Chile

Arrival at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) is your gateway to the Andes. To reach the city center, skip the expensive private transfers and hop on the Centropuerto or TurBus shuttles, which cost around 2,000 CLP ($2.10 USD). For the ultimate convenience, ensure you have a Hello eSIM activated before your wheels touch the tarmac. Having immediate data allows you to bypass the long airport Wi-Fi login screens and safely book an official Transvip shared shuttle or an Uber to your accommodation.

Once in the capital, the Metro de Santiago is world-class. You will need a Bip! card, which costs 1,550 CLP ($1.60 USD) and can be topped up at any station. Fares fluctuate based on peak hours but generally hover around 800 CLP ($0.85 USD). As you navigate the city’s diverse barrios like Lastarria or Bellavista, use the Hello trip planning feature to keep your museum bookings and vineyard tours organized in one place. Whether you are checking the latest exchange rates or using GPS to find the Sky Costanera—South America's tallest building—a reliable connection via your Hello eSIM ensures you are never truly lost in this sprawling metropolis.

Chilean cuisine is a hearty celebration of land and sea. You cannot leave without trying a completo (a loaded Chilean hot dog) or a fresh empanada de pino (beef, onions, raisins, and olives). For a sit-down meal, look for pastel de choclo, a savory corn and meat pie that is a local staple. In coastal cities like Valparaíso, a paila marina (seafood stew) is essential, typically costing about 12,000 CLP ($12.50 USD) at a local market stall.

When dining out, it is customary to leave a 10% propina (tip). Most restaurants will add a 'suggested' tip to the bill, which you can approve or adjust. If you are traveling with friends, the Hello expense splitting feature is a lifesaver for dividing the cost of a round of Pisco Sours or a shared seafood platter. Chilean wine is world-renowned and surprisingly affordable; a high-quality bottle of Carmenere at a restaurant might only set you back 15,000 CLP ($15.75 USD). By using the Hello budget tracking tool, you can log these expenses in CLP and see exactly how your spending aligns with your travel goals, making it easy to indulge in that extra plate of machas a la parmesana.

Chile’s geography is a study in contrasts, from the bone-dry Atacama Desert in the north to the glacial fjords of Torres del Paine in the south. Traveling between these regions usually requires domestic flights via carriers like LATAM or Sky Airline. Because distances are vast, use the Hello trip planning tool to map out your transitions and avoid the common mistake of over-scheduling.

In San Pedro de Atacama, tours to the Moon Valley or El Tatio Geysers can range from 35,000 to 80,000 CLP ($36 to $84 USD). Prices in Patagonia are significantly higher due to the remote location; a daily park entrance fee for Torres del Paine is approximately 31,000 CLP ($32.50 USD) for international visitors. To manage these varying costs, the Hello budget tracker helps you visualize your daily spend across different regions. Even in remote outposts, having a Hello eSIM can be a vital safety net for downloading offline maps or checking weather alerts before a trek. Whether you are stargazing in the north or trekking the 'W' circuit in the south, staying organized and connected allows you to focus on the breathtaking scenery rather than the logistics.