Getting around · Santiago · Chile
Getting around Santiago
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dario Alpern, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Santiago's Metro is clean, frequent and the easiest way to cross the city; Line 1 runs east–west under the Alameda and Avenida Providencia past most sights and hotels. The centre, Lastarria and Bellavista are walkable together, while the eastern districts are spread out. Not in the city, where the Metro and ride-hailing cover everything and traffic is heavy.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Metro
- Airports
- SCL
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- Bip! card
Ways to get around
Metro
The Metro has several lines covering the centre, Providencia, Las Condes and the suburbs, with fares that vary slightly by time of day. Trains get very crowded at weekday rush hours.
Buy a rechargeable Bip! card at any station ticket office; it also works on city buses.
Bus
The red and white city buses (Red Movilidad) cover routes the Metro does not reach and accept only the Bip! card, not cash.
Walking
Plaza de Armas, La Moneda, Lastarria, Parque Forestal and Bellavista are all within about 20 minutes' walk of one another.
Ride-hailing
Ride-hailing apps are widely used and convenient at night, especially from Bellavista and Lastarria back to Providencia or Las Condes.
Cycling
Protected bike lanes run along parts of the Mapocho and the main avenues of Providencia, and bike-share schemes operate in several districts.
Cable car
The San Cristóbal funicular and cable car (teleférico) are part of the Parque Metropolitano and double as sightseeing rides.
Tickets and passes
Bip! card
The rechargeable contactless card used for the Metro and Red buses, with transfers between them at a reduced fare within a time window.
From the airport
Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) is about 17 km west of the centre. Airport buses run to Los Héroes and Pajaritos Metro stations, and shared vans and official taxis can be booked at counters inside arrivals; by road, the ride to Providencia takes about 30–45 minutes depending on traffic.
Do you need a car?
Not in the city, where the Metro and ride-hailing cover everything and traffic is heavy. A car is useful for the wine valleys, the Cajón del Maipo or the coast, though organised tours and buses reach them too.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Valparaíso | About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus | Frequent buses from Terminal Pajaritos or Terminal Alameda |
| Viña del Mar | About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus | Bus from Terminal Pajaritos; Valparaíso Metro train links the two cities |
| Cajón del Maipo | About 1–2 hours by road | Bus from Metro Bellavista de La Florida, tour or car |
| Maipo Valley wineries (Pirque) | About 1 hour by Metro and taxi | Metro Line 4 to Las Mercedes, then taxi; or a winery tour |
| Casablanca Valley | About 1 hour by car | Tour or car; often combined with Valparaíso |
| Isla Negra | About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus | Bus from Terminal Alameda towards the San Antonio coast |
| Valle Nevado and Farellones | About 1.5–2 hours by road | Ski shuttle or tour; a mountain road with many hairpin bends |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Santiago?
Not in the city, where the Metro and ride-hailing cover everything and traffic is heavy. A car is useful for the wine valleys, the Cajón del Maipo or the coast, though organised tours and buses reach them too.
+How do you get from the airport to Santiago?
Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) is about 17 km west of the centre. Airport buses run to Los Héroes and Pajaritos Metro stations, and shared vans and official taxis can be booked at counters inside arrivals; by road, the ride to Providencia takes about 30–45 minutes depending on traffic.
+What is the best way to get around Santiago?
Metro: The Metro has several lines covering the centre, Providencia, Las Condes and the suburbs, with fares that vary slightly by time of day. Trains get very crowded at weekday rush hours.