! card; the Metro is fast and cheap, while buses fill the gaps and run to the Andean foothills
- Taxi
- Taxis, Uber, Cabify and DiDi are plentiful and cheap by international standards; app rides are the easiest way to avoid fare disputes, and colectivos (shared taxis on fixed routes) serve outer suburbs and the Cajon del Maipo
- Rental
- Useful only for the Maipo Valley wineries, the Cajon del Maipo and the Andes ski roads; driving in central Santiago is stressful, the urban motorways use free-flow electronic tolls, and ski roads need chains from June to September
- Walking
- The historic centre, Lastarria, Bellavista, Barrio Italia and Providencia are compact and walkable, but distances between districts are long, the air can be smoggy in winter, and summer afternoons are hot
Transport at a glance
- Public
- 4/5
- Taxi
- 4/5
- Rental
- 3/5
- Walking
- 3/5
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Santiago is a basin city of about seven million people ringed by the Andes and the coastal range. The Metro (metro.cl) is the backbone for visitors: Line 1 runs east-west along the Alameda past Santa Lucia, Universidad de Chile and Baquedano, while lines 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 reach Bellavista, Providencia and Las Condes. Buses and colectivos cover the foothills and the Cajon del Maipo, and intercity coaches from the city terminals reach Valparaiso, the Maipo wine valleys and the ski centres. Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) is the single gateway, 15 km north-west of the centre. A car is only worth renting for wineries, the mountains and the coast.
Airports
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Buy a Bip! card (about CLP 1,550, ~USD 1.7) at any Metro ticket window; one card can pay for several riders and works on Metro, buses and the Tren Nos suburban train
Metro fares change by hour: about CLP 735 (~USD 0.8) at the early and late off-peak, CLP 815 (~USD 0.9) mid-day and CLP 895 (~USD 1.0) at the 7:00-8:59 and 18:00-19:59 weekday peaks; confirm at metro.cl
Avoid the Metro at weekday peaks if carrying luggage; Line 1 is very crowded between 7:00 and 9:00 and 18:00 and 20:00
To reach the airport, take the Centropuerto or Turbus Aeropuerto coach from Metro Los Heroes, Pajaritos or Universidad de Santiago; fares are about CLP 2,000-2,500 (~USD 2.1-2.7) one way and buses leave every 10-15 minutes
Use Uber, Cabify or DiDi after dark instead of hailing street taxis; always check the plate and driver in the app before entering
For the Cajon del Maipo take Metro Line 4 to Las Mercedes, then the MB72A bus or a colectivo to San Jose de Maipo; weekend services to Banos Morales run mainly October to January
Intercity buses to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar leave every 10-15 minutes from Terminal Alameda, Terminal Pajaritos and Terminal Los Heroes; book online at turbus.cl or pullman.cl on holiday weekends
Keep phone and wallet in front pockets on the Metro; pickpocketing is the main transport risk, especially on Line 1 and at Baquedano and Universidad de Chile stations