Updated July 10, 2005 Copyright © Expediciones Chile 2005

Expediciones Chile Travel Information

Choose your route to Futaleufu, Patagonia Chile Futaleufu Patagonia Chile is very near the border with Argentina. We have created this page to help travelers understand how to get to Futaleufu. You can fly through Puerto Montt Chile or Esquel Argentina. Visit our flash map to see the visual demonstration of these two different routes. www.exchile.com/travelmap.htm

Flying in through Santiago to Puerto Montt Chile allows you to leave your home on Friday and arrive in Futaleufu the next day on Saturday in the afternoon. There are numerous flights every day from Santiago to Puerto Montt and they depart from the same international that you arrive in. You will need a 1.5-hour for a legal connection time. An early arrival time in Santiago time permits you to change flights and arrive in Puerto Montt before 11:00 am. Whereupon you can connect the same day with a (reserved by us) daily twin-engine prop plane to Chaiten. This flight has a 15 kilo (34 lbs) allowance. For every kilo (2.2 lbs) over 15 kilo, the company will charge you an access baggage fee of around 6 dollars. Baggage that is over the allowed weight sometimes arrives on a later flight than you do. If you have baggage that you will not need in Futaleufu, arrangements can be made to store it in Puerto Montt with the same airline company. After arriving in Chaiten, a 3.5-hour drive brings you to Futaleufu before sunset. On your return to Puerto Montt from Chaiten you want to depart on the last flight possible and get where you are going. Schedule your flight not before 4:30 pm. This will still allow you to return to the US on the same night.

Flying through Buenos Aires to Esquel Argentina requires you to leave your home on Thursday for an arrival in Futaleufu the next day on Friday. This is the day before your trip starts allowing you to relax and get ready. This route offers cheaper airfares, normal , and the elimination of the 100 usd visa entry fee they charge at Santiago’s airport. When you arrive at the jetport in Esquel we provide a shuttle for two hours drive away to Futaleufu. You also eliminate the extra flight from Puerto Montt to Chaiten that is in a small twin-engine plane.

However, Flights from Buenos Aires to Esquel are only three times a week. On Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s. You will also need to transfer in a bus or van (50 min), from the in Buenos Aires to the National Airport this requires a 3 hours between flights to be a legal connection. A missed flight has greater ramifications. On your return you may want to fly the following Friday evening from Esquel, missing the last night dinner of your trip. Another option is taking a bus on Saturday morning from Esquel to Barilocohe (4 hours) and flying on one of the numerous daily flights from Bariloche back to Buenos Aires.

1. Flights from North America to Patagonia 2. Flights from Europe to Patagonia 3. Puerto Montt Travel Connections 4. Santiago to Puerto Montt by Bus 5. Chaiten Travel Connections 6. Charter Flights to Futaleufu 7. Esquel, Bariloche & Argentina Patagonia Travel Connections 8. General Airline Connection & Travel Information o Arriving to Late to Connect o Ideal Travel Itinerary’s 9. Plane Tickets & Prices o Expediciones Chile Partner Travel Agent o Group Travel & Pricing 10. Internet Airfare Web sites o Airport Codes o International o North America Domestic Airlines o European Domestic Airlines o Internet Travel Discounters o Internet Airfare Consolidators & Wholesalers 11. Departure Information

Flights From North America to Patagonia

Determine which country you will fly through by evaluating the price, travel days available to you, and deciding which country you may want to enjoy after your trip with us. If you have any other questions about which entrance to choose give us a call.

Flight times and flight numbers are subject to change before you purchase your ticket.

If you choose Chile, try to connect with Lan Chile’s flight LA075 departing Santiago for Puerto Montt Chile (SCL-PMC) at 8:55 am and arriving in Puerto Montt at 10:35 am. One needs to choose an international flight that arrives in Santiago by 7:25 am to assure the 1.5-hour legal connection time. There are three morning flights departing Sanitago on Lan Chile that arrive in Puerto Montt before 11:00 am. Departing: On the last day of your Patagonia travel trip with us (usually Saturday) your connecting departure from Puerto Montt should be scheduled no earlier than 4:30 PM (16:30 hrs) this allows us to get you arrive in Puerto Montt from Futaleufu yet still allows you to make flight connections to wherever you are traveling.

