PATAGONIA | ESSENTIALS Your Trip Information To help you prepare for this trip, we’ve gathered some useful information together! Some things, such as flights and insurance will be relevant sooner; and some things such as gear will be relevant closer to departure. Before your trip Passports, visas & vaccinations You’ve booked! You’ll need a passport that’s valid for at least six months beyond the date of What’s next? your departure from Chile & Argentina. We also need your passport details to Within a week of booking: book your travel arrangmements. Please provide us with your passport details pay deposit, confirm your contract as swiftly as possible, ensuring that they are 100% accurate (passport name, and log into your Travel Wallet number, nationality and expiry date). Sooner rather than later: If you’re a citizen of USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most Western check passport, arrange travel European countries you won’t need a visa to enter Chile or Argentina for stays of insurance and book your flights, up to 90 days. You’ll be issued with a 90-day tourist card upon arrival - don’t lose start your training regime and get fit! this card (often a small sheet of paper) as you’ll be asked for it at some hotels Four months before your trip: and Refugio’s, and when you depart the country. If you’re a citizen of another if sending a cheque, please mail country please check with your nearest Chilean Embassy and Argentinean it now Embassy about entry requirements, and if you need any assistance let us know. Three months before your trip: For travel to Chile & Argentina we recommend getting vaccinated against full payment is due, complete Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Typhoid at least two months before your trip starts. extra items* For the most up-to-date recommendations please check with your doctor or Two months before your trip: travel clinic, and always go with their recommendations, as these can often arrange vaccinations change. There are no official vaccination requirements for entry, however if Four weeks before your trip: check you’re entering from a country that is considered to be at risk from Yellow Fever, for any missing details for your trip or when you go home afterwards, you may be required to show a certificate of Two weeks before your trip: vaccination (obtained from your doctor prior to travel). reconfirm your flights, print your final trip information* *We’ll email you reminders about these things! activeadventures.com 1 PATAGONIA | ESSENTIALS Flights Travel Insurance International flights As an Active Adventures South America traveller, you’re The most direct international routes to and from Punta required to have travel insurance for your trip – please be Arenas, Bariloche and El Calafate, are via national capitals aware some insurance companies require insurance to Santiago and Buenos Aires. be purchased within 14 days of deposit payment (to be From Canada: Air Canada, American Airlines and Delta all eligible for Pre-existing medical cover). We recommend have connections via Toronto. a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes From Europe/UK: Latam and Iberia offer direct flights to medical cover, emergency repatriation, trip cancellation Santiago from Madrid, while Air France, Lufthansa, Varig and other travel mishaps (flight cancellations or delays, trip and Aerolineas Argentinas offer direct flights to Buenos interruption, theft or loss of luggage and personal effects). Aires from Paris, Madrid and Frankfurt. We highly recommend World Nomads as they offer From USA: Connections to Santiago and Buenos Aires are competitive travel insurance policies that suit our type of usually via Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas or travel with the minimum requirements for medical cover Chicago. and emergency repatriation, as well as trip cancellation cover. We recommend keeping all travel papers (invoices, Domestic flights receipts, police reports etc.) when you travel in case you We recommend booking your domestic connections within need them later to support an insurance claim. Argentina and Chile as part of your international fare. It’s more economical that way, and can make life a bit easier Travel agencies if your international flight is delayed. There are a couple We recommend booking your flights through our preferred of airlines available for getting between Santiago & Punta travel partner – Fuzion Travel. They’re our experienced Arenas, or El Calafate and Bariloche & Buenos Aires. Latam hand-picked experts in travel, passionate about what they Chile (www.latam.com) departs several times a day and do, and will tailor-make your flight itinerary to match your Sky Airline (www.skyairlinechile.com) offer a couple