Dear All,

I will be arriving in Santiago Chile in a few days. Can anyone recommend any accommodation that also has secure bike parking ?

Thank & Best regards,

Jan

Hi Jan,
maybe Martina can help as I understood they do have accommodation in Santiago: villakunterbuntvalpo@yahoo.de
We are the couple that wants to send our bikes from Auckland to Chile (Dave send a post). Thanks for your reply. Do you still have contact details to talk to somebody from LAN Chile? Thanks. Conny

In Santiago now, staying in a very pittoresque part of town, Barrio Paris Londres. Bike is parked in a loading bay, next to the breakfast tables, which takes a bit of effort (two fairly high steps to conquer, no ramp). Only room for one, maybe two bikes, so don't bring a group. The place takes a bit of patience to find due to the many one-way streets.

Now, if all of that does not put you off; it's the Hotel Plaza Londres on Londres 77. Take Tarapacá westbound from San Francisco, right on Paseo Serrano, right on Paris (cobblestones), right on Londres, hotel is on the right side. Room with squeeky clean shared bath for 10,000 pesos. Don't seem to be sharing the bathroom with anyone though...

And if you need your bike serviced; go see Paul at Motolatam, he and the crew did a great job on my TransAlp today!

Have fun, I'm off to Puerto Montt tomorrow.

__________________
www.vincentkemp.nl 2009-2010 Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia on a red '00 Honda Transalp

Thanks for the info !

Dear Conny,

shipping is always a difficult business as many try to overcharge. I called the local agent of LanChile, but don´t have the details with me.

Here some update how it went:

The bike actually arrived two days before me in Santiago. When I arrived I grabbed a taxi to LanChile Cargo, but it took me an 45 min to find the right place. I then got the original AirWay Bill for a 20.000 Peso document fee and went then (100m away) to customs and cleared customs within 30 minutues. I have a carnet and they looked at it, but did not actually use it! They issued their own document which I need to use when leaving the country.

As it was late and as I needed to get fuel, a new battery and some oil (as I drained just in case below dipstick level - (;-) ), I went to the city.

Returned the next morning with a taxi and went back to LanChile to get the bike handed over. There was a cargo handling charge of 70.000 Peso and I had my bike within minutes forklifted in the parking area.

I unpacked the bike and got it rolling within 1 hour. The transport frame I packed in the trunk of the taxi to store it at the uncle of a friend of a friends workshop for my return to Australia.

In summary the handling in Santiago cost me:

30.000 Peso Taxi arrival day
20.000 Peso document fee
200.000 Peso new battery + oil (they only had KTM OEM part and I didnt want to try to shop around)
70.000 Peso Cargo Handling Charge
50.000 Peso Taxi second day
Total: 370.000 Peso (740 USD) or 170.000 Peso (340 USD) excl. battery & oil
500 Peso = 1 USD

If you take a freight forwarder you need to add their service fees. My spanish is very poor and I havn´t spocken in 10 year but could manage. All people were very friendly and helpfull the forklift driver even helped to unpack and assemble the bike.

Best regards,

Jan

Hellow Jan.
There is a cheap hostal at nice place in Santiago. The name is Atacama Hostal. the price is about $12.00 usd. Ask for Claudio the own. It is in Providencia one of the nice area . everithing is closse and de sub way station. good look. don t miss the gard change every two day at moneta.
I been there 1 year ago from Mexico to Usuaia.