TDHill

I posted bus info from 3/24/19 with pics here:

 

Hope it helps!

 

For anyone searching for recent into...  I posted this with pics on 3/24/19.  Hope it helps!

 

 

I posted detailed directions to taking the bus from San Antonio cruise port > to the San Antonio bus station >  to the Santiago bus station > to the Santiago airport at this link.  Pics too. Hope it helps!  🙂

 

 

 

A few things to add:

That's good info about the seats being assigned on the bus!  I did not realize that but went back to view my receipt/ticket and it says "Asiento 13."  I have no idea if we managed to sit in our correct seats.  🙂 

 

Also, as we were walking to the bus station, we did pass an idling Pullman bus along the street, empty, as if the driver was taking a break prior to his next trip.  The bus doors were closed, the sign on the front said, "Santiago", and sure enough!  As we were crossing the street to walk into the station, the bus pulled in behind us.  I do not know why he didn't come by the port first, since it was so close by, but he did not and no one seemed to be on the bus at the time that it began loading at the bus station. 

 

Finally, I wanted to share that the Celebrity transfer price was $62 US per person to go from the cruise port to the Santiago airport.  But it was slow!  We had gotten off the ship in Group 1 with another couple, who later talked with us in the SCL Delta Lounge.  They had to wait at least 20 minutes extra on the Celebrity transfer bus because some people from the ship, who were supposed to be on their bus, were late.  We had been at the airport lounge for quite awhile before they arrived, so while we had to figure things out with the bus as we went, at least we did not sit on a bus waiting for slow people!  We calculated that our total cost was about 1/10 of the cruise ship transfer price and it was very simple (which leaves more funds for the wonderful Chilean and Argentinian wines! )

 

One correction from my previous post.  It took 25 minutes (not 15) to get from the Santiago main bus station to the SCL airport.

 

Enjoy the journey!

Thanks to everyone who gave us the info to do the bus from San Antonio(Barrancas bus station) to Santiago (Alameda bus station) and then TurBus to SCL Aeropuerto. I wrote info as we went to share the tiniest details with those of us who want to know all we can in advance. I will try to put our times so you can get an idea of the possible schedule. I hope this helps the next traveler:

 

 

 

Buses from San Antonio port & main bus station (Barrancas- address is: Angamos 1464, San Antonio, Región de Valparaíso, Chile)

to Santiago main bus station (Alameda- address is: Av Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 3750, Santiago, Estación Central, Región Metropolitana, Chile)

to Santiago Aeropuerto:  (SCL address:  Aviador David Fuentes, Pudahuel, Región Metropolitana, Chile)

 

Direcitons

Exit ramp of cruise ship to awaiting bus (Port Bus at 7:03am) that takes you 1/2 mile to port building

Walk around San Antonio port building to the right to enter

Give aduana (customs) form to worker

Load bags onto security belt

Collect your big bags that are stacked to the right

Go through passport control

Exit building straight out (you can only go 1 direction)

 

There’s a container-like building that contains Visitor’s Info - lots of helpers (they speak English) but they are not bus experts

 

Keep walking straight to see cruise ship's buses (lined up on the left side) and taxis on the right

 

If it is dark, take a taxi to the bus station. I would simply use a calculator to negotiate a price (show the numbers on the screen). Small bills and Chilean money will get you a more fair rate. It is only about 1/4 mile to the bus station.

 

If you want to walk, keep walking until you exit the bus/taxi fenced area (about 20 yds past the buses) and turn Right.

 

Walk over the train tracks and turn right on the road. You are now walking back in the direction of where you just were, but you are now outside the port fence. In fact, if you could have jumped the fence when your port bus first dropped you off at the port building, you would be at the bus station. So, you essentially exit the port and then retrace your steps (this time OUTside the port fence) to get to the bus station.

 

Walk for 3 blocks, heading south. (Not gonna lie, this is a scary area in the dark -and nobody would call me a sissy. It’s probably perfectly fine to walk this route in the daytime with others around. We encountered fighting stray dogs, boarded up windows, bars on windows, deserted buildings, graffiti, trash, and a tunnel-like feeling of being boxed in, with concern about being accosted by people in cars coming from behind. Get a cab if it’s dark. Would seriously not walk it again in the dark)

 

You will easily see the small bus station on your left.

