Santiago Airport (SCL)

I've said it 3 times in 3 months so I think that constitutes a blog entry. Planning a visit to Santiago and want to be ready for the airport? WELCOME! Here's what you need to know. 


INSIDE THE AIRPORT:

• The airport has English signs but not necessarily English-speaking people. 
• US citizens pay $160 reciprocity fee. You pay it before going through Immigration
• Immigration is easy. Give them your passport, your Immigration paper and answer a few questions. Yes, they may ask questions in Spanish and because I speak Spanish, I don't know if they speak English. Someone let me know :) 
• Don't lose that Immigration paper because you need it to leave the country. Guess what? I lost mine so I had to go to the Chilean Police desk and they were super official and stamped a piece of paper twice. 5 minutes later, I was back at the Immigration window.  
• Duty-Free is fun to watch. People STOCK up on candy!!! It's unbelievable. 
• Baggage claim in Santiago works like baggage claim in the US. You wait for your bag to appear on the carousel. It's chaotic and the first sign that things in Chile may not be efficient, but things still get done.
• Don't bring butter, fruits, nuts, vegetables or seeds into the country. And those Declarations guys will find any jams or watermelons you are carrying, so leave 'em at home. 
• There are always lines in Chile because 6 million people live in Santiago and lots of people come to visit :) Be ready to stand in lines for Immigration, for the bathroom, for Declarations and for a taxi
• If you change dollars to pesos at the airport, you will not get the best rate. There are many exchange places within Santiago. 

OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT: 

• Taxis to the city are muy caro (about $50 US) so here's what you do if you don't have lots of money = don't take a taxi. Take TransVIP and you'll pay about 7.000 pesos (about $15 US). They have a desk in the airport, right after you get out of Declarations.
• Taxis don't take credit cards.