Since I have slept a total of 4 nights on a bus in the last 3 weeks, I figured I should share some key takeaways. Sleeping on the bus is more pleasant than my no-air flow bedroom that is 85 degrees at 7AM. Plus, I woke up with a volcano outside my window!
Even if you aren't about to take a bus in Chile, read on about my adventures in Southern Chile: Pucon :)
Chile has gorgeous towns and parks to explore and Santiago is getting hot. So, I am trying to escape the heat and see Chile. With about 3,000 miles of coastline, there are endless beaches, national parks and coastal towns just WAITING to meet me :)
Buses are notorious for punctuality (see my story below), comfort and for those of us from the good 'ol USA - they are safe. I sleep with my wallet, laptop and iPhone in a bag by my chair and don't even worry about it. I would never take a Greyhound in the US.
Key #1 You can't actually purchase tickets on Turbus.cl
Even though you go through the process of choosing your city, departure time and type of seat, the page just loads…and loads. Head to the Turbus office on Providencia near Manuel Montt to purchase tickets.
Overnight buses: Choose the Salon Cama or Premium seat & you get a pillow, blanket and peace and quiet. I did cheap in college. Not anymore. The higher fare = comfort
Key #2 Sleeping on a bus is better than sleeping in an airplane. Bathrooms ...are better on a plane.
The comfortable, roomy seats go back almost all the way (Salon Cama) and if you are lucky, you can get an isolated seat - no one is next to you! The lights are off, the curtains are closed so I slept through sunrise and … sometimes the bus attendant will tuck you in. Kid you not, he will take that blanket, cover you up and make sure that your curtain is closed.
Just imagine going to the bathroom on a bus, over a speed bump or around a curve in the road.
Key #3 Buses in Chile are PUNCTUAL to the minute.
A few times, even to the second! For example, a bus in Pucon (small southern town) leaves from town to take you to trailheads and the hot springs. Bus schedule says: noon departure. With a full bus at 11:58, we sat at the end of the road. 12:00 rolled around and he rolled into the street. Can't leave early - and definitely not late. Which is funny, because the rest of the country operates on some other clock that isn't aligned. "Be back in 10 minutes" could mean 2 hours. **City buses in Santiago? Forget about trying to predict those times. BE ON-TIME.
For example: My friend Lindsay came to visit and we went to a Thanksgiving feast. That same night, we had tickets to leave for Pucon, an overnight bus leaving at 10:50PM. The Thanksgiving feast was SO fun so we left a little atrasados (late). My solution? SPRINT to the bus! I changed from flip-flops into running shoes on the metro - ready to sprint to our bus from the metro station because we predicted that we'd arrive 1 minute before departure. Two old, very tired men started at me like I was a crazy girl. Putting on running shoes, without socks, in the metro? I knew I could stall the driver for a few seconds…
We made it. By less than 2 minutes. We sat down with our bags in our laps and the bus pulled away.
Taking a night bus from Santiago, we arrived in Pucon, Chile at 9:30AM and started our adventures!
Day 1: Left the bus station with morning breath and got to Paradise Pucon Hostel Had some homemade bread, Nescafe, washed our faces, brushed our teeth. Then, hiked El Caní with our Canadian friends & my new good friend (also a Coloradan living in Chile) Derek.
Day 2: Went canyoning with Canyoning Pucon. Hiked in wetsuits for about 30 minutes then jumped in waterfalls, repelled down into water pools, slide down natural rock slides and had a blast with our guides Miguel and Tomas. Even though I got scolded for being chatty… what's new ;)
Oh…this post is about buses. Right. LOVE LOVE LOVE Pucon.
Key #4 Turbus breakfast
A sugary juice + very hard oatmeal apple cookie, placed on your lap as a gentle alarm clock.
"Hey, we are arriving soon to your destination, so wake up and eat something."
Key #5 Companies
I prefer Turbus. It's like the popular kid in high school. It goes to most major cities in Chile.
- Pullman is another company. Never used it before but it's Turbus's main competitor.
- Jac is another company that has lots of options from Santiago.
- Andes del Mar for your Argentina border crossing
Key #6 Getting your bag at the end of the trip
Chileans are pushy and have no limits when it comes to being first. If you've got a bag in storage, everyone mobs around the storage door. As soon as the poor worker opens it up, people stick their luggage ticket in his face. Even if their bag isn't visible, they want it first. Old woman are the worst. They have a mean look, push to the front and are not even apologetic when they hit you with their bag.
Push your way to the front, point to your bag, smile your gringo-smile and say, Gracias when you get your bag before the pushy old lady.
A few other things to know…
- Main terminal is at Metro Universidad de Santiago
- The air in the bus is not as gross as airplanes.
- Metro closes at 11PM so if you take a later bus, don't forget that you've got to get to the terminal first
- Buses to Valparaiso/Viña del Mar leave almost every hour, all day long so just buy your ticket at the terminal when you want to leave.
- You have to pay to use the bathroom at the bus terminals. Bathroom on the bus..Plan Ahead.
- Cheaper seats = hotter, more people, less leg room
Get out there, Travel. See the world. Take a risk and Feel Vulnerable to truly know who you are and where you are headed. Ask questions later because the answers probably aren't changing anytime soon.
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