of Active Adventures tour. flights a day. Get in touch with them directly by email – active@ In Argentina, LADE (www.lade.com.ar) and Aerolineas fuziontravel.co.nz or on 1 800 TRAVEL. Let them know Argentinas (www.aerolineas.com) are also options, but be your preferred travel plans, including any stopovers or wary of tight connections on Aerolineas Argentinas as they extra nights’ accommodation, and they’ll put everything in have a reputation for flight delays. place for you. They offer a total travel solution and five star NOTE: Buenos Aires has two main airports and it’s very service that you’ll want to tell your friends about! common that domestic flights go into one and international Extra hotel accommodation flights depart from the other (like JFK and LaGuardia in We can arrange additional hotel accommodation for you New York). If this is the case with your flights, you’ll need to at one of our preferred hotels if you plan to arrive early or arrange transport and allow time for this between the two leave later than your trip end date. The best way to make a airports, and you can can prebook your transfer here. booking is to request the hotel, dates and room types you It’s really important to collect and re-check your baggage require through your Travel details Step 3 Page. when you fly through Santiago on your way to Punta Arenas, or Buenos Aires on your way to Bariloche. Your first entry point into either Chile or Argentina you will need to go through customs with your luggage, after which you can then recheck your bags for your domestic flights and continue on. Often the airlines will say your bags are checked right through to your final destination, but in our experience this is not always true! Airline luggage We recommend packing valuable and essential items in your carry-on luggage (change of clothing, medication etc.) in case your luggage is delayed, and keeping your hiking boots at the top on your main piece of luggage – or wearing these to save weight. activeadventures.com 2 PATAGONIA | ESSENTIALS Arriving and departing Patagonia Chile Punta Arenas airport transport The Chilean Government has a reciprocal agreement with Punta Arenas’ Pres Ibanez Airport (PUQ) is 21km/13miles Australia so for Australian passport holders, you’ll need to north of central Punta Arenas. The most economical pay US$117 on arrival. This must be paid in cash on arrival transport is the safe, reliable shuttle buses wait outside the into Santiago airport, and the one-time fee is good for the terminal to greet each flight 2,500-3,000 Pesos (~US$4-5) life of a travelers’ passport. You may pay this fee at the one-way per person. Taxis are more convenient though are airport counter (to the left of Customs) via credit card or US$ more expensive 7,000-10,000 Pesos one-way (~US$15). cash. There is no fee charged if you’re arriving into Chile El Calafate airport transport by any other means, and holders of other passports aren’t Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) is charged anything, in accordance with their agreements. 21km/13miles east of central El Calafate. If you’re planning Argentina on staying in El Calafate after your trip, your hotel can We’ll be travelling by bus from Chile to Argentina in the arrange either a shuttle bus or a private taxi to take you middle of our ‘Condor’ trip; start in Argentina for our ‘Puma’ there. trip, and return to Argentina by boat & bus in the middle of Bariloche airport transport our ‘Puma’ trip. San Carlos de Bariloche Airport (BRC) is 13km/8miles/20 IMPORTANT You’re issued with your immigration arrivals minutes drive from central Bariloche and you can easily receipt on arrival. It’s really important to keep this safe arrange either a taxi or a minivan shuttle to get to your as you’ll need it when you depart Chile. Failure to submit hotel. A taxi will cost around AR$200 (~US$12), and you this card upon departure may result in delays until a can arrange this when you arrive, from the official taxi replacement is obtained. counter located in the arrivals hall. This can be a very quiet Customs and immigration airport, so bring sufficient cash with you as you may not be Customs and Immigration are swift and efficient in Chile able to get money from an ATM or change at the airport. and Argentina. You’ll have your passport and return air tickets checked before being issued with your 90-day tourist visa (see Visas above). Your luggage may be checked for fruit, dairy and organic products – it’s best to declare anything. activeadventures.com 3 PATAGONIA | ESSENTIALS What if there’s an emergency? Flight delays If your flight is delayed, or you can’t travel for any reason and aren’t able to get to your pre-arranged meeting place on time, please let us know as soon as you can.