Getting around Santiago: public transport, passes and taxis

Santiago is a long, narrow city with a good Metro spine and a dense bus network feeding it. For most visitors the choice comes down to four things: Metro, bus, taxi or app car, and walking in the compact centre. The table below sets out what each is good for, roughly what it costs and how long a typical trip takes.

The Metro is the fastest way across Santiago and the easiest system to learn. Lines run under the main avenues, with interchanges at Baquedano, Los Leones, Tobalaba and Universidad de Chile. Trains are clean and frequent; the trade-off is crowding at rush hour, when you may wait for two or three trains to board with a bag.

You need a Bip! card to ride. Buy one at a station ticket office or machine, load it with credit, and tap in and out — check the current rules on sharing a card and on where else cards are sold, as these change. Keep a small balance on it; top-up machines take cash and cards.

Metro hours are roughly 06:00 to 23:00 on weekdays, with a later start and earlier finish on Sundays and holidays — check the day's times at your station. Fares are lowest off-peak and rise slightly at peak; the difference is small. Trains stop before midnight, so plan your last ride of the night.

Santiago's bus network, known as Red, covers ground the Metro does not: hillside barrios, the airport road, and cross-town routes that would take two Metro changes. Buses use the same Bip! card and roughly the same fare as the Metro, with transfers priced into the system — check the current rules, as the transfer window and fare bands change.

The catch is traffic. A bus that takes 20 minutes at 11:00 can take 50 at 18:30. Use a map app to compare a bus route against the Metro before committing, and avoid the big avenues at peak hours. Bus stops are marked with a red sign and a route number; board at the front and tap as you enter.

Taxis are plentiful in the centre and business districts. Use official ranks or flag one on a main avenue; avoid unmarked cars that approach you at terminals or tourist spots. App cars — Uber, Cabify and DiDi all operate in Santiago — show a price before you ride, which removes the meter question. Airport pickups are restricted to set zones, so follow the app's instructions on where to meet your driver.

At night, take a taxi or app car rather than walking long blocks, and share your trip with someone. Keep bags on your lap, not in the footwell, and pay attention at busy interchanges. For more on common scams and areas to be careful in, see the safety page.

Santiago's public transport is cheap by big-city standards. A Metro or bus ride costs about CLP 800–900, so a day of sightseeing by public transport often comes in under CLP 3,000 — check current fares. Taxis and app cars run CLP 4,000–15,000 for city trips, with airport runs higher. Rental cars start around CLP 35,000 a day before fuel and parking, based on national rates rather than Santiago-specific quotes.

Plan around rush hour. If you can shift a cross-town trip to mid-morning or mid-afternoon, you will save time and stress. Keep your Bip! card loaded so you are not queueing at a machine when a train is due.

For day trips out of Santiago — Valparaíso, the wine valleys, the Andes — buses and tours leave from terminals and pick-up points in the centre; see the day trips page for what is worth the journey. If you are moving on to another region, long-distance buses and domestic flights are the two options; the country page covers both.

The questions travellers ask most about getting around Santiago are answered below.