Staying in rural areas or exploring the mountains will keep costs low. Read More…, About | Archive | Travel Resources | Submissions | Work With Us | Contact, How to Travel Chile on a Budget: The Ultimate Guide, hike the mountain trails of the W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park, 7 Genius Hacks for Traveling Chile on a Budget, 1. Start planning your gap year today. But here's the hard part: Should you use the taxi driver with the official uniform? When I went to San Pedro de Atacama, I booked all of my tours with one operator. A few things to know before backpacking to Chile. The local currency is Chilean Pesos (CLP). Even if you DIY your wine tour by going on buses, each tasting costs $15-25 per person. Usually, I take TransVIP when they're available; their shuttles run anywhere from 5,000-10,000 CLP ($7.50-$10) per person and will take you wherever you need to go. The World Budget Travel Table offers an estimate of the daily backpacking costs in almost 100 different countries around the world. Chile is one of the most expensive countries in Latin America and you can save quite a bit by finding some volunteer placements and exchanging your skills for free food or beds. Budget for 4 weeks in Chile. Everything else on this page was updated in early 2019. As you travel around Chile, you'll realize that one of the most significant and most unnecessary money drains is transportation. Compare prices with those in our Brazil backpacking budget. This post is also available in: German Exactly one year ago i traveled to South America to backpack Chile for around 4 Weeks. Opting for a bike rental instead of a guided tour with an air-conditioned bus is another way to travel Chile on a budget. I firmly believe there's something in Chile for everyone. Book any flights at least one month in advance. If you’re staying in one or two parts of the country or have a longer period time to travel then this is more realistic and by camping or using hostels with self-catering facilities, you may be able to get by on less. I would love to go and experience Chile for myself, the hiking, wine tastings, volcanos and deserts, vast coastline and the magical island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) are all firmly on my bucket list. Here you’ll find travel tips, city & country guides, and many an itinerary for South America. Hi, I'm Dave and I've been backpacking for 20+ years. Now, every time I arrive in Santiago (or any airport in Chile), I inquire about costs at the shuttle stands FIRST. Backpacking Chile Suggested Budgets. Backpacking In Chile. That said, although you can find some bargain fares, baggage fees can still mount up for backpackers taking a few flights in the country. There are definitely parts that could have been thought out more or done better. Backpacking Budget and Chile Travel Costs Money in Chile. Welcome to Green Mochila. Kay Rodriguez is the travel writer and photographer behind Jetfarer, an adventure travel blog for time-strapped travelers. Instead, organize a wine tasting with travel companions or friends from your hostel. My answer: NONE of them. As the region’s largest producer of wines, Concha y Toro is one of the global leaders in its field. This guide offers everything you should know about Chile and a suggested Chile itinerary for 2 […] This is a 2 weeks backpacking itinerary covering all the highlights you shouldn't miss when are you in Patagonia, plus a few days for you to explore the capital cities of Argentina and Chile. Hostel bed average: 12,000 pesos ($17 / €15)Daily backpacker budget: $50 to $70 (€45 to 64) (not including Easter Island)Chile is the country that most often surprises people. Chile costs can work out slightly higher than other countries in South America. For travelers on a budget, this can break the bank really fast. Glad you found it helpful Phil. If there are places you absolutely cannot get to without a tour, try to organize them all together with one provider. You can save massive amounts of money on flights by booking as far in advance as possible. I missed Chile when I spent 8 months in Latin America a few years ago because winter was setting in by the time I was in Peru. Hvorfor skal man rejse til Chile? To buy a bus ticket, just show up at your local bus terminal and check the bus schedules. Devote an afternoon to hiking San Cristobal Hill for amazing views of the city with the Andes as a b… Bottles usually run between 4,000-10,000 CLP ($7-15). That said, backpacking in Patagonia on a budget can be achieved with some forward planning. We can offer our readers a $20 Worldpackers discount to get started. Chile has a wide variety of hostels and you should never have any problem finding one. However, these places sometimes aren't the most obviously marked. In the wine valleys, in Santiago, in the Atacama, and Patagonia, tourists were on bikes all over the place! Therefore costs can add up and if you’re planning to spend the bulk of your trip in the far South of Chile and aren’t willing to camp