Santiago Travel Forum

We are pensioners and will be arriving on 26 April 2009 with the Radiance of the seas. I heard there are lovely markets near the harbour which one can visit on foot. Is it safe? Will it be near the ships terminal and if we later want to travel to Santiago after the morning visit to Valparaiso, is it better to take a tour and transfer to Santiago or will we easily get a taxi to take us to the terminal near the station for the bus? Or do you know of any other cheap transport between the 2 cities that one can book?

there are market right the the harbor ,on foot of course, the city can be done so, very nice,never had a problems of years of visiting. The bus is taken right by the plaza near harbor to the Santiago main bus terminal, easy comfortable seats.
You dont need a taxi n Valparaiso.

Since you will presumably have your luggage with you, why not get a tour of Valparaiso when you arrive. These can be booked at the port terminal where you go through customs. You can often find a shared tour to cut costs. This could include transport to Santiago.
The bus is obviously cheaper but less safe (bus stations are tricky places anywhere) and you will have to deal with transport from the bus terminal in Santiago to your hotel or the airport. If you arrive in Santiago at rush hour your journey will become more difficult.