 

I’d bought Pullman bus tickets online ($6 ea) here https://www.recorrido.cl/en and printed them (required to be printed)

 

We arrived the San Antonio Bus Station (Barracas located at Angamos1464, San Antonio, Región de Valparaíso, Chile) at 7:26am for our 8:30am bus and asked inside at the ticket window, (via a Tourist helper who spoke English) if we could get on an earlier bus. The bus ticket guy checked his computer and printed new tickets for us for the 7:30am bus.

 

We walked outside to the bus (there was only one- and it said “Santiago” on the front, top windshield in orange lights)- and showed our tickets to the bus driver who was standing by the bus door. He directed us to the luggage loading area on the side of the bus so we could hand our bags to the loader.

 

The Luggage Loader put a sticker on each bag and gave us the receipt (which you will need later to retrieve your bag, so keep up with it.). We tipped (at both ends of the bus trip) the baggage loaders/unloaders US$1 for each bag, which seemed to please them. Singles or Chilean money is helpful so plan ahead if possible.

 

The bus left San Antonio at 7:35am and it was a smooth ride into the Santiago bus station (Huge but well organized) at 8:55am on this no-traffic Sunday morning.

FYI: In spite of some tourist helpers believing other options to be true:

 

1. The only bus from San Antonio port or city to the SCL Airport goes ONLY between the main bus terminals, Barrancas in San Antonio and Alameda in Santiago.

 

2. There is NO direct bus to the SCL Airport from neither the San Antonio port, nor from the San Antonio Barrancas (Main) Bus Station

 

3. It is better to buy a ticket for a reasonable timeframe, and then if you are early to try to get it reticketed for an earlier time if there is room, than to not get a seat at all on a full bus.

 

We exited the bus at the Santiago Alameda huge bus station with about 40 bays. We walked to the center of the U-shaped bus bay buildings and went inside to check on a bus to the SCL (Santiago) Aeropuerto.

 

There is a special place to buy the Aeropuerto tickets.

 

The company TurBus runs frequently to the Santiago airport and they have 2 special bus bays, #22 and #25. To buy the $3 bus tickets (U.S. credit card ok), go to the special ticket booth for the Aeropuerto Bus at Bay #22. There are several ticket windows there and you cannot miss the signs for Aeropuerto Bus Tickets on the stall windows.

 

As we bought tickets, the bus at #25 bay rolled away to the airport, so we were directed to load the bus at #22 bay, which left within 5-10 minutes for the airport.  So it should not be a long wait for the aeropuerto bus.

 

Our blue Turbus from Santiago main bus terminal to SCL Airport was a double-decker. You enter and exit at the middle door. Baggage worked exactly as described for the San Antonio main bus station loading.

 

The ride from the Santiago Alameda bus station to SCL Santiago airport took approximately 15 minutes.

 

The international terminal was first at what appeared to be the same building as the domestic terminal, which was a little further down, but we got off at that stop (International). I do not know if that was the only airport stop.

 

Both buses (Pullman and Turbus) were huge & very comfortable with footrests, curtains, seatbelts, nice recline, and I think bathrooms in the back. There was a lighted board for all to see, near the driver, that showed his speed, which seemed to keep it safe.

 

I hope this helps! 🙂

 

Captions for pictures below:

1.  Cruise ship location prior to exciting Celebrity Eclipse on 3/25/19 at San Antonio Port.  You can see the heart is the bus station.

 

2.  San Antonio Barrancas bus station

 

3.  Inside the nice Pullman bus from S.A. to Santiago bus station (1.5 hours)

 

4.  View from the Turbus at the Santiago bus station.  We are in Bay #25

 

5.  Our Turbus tickets

 

6.  Closeup view of the ticket windows (green) for buying the Turbus tickets from Santiago bus station to Santiago Airport (SCL)