GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide Based on: Nicolás Rosa’s GP travel guide 2017. Revised and Updated by: Gabriel Contreras and José Cartes (2018) GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide Welcome Traveller! You must be asking where has your spark taken you this time and why have you ended up here. Well, let me introduce you to my world and give you some useful information for the upcoming adventure... Chile is an everflowing mana plane located by the very southern end of the multiverse, its inhabitants are friendly most of the times. But be careful, some of these lands are also full of danger. Among residents you'll find a bunch of mages, geomancers, artificers and all sorts of creatures coming from the vast sea, glorious mountains, dense forests, infinite plains and deep marshes, beautiful landscapes this place can offer to your senses. Perhaps, you'll have some time to visit them later, but there's something to do first: You've been summoned here for a massive planeswalker encounter in which you'll have the chance to show your actual strength and amazing skills... who knows? Maybe you'll rise up victorious by the end of it. The gathering will take place at Gran Palace hotel in Satiago city, Chile. In order to get there safe from Phyrexians and other dark forces is highly recommended the use of some of the following tips and data. Good luck, Planeswalker! You will need it. (Unidentified telemancer's voice in your head) GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide 1. ENTERING CHILE To enter Chile, you have to present your identification documents, like your ID card and/or passport. Also, depending on your country of origin, a stamped visa. Citizens from South America, the European Union, the USA, Canada and Australia do not need tourist visas. However, some countries must pay a tax in cash (reciprocity tax) upon arriving the airport in Chile. Please, remember that if you’re bringing animal or vegetable products, upon entering the territory, you must declare them to the Agriculture and Livestock Service (Servicio Agricola y Ganadero – SAG); in this way, you’ll be contributing to protect the varied Flora and Fauna of the country. Chilean Law establishes that every eighteen years old or older person, MUST DECLARE under oath his or her belongings before entering the country. this process is made through an AFFIDAVIT provided in conjunction with The Agricultural and Livestock Service/SAG. This document has to be filled out by every person entering the territory. (http://www.sag.cl/sites/default/files/dj_2016_editable_0.pdf). If you carry or bring with you, or in your clothes, baggage (bags, suitcases, backpacks, etc,) and any other means you may use to transport products, parts or subproducts from animal or plant origin (without commercial cargo Characteristics) no matter the amount or time passed from their obtention, they MUST BE DECLARED. An Officer from The Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) will evaluate if the products are in proper conditions to enter the country. DON'T TAKE RISKS, DECLARE. For further questions and information ask any Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) officer before you hand in your AFFIDAVIT. GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide 2. CURRENCY Since 1975, the Chilean currency has been the Chilean Peso, with coins equal to 10, 50, 100 and 500 pesos and bills of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 pesos (CLP). In many cities of the country it is relatively easy to find ATMs that provide local currency. At the same time, most of the established stores allow paying with international bank cards. Although some shops in Chile accept Dollars and Euros, it’s highly recommended to get Chilean Pesos in official currency exchange offices as the exchange rate will be better. Exchange value against dollar is 1 dollar = 600 CLP, but it varies daily. To avoid any problem and for your own safety, avoid any exchange from non‐authorized places . GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide 3. Airports and getting to the city Santiago Airport (IATA: SCL, ICAO: SCEL), officially named Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, also known as Santiago de Chile airport or Pudahuel Airport, is the largest and busiest airport in Chile. Terminal information Santiago Airport has one Main Terminal Building, divided in 4 levels: ‐ Ground Floor: Baggage Claim, Arrivals, Duty Free Shop, Customs and Border Control, Transport Services, Parking Areas. ‐ First Floor: VIP lounges and Administrative offices. ‐ Second Floor: Departures, Check‐in areas, Duty Free Shops, Restaurants, boarding halls and Gates. ‐ Third Floor: Restaurants, VIP Check‐in areas (LATAM). Transport ‐ Bus: Two different companies