If you choose Argentina, try to connect with Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR1800 departing Buenos Aires for Esquel (AEP-EQS) at 11:30 am. One needs to choose an international flight that arrives no later than 8:30 am into Buenos Aires assuring you the three hours legal connect time. Strangely enough Aerolineas Argentinas international flight does not connect with its own Aerolineas Argentinas flight to Esquel. Departing: On the last day of your Patagonia trip with us you should plan on flying out of Esquel on Friday afternoon before our last night dinner. It is possible to make the connection to fly back to North America the same night. IF the schedule should change not allowing a connection to your international flight, spend Friday night in Buenos Aries and take a city tour on Saturday. Depart Buenos Aires on Saturday night returning to your hometown on Sunday. If you have enough time the best thing is to join us for our Friday night dinner. Then on Saturday morning we will shuttle you to a bus in Esquel that travels to Bariloche in four hours. You can spend the night in Bariloche enjoying the nightlife. The following day tour the Bariloche area and fly to Buenos Aires in the afternoon connecting to a night flight back to your home country.

We recommend Lan Chile, American and Delta flying from Miami, New York, Dallas, Atlanta or Los Angeles. These companies have direct flights to Santiago and Buenos Aires. Many of their flights arrive early enough to connect through either Patagonia gateway.

Of course you do not have to pay attention to any of this if you call our travel agent partners and have them find the ticket that works for your trip, and the days you have free.

Flights From Europe to Patagonia

There are gateway cities in almost every country of Europe. The three that we are most familiar with are Frankfurt, London, and Madrid. All flights booked from Europe will also need to arrive in Puerto Montt in time to make the required Expediciones Chile charter flight connection to Chaiten or arrive in Buenos Aires in time for the connection to Esquel.

Many of our guests from Europe schedule a rest day in Santiago or Buenos Aires. This allows them to readjust to the time zone difference and not have to meet tight connections to Patagonia

Puerto Montt Travel Connections

You MUST arrive Puerto Montt’s airport by 11:00 am Chile time (unless approved by our office). An Expediciones Chile representative will meet you in Puerto Montt using the flight number that you have provided to our office. You will then travel from Puerto Montt to Chaiten at 11:00 AM; this flight lasts approximately one hour. Some United States and European gateway cities will not allow you to arrive in time to make this connection. If you are traveling from one of these cities, plan on spending an overnight in Puerto Montt, the gateway city to Patagonia. Expediciones Chile can make hotel reservations for you in Puerto Montt. If you are arriving in Puerto Montt on your own schedule, you must check in with our office in Futaleufu (65) 721.386

Santiago to Puerto Montt by Bus

If one has time, taking the overnight bus from Santiago to Puerto Montt can save money and give you additional experiences that offer insight into the Chilean culture. The buses are clean and comfortable and very reasonably priced. The Classico is $15 usd, Ejecutivo $28 usd, and the Salon Cama $40 usd. The Classico is somewhat better than North American Greyhound buses. The Salon Cama is similar or better than a seat in an airplane complete with steward and snack. We strongly suggest reserving a seat on the Salon Cama. However, I have many fond and memorable experiences making friends in my early days in Chile on the “Bus Classico” There are up to 10 buses leaving each night with the top bus line TurBus. They depart between 7:45 pm and 9:45pm each night. The trip takes 13 hours. They return from Puerto Montt each evening at about the same time. If you have a same day connection to Chaiten via airplane or catamaran, pick the bus with the earliest arrival time, allowing time to take a bus or cab to the airport or catamaran docks (20 minutes). Make your reservation as soon as possible on the day of travel, as the first class buses often sell out. If you read Spanish and have a credit card, you can even purchase and select your bus seat over the internet at www.turbus.cl . If you arrive in Santiago and want to travel the same day, purchase it as soon as possible at the TurBus bus station on Terminal de Buses Alameda at the metro station Universidad de Santiago. If they are sold out, there are other bus stations and other bus lines.

(For maps of Santiago, consider purchasing one of the many travel guidebooks of Chile.) The middle class rides the buses in Chile; they are very clean and safe. However, always watch your luggage in the public transportation centers in the bigger cities like Santiago and Puerto Montt. Take a cab to the station and have a porter help you take your bags into the station. Stack them together till you check them in under the bus. Then you can relax and enjoy your trip.

Chaiten Travel Connections

Upon arrival in Chaiten, an Expediciones Chile driver will receive you and drive you three and one half hours to Futaleufu in northern Patagonia on the border with Argentina. The cost of this trip is included in your trip price. Guests who travel in Patagonia independently (or when an Expediciones Chile shuttle is not scheduled) can arrange a private pick-up service from Chaiten to Futaleufu for the cost of approx $200 usd for the vehicle and driver. Expediciones Chile will help you make this reservation if needed. Usually our trips run from Saturday to Saturday, and Expediciones Chile dedicates a vehicle to make this trip. If you are willing to share a ride in a local public vehicle, transportation can be arranged less expensively, but it is not the most comfortable option. If you are arriving in Chaiten by ferry or other means, you will need to be at the Chaiten airport by 12 noon the day your trip starts. Inform our office and we will pick you up.

