Chile

By road

Hitchhiking in Chile is not difficult, given enough time and patience. It is seen as a common form of travel for tourists or young, adventurous Chileans. On large highways such as the Panamerican Highway, hitching is really great and easy because there are many trucks going between big cities. Smaller, more scenic roads such as the Carretera Austral in the south, can leave you waiting for half a dozen hours in the more remote sections but the rides will generally get you a long way and are worth waiting for. If you are a tourist be sure to show it with your backpack, flags attached to your backpack, etc. The locals love chatting with foreign travelers.

La Micro

Micro = transit/local buses. The word is the contraction of microbus. Larger cities have cross-town bus routes at very affordable prices. Only Santiago's system, called "Transantiago", have maps Map as of October 2010 with all the routes, so a little bit of Spanish and the audacity to ask around can get you places effectively in other major cities. To travel by "micro" in Santiago you will need to buy before a smart contactless travel-card called "BIP" and charge it with money. You can do so in any subway station, in most supermarkets and in some smaller stores. This card also allows you to travel by subway in Santiago. Be careful! You won't be able to travel by bus without money in your BIP card. The card costs US$2.50, and a ticket costs a little over US$1.00, which allows you to make up to four transfers between metro and buses within a 2-hour time period. You only need to scan the card at the beginning of your journey and at every transfer. You should hop off the "micro" through the back doors.

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

Colectivo

A mix between a micro and a taxi. These small cars have routes and get around quicker and more comfortably. Fares are similar to those on the Micro, and depend on the hour.