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Tuesday 8 May 2007

Car rental in Chile

Arriving in Santiago
There are regular scheduled flights to Chile from Europe, North America and elsewhere in the world, with most of them arriving at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez Airport. It is a modern, efficiently-run airport located to the northwest of the capital, making it well situated for journeys up the Panamerican Highway towards the Atacama, Peru and Bolivia. All the well-known international car-hire firms such as Hertz, Avis and Budget have desks there, and although it is of course also possible to rent in the city, this means having to find your way out of an urban area of over five million people – hardly the most relaxing way to begin your vacations.

Car rental
The best deals can often be obtained ahead of your arrival, either by booking directly through the car-hire firm or via specialist travel sites like Expedia, although it is also possible to rent on the spot. However you choose to do so, you will need – as in other countries – to be 21 or over, hold a full driving licence and be able to pay by major credit card, for example Visa or American Express. Rental charges, though not particularly low, should not be much higher than in Europe. Check that the price quoted includes insurance, VAT (IVA in Spanish) and unlimited mileage – the distances in Chile can be enormous.

Preparing for your journey
No matter how shiny and new your hire car looks, it’s best to check that, too. So as soon as you’re clear of the airport, get off the road and have a good look at it. If you’re at all mechanically-minded, make sure it’s in good working order. At the very least, check that the tyres (including the spare) are in good condition and properly inflated, the lights work and that there are some basic tools – enough, at least, to change a wheel. If not, take it straight back to the car rental people.

Find yourself a big, out-of-town supermarket and stock up. Get into the habit of doing this: from here on, as elsewhere in this immense and sparsely-populated country, you may not have another chance to do for hundreds of miles. Essentials include tins and packets of food that will keep during your journey, plus lots and lots of bottled water. Especially if you’re travelling in summer (December-February), this could save your life.

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