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Chile by car


Chile by car

  • All traffic signs are in Spanish only and their shapes and colors can be very different from the U.S. or European standards.
  • Car Rentals are widely available throughout most major cities, but not in smaller towns.
  • Usually a credit card, a valid driver's license and a passport, all three issued to the same person, are needed to rent a car.
  • Rental rates in Santiago are very similar to those in the U.S., but prices can be much higher in other cities.
  • It's a good idea to avoid rush hours, between 7 and 9 AM and between 5 and 8 PM.
  • There are several reversible lanes and streets in Santiago and other cities.
  • Parking spaces and street lanes are narrower than in the U.S., so it's a good idea to get a small vehicle.
  • Fuel prices are about 1.5 times higher than the average U.S. price, yet cheaper than in most Western Europe.
  • Several inter-city roads are tolled and don't take credit cards, so keep some Chilean money around.
  • Most inter-city roads connecting major cities are rather well designed, almost totally sealed, and well kept.
  • Several urban roads in Santiago have electronic free-flow tolls, so make sure that your car is equipped with an electronic radio-transponder, commonly called tag, since there are no toll booths at all on those roads.
  • Many urban streets are not in good shape, so you must drive very carefully.
  • All corners are supposed to have traffic signs, and in Santiago and most major cities, actually all corners are regulated by traffic signs. If there aren't any visible traffic signs, the preference belongs to the vehicle approaching from your right hand.
  • All traffic signals and traffic lights are mandatory all of the time, there are no after-midnight concessions, such as yielding at stop signs or red lights.
  • Bribes are never acceptable. (You will get into a lot of trouble by trying to bribe someone)

  • The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Chile


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    Chile Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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