then $65 or 45,000 Peso is perhaps a more realistic daily budget. With the lanyard and ID? However, Chile isn't exactly the cheapest place to visit in South America, especially when compared to the northern neighbors of Peru and Bolivia. Make sure to check the bicycle before agreeing to anything — check that it works, make a note of any cosmetic damages, and make sure you understand the payment structure (by the hour, by day, etc.). Chile is a must visit destination for anyone wanting to explore the best of South America. These are the cheapest, most budget-friendly way to get to and from the airport, and they're pretty easy to navigate since they go back and forth from the city's main bus stations. Take a shuttle or bus from the airports to your hotels, 2. That's over $100. To get an idea: one night in a dorm is between 10-15€, in a private 17-25€ – a meal in a restaurant will cost you 5-10€, a long-haul bus ticket is 50-60€ (Santiago-San Pedro). Bjergrig metropol. They'd rented bikes in the Casablanca city center and were using them to hop from vineyard to vineyard. Your email address will not be published. However, Chile isn't exactly the cheapest place to visit in South America, especially when compared to the northern neighbors of Peru and Bolivia. Backpacking Chile: Get travel information for your trip around Chile ncluding visa requirements, weather, spanish phrasebook, hostels, and top sights. Keep reading for suggested shoestring and more comfortable backpacking budgets for this Pacific-hugging nation. Many tour operators, especially in main tourist areas like the Atacama Desert, will offer a discount if you book multiple tours with them. Some articles may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Same. Worldpackers is a useful platform to use which will open plenty of doors if you’re serious about finding these opportunities. That’s right; you can get your hands on a brand new backpacking gear kit with a 10-pound … Required fields are marked *. Grab two or three bottles and split them! Intrigued, I resolved to find out the deal about renting bikes in Chile. I’m sure it would’ve saved $$$, One thing I knew enough to do was to spend the money to fly from Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama. From the moment you land in the airport, you'll be bombarded with taxi drivers vying for your hard-earned dollars. After three visits to Chile, I've learned the best ways to cut my costs while traveling in this vast country. Chile was a huge gap in my backpacking South America trip, I didn’t have time to visit this beautiful long country which is one of my great regrets. The cost of travel in the remote South is considerably higher than in the rest of the country, particularly during the peak summer months. Chile is expensive. Read on to learn my favorite tips and tricks to travel Chile on a budget! It’s sometimes thought of as a developing country yet a traveller will find that parts of it are very modern and not very cheap at all. Det er bare nogle af de superlativer, der bliver brugt om landet, der er ”langt som et ondt år” og kulinarisk nok mest er kendt for sine […] Choose Chilean “street eats” rather than sit-down restaurants, 6. SKY Airlines and JetSMART are two airlines that have joined the ranks of LATAM in transporting people around the country at very low prices. Win/win, I'd say. As a general rule, the north is cheaper than the south. From Arica in the far North to Punta Arenas in the far South, it’s almost 5,000 km by the quickest overland route, over 50 hours on the road by car and plenty more via bus. We're here to make your next trip your best trip! Most of the incredible places to visit in Chile are pretty far away from each other, so getting around can take a super long time if you don't fly. Clearly covering such a vast distance can cost a significant amount of money but an emergence of budget airlines in recent years makes things a lot simpler and cheaper to get around. Chile is a country full of mountains, deserts, coastline, and everything in between. If you’re on a backpackers’ budget, public bus is often the best way to travel in Chile. It includes where to stay, things to see, budget, and everything you need to know to go to places like Galapagos, Easter Island, Patagonia. In recent years, there has been a considerable growth in budget flights available from Santiago to practically anywhere else you'd like to go. Here’s how I spent my travel budget, backpacking 9 months around South America. You can check out Kay's adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I've seen flights on SKY Airlines as low as $10 each way. The BIP card costs a one-time fee of 1,550 CLP ($2.34) and you can refill it based on the number of rides you want to take. This is a guide to backpacking in chile on a budget while seeing the highlights and lesser seen spots Here is the ultimate 6-months backpacking itinerary for South America. Please refer to the following table for a more detailed look at Argentina’s many border crossings. Hotels