Charter Flights to Futaleufu

Spectacular charter flights are also available directly to Futaleufu from Puerto Montt, for an extra charge, weather permitting. This is the quickest way to arrive in Futaleufu, but also the most expensive. We only work with twin-engine planes. Please call our office to arrange this option for your group. This flight travels directly over the Patagonia Andes to the village of Futaleufu. You will fly over some of the most spectacular scenery in Patagonia on your journey to the Futaleufu Valley.

Esquel, Bariloche & Argentine Patagonia Travel Connections

Some guests stay with us a day before their trip starts others spend Friday night in Esquel and come to Futaleufu on Saturday.

If your trip starts in Bariloche, there are numerous flights each day from Buenos Aires to Bariloche. This allows you to use just about any international carrier to get to Buenos Aires. IF you are trying to get to Futaleufu via the daily flights to Bariloche, there is bus service three times a day from Bariloche to Esquel and Esquel to Bariloche. This trip is 4 hours and we can pick you up in Esquel. This is the link to the bus company: http://www.viabariloche.com.ar/english/index.php

To get from the airport, hotel, or bus station in Esquel to Futaleufu you can make arrangements with our office. This is included in most of our trips price. If you are traveling on your own for $200 usd we will have a shuttle and driver pick you up at the point indicated. The drive is two hours to the town of Futaleufu. Our shuttle driver carries a cell phone (coverage in Argentina) and is in communication with our Futaleufu office.

General Airline Connection & Patagonia Travel Information

We have found Lan Chile and American Airlines the most responsible and accommodating to Chile and to Argentina. American offers the frequent flyers. If you plan to travel to other parts of South America look into the South American Airpass with Lan Chile. It allows stops in several countries in South America for very reasonable rates.

Arriving to late to connect

What if the International carrier you have chosen does not allow you to connect to Puerto Montt in time for your reserved flight to Chaiten? In that case, plan to arrive a day early and spend a pleasant night in the city of Puerto Montt, gateway to Patagonia, and catch the flight to Chaiten the following day. We can recommend a hotel or bed and breakfast for you. {For example: direct flights from NY to Santiago arrive approx 12:00 noon – too late. Flights from New York thru Miami and on to Santiago arrive 6:30 am perfect! Of course you will have to depart NY earlier.}

If you are flying through Argentina and the international carrier you have chosen arrives to late to connect to Esquel. Change your departure date and plan to arrive a day early in Buenos Aires and enjoy the city. Remember at this time there are only flights on Monday Wednesday and Friday to Esquel. We can recommend a hotel for you to stay in. The other option is to fly to Bariloche where there are numerous daily flights. You can take the bus to Esquel, spend the night and we pick you up the next day.

Reciprocity Fee

Please be aware that you are responsible for the one-time reciprocity visa fee of $100.00 usd, upon arrival at the Santiago International Airport. The reciprocity fee is what US Customs charges Chileans when they enter the United States. It is good for the life of your . Other airport and exit taxes are usually included in your ticket. Check with your travel agent when you purchase it. If you enter Chile by land via Argentina you do not have to pay this fee.

See http://travel.state.gov/ for entry US requirements to Chile or Argentina.

See www.congechiletoronto.com for Canadian entry requirements. Ideal Travel Itinerary to Futaleufu via Chile.

• Flight 1: Departing your hometown on Friday on American Airlines to Miami or a gateway US city serviced by Lan Chile. (Miami, LA,)

• Flight 2: Departing on Lan Chile flight LA 501 from Miami to Santiago (MIASCL) at 8:30 am Arriving in Santiago at 6:50 am

• Flight 3: Departing on Lan Chile's flight LA 997 from Santiago to Puerto Montt (SCLPMC) at 8:30 am. Arriving in Puerto Montt at 10:10 am. Our receptionist meets you at Puerto Montt’s airport, a gateway city to Futaleufu Patagonia.

• Flight 4: Depart at 11:00 AM Saturday on a charter flight from Puerto Montt to Chaiten. (Reserved by ExChile)

• Drive: 12:00 noon. We meet you in Chaiten and drive you to Futaleufu.