provide service from Santiago airport: TurBus Aeropuerto and Centropuerto. TurBus: ‐ It runs from 05.00am to 01.00am every day during all year. ‐ It stops at: Las Rejas Metro Station, Terminal Alameda ‐ Universidad de Santiago Metro Station, Pajaritos Terminal, Terminal San Borja ‐ Estación Central Metro Station. ‐ One way (ticket price) costs CLP $1.700. ‐ Phones: +56 2 2822 7741 / + 56 2 28227748 / 600 660 6600 https://www.turbus.cl/wtbus/indexCompraAeropuerto.jsf GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide Centropuerto From/to Los Héroes: ‐ The route from the airport to Santiago (Los Héroes) runs from 6am to 11.30pm every 10 minutes. ‐ Location at the airport: First Level at Main Street Airport N° 4 and N° 5 between exits. ‐ It stops at: Las Rejas Metro Station, Terminal Alameda ‐ Universidad de Santiago Metro Station, Pajaritos Terminal, Terminal San Borja ‐ Estación Central Metro Station. ‐ One way (ticket price) costs CLP $1.700. ‐ Phones:+56 2 2601 9883 / +56 2 2601 0549 [email protected] MiniBuses Transfer Delfos and Transvip offer service 24h during all year. Taxi Santiago airport has introduced a controlled route system known as “Vía Controlada” that provides taxi service. The ground transportation desk it is located at the luggage claim area and you can pick up a taxi without request it previously. There are two different types of taxi: ‐ Black and Yellow: the regular ones. Run with a distance meter. ‐ Blue: the tourists ones. Taxis charges are fixed according and depending to the destination. When pre paying the fare, passengers get a voucher showing their destination, fare and taxi stand location in the Vía Controlada area where their designated vehicle will be on standby. This new system allows passengers to know in advance the fare charged for the transportation when picking up a taxi and they can make sure that the taxi drivers have a valid licence to drive from the airport. If you wish to pre‐book a taxi, you can do so directly from any of the authorized airport vehicle services. GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide Car Rental In Santiago Airport there are different car rental agencies that provide this kind o f service you can ask for them at any information counter. Santiago Subway Network GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide 4. Moving around in the city Moving through Santiago, and Chile in general is quite simple, especially if you speak spanish, you should be able to reach anywhere without problems in the most central areas of the city. The public transport system in the city is paid with a single card with a set rate to travel on the Metro (subway) and Micros (buses). The oficial payment is the Bip! Card, And there are different rates for adults. Students, and endelrly. You can buy ir for $1550 CLP (2.6USD) in subway stations, malls, and Bip! Points. Charges for this card start at a minimun of $ 100 CLP (0.2 USD). ‐Micros (buses) Price: $ 640 CLP (1.06 USD) at all times ‐Metro Price: $ 740 CLP (1.25 USD) during peak hours, $ 660 CLP (1.1 USD) at peak times and $ 610 CLP (1.01 USD) in low demand hous. The System performs a proportional payment of the second fare to complete the combined total cost and allows to travel between different buses in the same direction and a subway ride to the same cost for two hours. With the same card you can pay several routes, but it makes only the combination of the rate for one. GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide 4.1 Time Schedules and flat rates The tickets in Metro vary according to the Schedule in traveling, while the trip by bus has the same cost at any time of day. Santiago Metro runs from 5:40 to 23:00 on weekdays. On Saturdays opens at 6:30 and closes at 23:00 and Sundays and public holidays trains run from 8:00 until 22:37 Horario Bajo (Low rates): (between 6:00 and 18:29 or between 20:45 and 23:00 hous) worth $ 610 CLP. Horario Valle (Vallery or normal rates): (Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, and Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 6:59, from 9:00 to 17:59 hours or from 20:00 to 20:44 hours): $ 660 CLP Horario Punto (Peak rates or prime time): (7:00 and 8:59 hrs. And between 17:00 and 19:59 hours) $ 740 CLP. GP Santiago 2018: Travel Guide 5. Venue Information The Convention Center of the Gran Palace Hotel, home for the Grand Prix Santiago 2018, is located at Huérfanos 1178. In this place will be accommodated all the judges of the event. It is close to 4 subway stations (Subway station Plaza de Armas on Line 5, Subway station Universidad de Chile and Subway station La Moneda on Line 1 and Subway Station Santa Ana on Line 2) so you can get there in quick, easy and safe way. also you get access to the main touristic events and the hotels in the city.