can also be relatively cheap, but vary in quality. Chile is known for its remote landscapes and amazing adventure activities. Place. This way, you can ask for any discounts that the operator may provide for booking multiple tours. When I finally approached a couple at a Casablanca Valley wine tasting about their choice to use bikes (while drinking wine, too), they said it was easily the cheapest way to get around. Your email address will not be published. This South American country is mostly known for Patagonia, one of the most beautiful mountainous regions in the world. In Santiago, the capital city, there are buses and a metro that run regularly, connecting the airport, the central bus stations, and the downtown areas. We also want to give you incentives & advice to thread the lesser-known paths and for a more sustainable way to travel. You can pick up one of these buses outside of the Arrivals gate and take it to either Alameda Central Station or Pajaritos Station. However, you don't need to pay an arm and a leg to try Chilean food. Chile budget. However, those were for flights about one and a half to two months out. That depends on a few different factors, specifically, what you plan on doing while you’re here as well as your travel style. Most people should be able to point you in the right direction of the nearest bike rental shop. ... You can use their advanced filtering to narrow your results by budget, location score, overall review score, and amenities. Backpacking Cancun on a Budget Oh, Cancun – from crazy Spring Break parties to gorgeous beaches – this city has something for everyone. NB: This post isn’t the ‘perfect route’. Backpacking, Budget Travel & Budget Living. Unlike in many of its neighbouring countries, backpacking in Chile is relatively straightforward, thanks to a well-developed (and fairly reliable) system of buses, modern facilities and a greater proportion of English-speakers, particularly in cities around the capital. Two weeks before departure, those same flights cost over $100 each way. The Concha y Toro tours are priced from $25 so not cheap, but it’s a great day out if you are a wine lover. Flight from Santiago to Antofagasta (2 hours) – from $50eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'myfunkytravel_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',125,'0','0'])); 0.5 Litre local beer in bar or restaurant – $2, Twin or Double private room in Villarrica – from $35/night, Entry to Torres del Paine National Park – 18,000 COP peak season (currently $27.50), 5,000 COP low season ($7.50). This post discusses the estimated 2019 cost of travel in Chile. Therefore, you'll probably run into instances where taking a tour is the only way to see or do something on your Chile bucket list. In Spanish, here's how to ask about bike rentals: “Donde puedo alquilar una bicicleta?”. Or the one with the yellow cab that's clearly marked? An even cheaper alternative to the private shuttles are the airport express buses. Begin your trip flying or bussing into the cosmopolitan Chilean capital. This way, you'll only try the kinds of wine you like (reds, whites, blends, etc. La Casa Roja is a cool hostel to stay at in the heart of the Chilean capital Santiago with a spacious garden and pool area. Whether on a one-week vacation or a long-term backpacking trip, Cancun welcomes all visitors with the same level of energy and adventure. But that doesn't mean you should give up on trying to drink wine in Chile. To use the metro system in Santiago, you'll need to buy a BIP card at any one of the stations. street art in Valparaiso, Chile (via BORIS G, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). Some really useful information. Negotiate necessary guided tours as a package, 4. In this post, you will find the videos and links to the guides that outline the specifics of our journey. Visit a local wine shop and buy your Chilean wine by the bottle. Instead, go for some of these famous street eats that you can get to-go or for low prices in local restaurants and bars: Public transport runs smoothly and is easy to navigate in Chile. You may be surprised by how often this happens. (All exchange rates are correct as of January 2019). How much does it cost to visit Chile? Chile er kolossal natur. Most cities and towns have at least one bike shop that rents bikes by the hour or by the day. From the driest place on Earth to the endless amount of glaciers, you can find it all while backpacking Chile. I know this because I've fallen for it. Expect a daily budget of £50-£80. Organize a bike instead of booking a tour, 3. One time, when I followed one of these aggressive taxi drivers to his car, he told me that the ride to Santiago would cost 70,000 CLP. On a backpacking budget, you should plan to spend between 29,000-37,000 CLP($40-50 … Economically Chile is the most powerful country in South America, the prices are only a little bit below the european standard. When I was traveling around Chile most recently, I saw a ton of people on bikes. You