Returning home from Futaleufu via Chile:

• Drive: Departing Futaleufu early Saturday morning to Chaiten. (12:00 noon arrival)

• Flight 1: Departing Chaiten at 2:00 pm on a twin-engine prop plane to Puerto Montt. (Reserved by ExChile)

• Flight 2: Departing Puerto Montt on Lan Chile’s flight LA 282 to Santiago (PMCSCL) 4:20 pm. Arriving in Santiago at 5:55 pm. You must allow at least 1.5 hours for your connection in Santiago with your international flight back to the USA.

• Flight 3: Departing Santiago on Lan Chile’s flight LA 500 to Miami (SCLMIA) at 10:25 pm and arriving in Miami at 4:55 am early Sunday morning.

• Flight 4: Early Morning flight from Miami or other gateway city to your hometown.

Ideal Travel Itinerary to Futaleufu through Argentina:

• Flight 1: On Thursday depart your hometown for Miami.

• Flight 2: Depart Miami Thursday night on American Airlines flight AA909 (MIAEZE) at 8:40 pm, arriving in Buenos Aires 7:18 am Friday morning. You will need a 3- hour legal connection between this flight and your flight to Esquel. This allows for the 50-minute van ride to the national airport (AEP).

• Flight 3: Departing Buenos Aires National airport on Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR2818 (AEPEQS) at 12:37 pm. Arriving in Esquel at 4:12 pm. We schedule a shuttle to pick you up and drive you the 2 hours to Futaleufu.

Returning home from Futaleufu through Argentina.

• Flight 1: On Friday we drive you from Futaleufu to the Esquel airport for the Aerolineas Argentinas flight 1800 departing at 3:45 PM and arriving at 7:08 pm at the Buenos Aires National airport (AEP). You need 3 hours for a legal connection to an international flight at the international airport. The van ride takes 50 minutes.

• Flight 2: Departing Buenos Aires on American Airlines flight number AA 908 (EZEMIA) at 10:55 pm and arriving Miami at 5:32 am

• Flight 3: Depart Miami on the first connecting flight to your hometown.

If the schedules changes and you do not have 3 hours between flights for the legal connection, we recommend spending the night in Buenos Aires. Enjoy the unique nightlife and take a city tour the next day, and a flight the same evening.

Expediciones Chile suggests another option. Enjoy the last night dinner in Futaleufu We drive you to Esquel and for you to take the 4-hour bus trip to Bariloche. Spend Saturday night in Bariloche, and then fly to Buenos Aires on Sunday. That evening catch a flight back to your home country.

Plane Tickets & Prices

Purchase your tickets as soon as you decide on a trip. This will save you money! Expediciones Chile works with G&P Adventure Tours. They are completely familiar with our Patagonia travel and schedule requirements. I have found them more economical and efficient than the purchasing online, however if you can find sometime significantly cheaper on the Internet, go for it. Generally, there are three levels of web pricing: published fares from the Airlines, Internet ticket discounters, and ticket wholesalers & consolidators. Our recommendation is to get a quote from our travel agent partner Paula or Gilda. If you think you can beat that price, then proceed to the Internet to see if there are substantial savings. IF not stick with the knowledge, help and flexibility of Paula and Gilda.

Expediciones Chile Partner Travel Agent

Gilda & Paula (G&P) Adventure Tours:

Contact Gilda Gutierrez or Paula Aguila at 1.866.511.8687 or 1.305.279.3444 E-mail: info at discoveryourtours dot com

We often beat the Internet fares. Because we get the best international bulk fares to Chile and Argentina. Identify the Expediciones Chile trip on which you are joining. Ask for a price on a round trip ticket from your hometown to Puerto Montt, Chile or Esquel Argentina. Published fares are around $1500 usd. A good fare is $1200 usd. An excellent fare is around $1000 usd. IF we get you under a grand purchase it quick they do not last long.

We can get further Savings on Chilean and Argentinean Domestic Flights. The national carriers in Chile and Argentina often charge more for South American domestic tickets purchased from Europe, or North America, than if they were purchased from South America. Check the price you are quoted for the domestic portion in Chile or Argentina. If the quoted fare is much more than $210 usd Santiago - Puerto Montt round trip, or $236 usd Buenos Aires – Esquel round trip, call us, depending on the availability of seats, Exchile and G&P know how to get around this.

Gilda and Paula know the logistics for your trip. If you are coming through Chile they know the flight you have to take to arrive in Puerto Montt in time for your reserved flight to Chaiten. If you are flying through Argentina they know which flight you need to take to get you to Buenos Aires in time to make the connection to the flight to Esquel. They can make hotel reserves and any travel arrangements for you in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil or Ecuador.

