Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), also called Pudahuel, is Santiago's airport, about 17 km northwest of the centre. This is what to sort out before you land and what to expect afterwards: the terminal, getting online and the way into the city.
Before you land
Chile registers prepaid numbers: a phone brought from abroad works on a Chilean SIM for 30 days and is then blocked unless it is registered with the network or a certifier. A phone that only roams needs nothing, and the eSIM roams. The eSIM is bought on this page and installed at home, so there is no counter to visit.
Keep the QR code where you can open it without a connection, printed or on a second device. The QR code shows on your order page seconds after payment, so bookmark that page or save the code before you leave it.
Getting online
The terminal has free Wi-Fi, so you can add the eSIM while you wait for your bags if you did not do it at home (install the eSIM). The plan roams on a Chilean partner network and your phone shows its name, so turn on data roaming for the eSIM line after landing (switch it on after landing). Chile's networks are Entel, Movistar, Claro and WOM.
Your usual SIM stays in the phone with your number, and WhatsApp keeps the same number while the eSIM carries your data. Travelling on? The plan on the Chile eSIM page covers Chile, Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador with one eSIM.
From the airport to the city
Centropuerto runs a bus every few minutes to Los Héroes, at the end of metro line 1 in the centre, and Turbus runs to Pajaritos, also on line 1, and to Alameda. Buy a ticket at the counters in arrivals before you walk out.
Taxis and app cars wait outside the terminal; use the official taxi counters in arrivals or the signposted app pickup area, and agree the fare before you set off. The drive to the centre takes about 30 minutes outside rush hour.
Good to know
- Time. Chile is on UTC-4 in winter and UTC-3 in summer, with daylight saving from September to April.
- Altitude. Santiago sits at about 570 m, with the Andes on the skyline; a trip up to the ski resorts climbs far higher, so take it easy on the first day.
- Emergencies. Call 133 for the police, 132 for the fire brigade and 131 for an ambulance.