won't know if you don't ask, so approach them with a list of tours you want to do and see what they're willing to offer. Food can be expensive in Chile but transport and sightseeing are affordable. I’ve been, but I hadn’t thought of some of Kay’s tips while I was there. So, I simply asked them if they'd be willing to honor their tour discounts for a custom-made package. By the time you've visited two to three wineries, you've already spent what feels like a fortune. Since Chile is such a long country, you'll want to fly to get from destination to destination. Additionally, in the case of the Atacama and similar situations, don't book anything until you've compared prices across at least two to three tour operators. From there, you can book your ticket directly at the kiosk of the company running the bus you'd like to take. This complete guide will take you from Colombia to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentian, and Brazil. This blog originally started as a way to share all the planning we did to make our first backpacking trip as a couple as budget friendly as possible. Uendelig. I found similar trends in the Atacama Desert, where people were using bikes to get to major attractions like the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley), and Pukara de Quitor (incredible desert ruins). Welcome to the origin of Itchy Feet on the Cheap. Go Backpacking uses and recommends: Filed Under: Chile, Features Tagged With: Santiago, torres del paine national park. Car rentals are expensive, and the roads can often be confusing to navigate, so a tour is often the most practical option. Use public transportation as much as possible (it's easier than you think), 7. The bus is 24 hours, and a friend later did it and said it was extremely long and boring :). ), and you can split it with friends to reduce the costs. Backpacking South America: 2 Months, $2000. While you can easily get by on less than $40-50 a day in most other South American countries, backpacking in Chile can cost almost as much as in Europe or North America. Many people hop back and forth across the border easily when backpacking in Patagonia and never experience a single problem with customs. 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It’s one of the most beautiful regions of South America but the location and harsh climate means travel infrastructure is fairly limited and prices are high as a result. But there's a caveat: you must book your flights far in advance. While you can easily get by on less than $40-50 a day in most other South American countries, backpacking in Chile can … Another major issue with budgeting for travel in Chile is the regional and seasonal variations in prices. Our original 4-week budget for backpacking South America’s skinniest country was £450 a week, so £1800 for the month. Clearly everyone has different spending habits so it is not an exact science but we hope this will be a useful comparison tool if nothing else. Take three to four daysexploring the walkable city’s intriguing museums during the day (including the Pinochet-era Museum of Memories and Human Rights), and buzzing gastronomic and bar scene at night (especially the Providencia and Bellavista neighbourhoods). $45 is our suggest daily Chile backpacking budget but if you want to cover basically the length of the country in a few weeks, you’ll need to budget for a bit more. When she's not hiking a mountain or diving into the ocean, you can find her sipping wine and reading a book while listening to Icelandic music on repeat. This page was last updated in January 2019. And it might be tempting to go with one of them to guarantee you'll have your own ride and won't have to wait for anyone. Its really appreciated. We also have information about the local currency and sample prices.eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'myfunkytravel_com-box-2','ezslot_4',120,'0','0'])); eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'myfunkytravel_com-box-3','ezslot_3',121,'0','0']));(Map of Chile from wikitravel, can be re-used under CC BY-SA 3.0). Camp: With plenty of gorgeous places to sleep out, Chile can be a … It can come as quite the shock to be greeted with European prices, especially if you’re travelling in from Peru or Bolivia. Planning a trip? In total, we spent a little more than £2000 for the both of us during just over a month in Chile, living pretty well. ... ATMs are widely available everywhere, but you can expect... Top Tips For Broke Backpackers. They had a “standard package,” but the tours on it didn't interest me as much as some of the other options. I have been thinking about a return trip for a while. From its hiking trails in Patagonia to its one of a kind marble caves, human carvings and high altitude deserts. I'd recommend inquiring about bike rental shops at your hostel, at a tourist information kiosk, or at a souvenir/tourist-oriented restaurant. Backpacking both Argentina and Chile is a must if want to see the best of Patagonia! Backpacking costs in all