We have worked with Paula and Gilda for over ten years, and they have an excellent service record. They are located in Miami and their hours are 9:00am-6pm. EST, M-F (They speak English and Spanish)

IMPORTANT: Once you have purchased your air tickets make sure you fill out the application form on the exchile.com website including your arrival and departure times. If you have already submitted the application without including your flight arrival and departure times, e-mail the information ASAP From our contact us form at our web page exchile.com. It is absolutely essential that we have your flight information.

Group Travel and Prices

Expediciones Chile has been running trips to Patagonia Chile for over twenty years. During that time we have acquired a great many connections in the travel industry. For large groups, of ten or more people, we will help you find the best possible airfare to our region of Patagonia. Please call our office to get an airfare quote for your group.

Internet Airfare Web Sites

Purchasing airfares over the Internet can be a very time consuming process, but the results may be well worth the effort, especially if you are looking for the least expensive travel option. Every season we have guests who travel to Patagonia that have managed to find round trip flights for just under $1000.00 usd. Their secret is starting early, being methodically persistent, and being at the right place at the right time. There are no guarantees. These types of tickets usually come with many restrictions, so please read the fine print. An excellent article about finding great airfare deals can be found here: FAQs. (Because of the recent increase in oil/petroleum prices we recommend booking as early as possible to find the best savings.)

Airport Codes

Chile & Argentina Airport Codes Buenos Aires = EZE Santiago = SCL International Buenos Aires= AEP Puerto Montt = PMC National Chaiten =WCH Bariloche =BRC Punta Arenas = PUQ Esquel = EQS Valdivia = ZAL Temuco = ZCO

Airlines

International Airlines

International Airlines

LAN Chile Airlines 1-866-435-9526 TACA International 1-800-400-8222 American Airlines 1-800-433-7300 AeroMexico 1-800-237-6639 Delta Airlines 1-800-221-1212 Mexicana 1-800-531-7921 United Airlines 1-800-538-2929 Copa Airlines 1-800-359-2672 Aerolineas Continental 1-800-231-0856 1-800-333-0276 Argentina Northwest Airlines 1-800-447-4747 Air Canada 1-888-247-2262 Air France 1-800-237-2747 Swiss International 1-877-359-7947 Lufthansa 1-800-399-5838 Royal Dutch (KLM) 1-800-447-4747 Iberia 1-800-772-4642 British Airways 1-800-AIRWAYS Japan Airlines 0120-25-5931 Varig 1-800-468-2744

For those who have not flown to Chile before, Lan Chile is a carrier we strongly endorse. They are the national carrier of Chile with a first class reputation and operation. American is another carrier we recommend. They both arrive early enough in Santiago or Buenos Aires to make the necessary connection required. In general, we recommend that you patronize the larger airlines, or airlines that you are more familiar with to avoid unexpected travel problems.

North America Domestic Airlines

North America Domestic Airlines Frontier United Airlines 1-800-864-8331 1-800 -432-1359 Airlines Air Tran America West 1-800-2FLY-AWA 1-800 -AIR-TRAN Airways American Airlines 1-800-433-7300 ATA 1-800 -435-9282 Continental 1-800-523-3273 US Airways 1-800-428-4322 Alaska Airlines 1-800-252-7522 Delta Airlines 1-800-221-1212 West Jet 1-888-937-8538 Northwest 1-800-225-2525 Spirit Airlines 1-800-772-7117 Airlines Southwest 1-800-435-9792 Can Jet 1-800-809-7777 Airlines Jet Blue 1-800-538-2583 Song Airlines 1-800-221-1212

European Domestic Airlines

European Domestic Airlines Czech Austrian Airlines Lithuanian Airlines Airlines Easy Jet Jat Airways MALEV Scandinavian SN Brussels Sky Europe Airlines Airlines Lux Air VLM Airlines Condor Ryan Air Open Jet

Internet Travel Discounters

Airfare Discount Websites Orbitz Travelocity Priceline Hot Wire Expedia Ticket Spinner Hot Fares Cheap Tickets Air Gorilla Cheap Fares Airfare Store QIXO Cheap Airlines Boots in All Lowest Fare Cheap Seats Airfare AOW Last Minute (UK) Opodo (Europe) Travel Bag (UK) Travel Jungle Ebookers (Europe) Sky Deals (UK) (UK) Expediciones Chile does not recommend www.sidestep.com. They will require you to install their proprietary software on your computer.

Airline Ticket & Travel Consolidators

Ticket Consolidators & Wholesalers Consolidator Air Travel Airline Consolidator Webfares Center Group Source Travel Best Travel Store Travel Hub

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