GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide By: Felipe Elgueta José Luis Miño 1 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide INDEX 1. Useful information upon arrival. ........................................................................3 2. Airports and getting to the city ..........................................................................4 2.1 Santia go subway network ..................................................................................................... 5 3. Moving araund in the city ..................................................................................6 3.1 Timee sch dules and flatr ate. ................................................................................................ 7 4. Venue & Judge Hotel information ......................................................................8 4.1 Grand Prix Venue ................................................................................................................... 8 4.1.1 Going from airport to the Venue. ................................................................................................................. 8 4.2 Judge Hotel ............................................................................................................................ 9 4.2.1 Going from airport to the Judge Hostel ......................................................................................................... 9 4.2.2 Going from Atacama Hostel to the Venue ................................................................................................... 10 5. Hotel and Hostel near the tournament Venue. ................................................11 5.1 Hotel List.............................................................................................................................. 11 5.2 Hostal List. ........................................................................................................................... 13 6. Tourist spots....................................................................................................14 7. Tours. ..............................................................................................................17 8. Recommendations to visit ...............................................................................18 9. Food and Beverages ........................................................................................20 10. Useful Tips.......................................................................................................21 11. Local Game Stores. ..........................................................................................22 12. Currency Exchange houses. .............................................................................23 2 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide 1. Useful information upon arrival. In chile functions the “Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero” (SAG), which is in carge of controlling agricultural and livestock products that enters the country. In case you bring any product of the mentioned categories, whether you carry it on your hand baggage or not, you will have to declare it using this form: http://www.sag.cl/sites/default/files/declaracion_jurada_sag_aduana.pdf Please, do not risk to not declaring something, for tax penalties are very high. If you have any doubts, it is be!er to ask to any of the SAG crew that will be at the airport. Once the products are declared, a SAG inspector will evaluate if those products are permited to enter the country. Apart from that, the rest of the procedures are the regular ones you will find at any other airport, such as mentioning the reason of your trip, where and how long you will be staying, etcetera. In regards of the currency, the country uses the Chilean Peso (CLP), Exchange value against dollar is 1 dollars = 610 CLP, but it varies daily. Avoid any exchange in not authorized place, to avoid any problem and for your own safety. 3 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide 2. Airports and getting to the city Arturo Merino Benítez Airport (A. M. B.) is the arriving place for all the flights, nationally and internationally, with Santiago as arriving destiny. From here, there are multiple possibilities to get to the center of the city; among them are cabs, transfers and buses. You are free to choose the medium you find more suitable, but if you expect to concur into unnecessary expenses, we recommend the bus. To take the bus, the departure is from the first level on the side of the door number 5 of the A. M. B Airport.; there you will find buses of the Tur-Bus company, which works since 05:00 until 00:00, local time. They have a cost of 1.600 CLP (3 dollars unless the currency has suffer any change, it is recommended to check the currency first), and they departure every 20 minutes. We recommend this company because their buses are comfortable and highly equipped (Air-conditioned system, recliner, WC, etc.) The bus stops in three terminal stations in Santiago, which are Pajarito terminal, San Borja terminal and Alameda terminal. All of them are next to a subway station, which are Subway station Pajarito, Subway station Las Rejas, Subway station Universidad de Santiago (Line 1 or red). In any of these stations, you can get to the GP Venue and/or Judge Hostel. Fig 1. Tur-Bus, Aeropuerto - Santiago 4 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide 2.1 Santiago subway network 5 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide 3. Moving araund in the city It is time to travel! You will need to use the city’s public transport. Nowadays, Santiago has a transportation system called Transantiago, and its payment form consists on a magnetic card; this card can be used either for buses or metro. The Bip! card can be acquired in any of the Bip! Centers available in any subway station, the card has a cost of 1.500 CLP. The cards do not come with an initial balance to use the subway, so you have to charge additional money the moment you purchase it. The minimum Fig 2. Bip! Card. amount of charge is 1.000 CLP. Transantiago (Santiago bus system) has the advantage that passengers can make up to three combinations, buses and subway, for a fixed price depending the time of the day. In order to the use the public transportation system (bus and subway), you have to pay the ticket first, for this, you have to use your card and put it next to the card reader, which will detect and discount the total price of the ticket. When this occurs, the machine will make a Bip sounds and a green light will lighten, this means that the ticket was successfully paid and you can continue. If two Bips sounds are listened and a red light lightens, it means that your card does not have the sufficient amount to pay for the ticket and it needs Fig 3. Ticket booth. to be charged. It is advisable to plan your travel. On rush hours (between 07:00 and 08:59 hrs, and from 18:00 to 19:59 hrs.), the system can be overload which can result in longer periods of waiting and travels. On weekends, the fluency of subway wagons and buses decreases which can result in longer travel time. The bus service of Transantiago works the 24 hours of the day (in the night the services is less frecuent). The subway station service works from 06:00 to 23:00 hrs. Fig 4. Subway Card system. 6 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide 3.1 Time schedules and flat rate. 7 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide 4. Venue & Judge Hotel information 4.1 Grand Prix Venue The Convention Center of the Grand Palace Hotel, home of the Grand Prix Santiago 2015, is located at Huérfanos 1178. It’s close to 3 subway stations (Subway station Plaza de Armas on Line 5; Subway station Universidad de Chile and Subway station La Moneda on Line 1) so you can get there in quick, easy and safe way for all the assistant of the tournament; also you get access to the main touristic events and the hotels in the city. The halls were the main event and side activities of GP Santiago will happen have a capacity for 1200 people and 1.800 mt2. This allows the development of a big event, securing the comfort of all the players and a nice experience for all who assist to the tournament. Fig 5. Venue, Hotel Gran Palace 4.1.1 Going from airport to the Venue. Once in any of the three subway stations mentioned in “Airports and getting to the city” go straight to the subway. After paying the ticket, pass through the tourniquet zone and take the wagon in the Dirección Los Domínicos. Descend in the station La Moneda and take the Morande exit. Once outside you will find a great avenue, which is Av. Libertador Bernando O’higgins, also called Alameda. From here you have to walk approximately one block east, until street Morandé, turn north and walk 3 blocks, from where you will arrive to street Huérfanos, then walk 100 meters east, and welcome to the Grand Hotel Palace. As an interesting fact, when you are walking through the alameda and turn in Morandé, you are passing right in front of the Palacio la Moneda, home of the presidency of the Republic. Fig 6. Grand Prix Venue, route to follow. 8 GP Santiago 2015: Travel Guide 4.2 Judge Hotel Judges will be accommodated at Atacama Hostel, which is in Román Díaz 130, Providencia. Subway station “Manuel Montt” is 5 minutes away from the hotel. It has free Wi-Fi connection and free parking. A. M. B Airport is 30 minutes away in car. The Atacama Hostel rooms are simple and are equipped with TV screen, heat, private bathroom and feather comforter. The distance between the Atacama Hostel and the GP Venue is too far to be walked, so we recommend using the bus service or the subway. Fig 7. Atacama Hostel 4.2.1 Going from airport to the Judge Hostel