South American countries. There are also some fairly hefty fees to enter the stunning national parks in that region too. This also helped them sober up more quickly and reduce their wine intake (so they could try a wider variety!). Ouch. If wine tours are something you're looking for during your trip, consider this: most wine tours near Santiago costs $100+ per person per day, and many of them don't even include the price of the tastings! Yes, that's ten dollars. There you  have it, my best tips for how to travel Chile on a budget. Long and thin, Chile is easy to travel and much like neighbouring Argentina, Chile is rich in scenic beauty, culture and friendly people. For travel from east to west or over shorter distances, bus travel is a comfortable and easy option for getting around Chile. 1)Think Of A Number, Any Number Before you wade into planning the practicalities of your trip, take a moment to consider the big picture: how long you can go for and how much money you can save up before you go. Most other larger cities have some kind of bus system at a minimum. Purchase Chilean wines by the bottle instead of doing wine tastings, 5. Here then are some tips to help you work out a budget for your backpacking trip won’t leave you penniless in the middle of nowhere. Note, these prices were last checked in 2016 (Flying is considerably cheaper now thanks to a rise in the number of budget flights). The Complete Backpacking Budget Guide to South America ‘How much does it cost to travel South America?’ ... Chile The country where I collected the most entry / exit stamps. backpacking chile Chile has nearly 4,000 miles of coastline stretching from the deserts of the north to the Patagonia region in the south. $45 is our suggest daily Chile backpacking budget but if you want to cover basically the length of the country in a few weeks, you’ll need to budget for a bit more. Chile er en klassiker blandt backpackere og et must for dig der skal til Sydamerika. However, you might find that when you look at menus for Chilean restaurants, prices can be over $20 per dish. While Chilean food often gets overshadowed by its northern neighbor, Peru, there are a TON of great dishes and flavors to discover here. We’re Anna & Anthony, travellers with an eco mindset, specialised in budget backpacking in South America – a continent we LOVE. All hostels in Chile will provide linen and bathroom facilities. I demanded he let me out of the car and instead, I took a private shuttle, which cost me 7,000 CLP ($10) — 10% of the original cost to get to the exact. Learn more about backpacking in Chile including how much to budget, where to go and things to do in Chile. From there, you can take the metro to any destination in the Santiago downtown area (where you can find most of the main things to do in Santiago) and beyond. Unquestionably though it is still overall one of the more expensive countries in South America and prices are certainly higher than the cost of travel in Peru, its neighbour to the North. The average price of a hostel is 6,000-14,000 Pesos (£8-16) a night. It’s more from someone who feared solo travel in South America and totally winged it. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know to travel around Patagonia in 2 weeks. Chile is a complicated country to budget for, mostly because of its peculiar long snake-like Shape. Doing this, even if you split five bottles (one typical wine tasting) between five people, you'll each be paying about $10 per person, and you can customize your wine selection based on your tastes. The following budget travel tips prioritise experiencing Patagonia’s sensational places over travelling in particular comfort and expect that your Patagonia trip will cost around $50 USD (or less) per day. Thank you and bookmarking. As a matter of fact, Chile is an expensive country, among the most expensive in South America; so it’s unlikely that you’ll do there the most budget backpacking in South America. They want to incentivize people to book more tours with them and are happy to do so by offering a discount (sometimes 10% or more) off multiple tours. While I wouldn't recommend bus travel across the entire country (it's a big country and north to south distances can be super long), getting around by bus is very straightforward. Share your budget-busting tips in the comments below! It's a country that, in my opinion, belongs on everyone's bucket list, whether it's to explore the otherworldly landscapes of the Atacama Desert, sip wine in the valleys, road trip the Carretera Austral, or hike the mountain trails of the W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park. Quality backpacking gear has a reputation for being pricy, but I’m here to show you that it’s entirely possible to put together an affordable ultralight setup on a $500 budget. Purely from my hitch hiking stint in the Chilean / Argentinian Patagonia, I have approximately 8 entry stamps for Chile alone. When I was reading this I realize that this is the best blog as compare to others.