Valpariaso - Lodging, etc

Hello,

We are flying to Santiago Sun 16 January and want to stay in Valpariaso for 2 nights before leaving on a cruise. We are looking for an inexpensive clean and colorful small hotel or B&B. Also maybe a

tour to take us around a couple of wineries and by foot in Valparaiso - including the funiculars! We need a transfer down there from the Santiago

airport, but may just go by the bus since it seems to be highly recommended and is certainly inexpensive.

I would appreciate your experiences and suggestions.

I have not seen info yet on taking the bus between Valparaiso and Santiago. What have you read about where to catch it, etc? Thanks.

Celebrity Infinity 02/2005!; NCL Sun 02/2003; Celebrity Millennium 05/2002; Ocean Princess 10/2001; Ocean Princess 8/2001; NCL Sea 7/2000; Ocean Princess 3/2000; Celebrity Mercury 10/1998; Star Princess 3/1996; NCL Dream 8/1995; Azure Seas 2/1991

I took the SA cruise this past Feb. Valparaiso is not much of a town. The only place that Frommer recommends there is the Brighton B&B. Email address is: brighton-valpo@entelchile.net.

We stayed at the Hotel Oceanic in Vina Del Mar. This is a lovely resort town and the Oceanic sits right on the cliffs above the Ocean with a view of the coastline all the way to Valpo. It is just a couple of miles between the two towns so you could always take a cab over to Valpo for the day. There is also a commuter train called the "Merval" which runs between Valpo and Vina every 20 minutes for less than a dollar.

You can catch a bus between Santiago and Valpo or Vina at the Terminal Santiago at Alameda O'Higgins 3712 (one block from Terminal Santiago; Metro: University of Santiago.) It is $4 one way. I got this info from Frommer's guide book. I didn't take the bus.

We stayed in Valparaíso for 2 nights before our cruise in December 2002. I really liked it and would highly recommend it. Valparaíso was recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (along with cities such as Venice and St. Petersburg), and it's easy to see why. It's a beautiful city with its brightly colored old houses crowding the hills, all arranged around the bay. Many of the hills are reached by funiculars (called ascensores), each one unique, and exploring the various hilltop neighborhoods was fascinating. Don’t miss Ascensor Polanco and Ascensor Artillería.

I know that some posters say they prefer Viña del Mar. We visited there for an afternoon (it's a short 20 minute commuter train ride), but we all preferred Valparaíso. Viña is more of a beach resort. Personally, I found it rather bland - it reminded me a bit of Florida. Valparaíso is gritty in places, but it is much more interesting, and gives you a better sense of the real Chile.

We took the intercity bus from Santiago to Valparaíso. The service is excellent and easy to use. We arrived at the Terminal Alameda (bus station) and we had purchased our tickets and were on a bus in 5 minutes. Tur-bus operates a direct service between Santiago and Valparaíso every 15 minutes throughout the day. The trip takes 1 hour 45 minutes and costs about $4. The buses are modern and comfortable and the scenery was great as we made our way through hills and vineyards down to the coast.

In Valparaíso, we stayed at the Hotel Brighton (www.brighton.cl) which was mentioned by an earlier poster. This is a charming little B&B (6 rooms) perched on the edge of a hill (Cerro Concepcion) overlooking the bay. Our room ($50 with breakfast) had a large balcony with fantastic city and ocean views. The restaurant also has a great outdoor section offering the same stunning views.

If you're going to be in this area for your cruise, don't miss Valparaíso!

I have ordered a travel book that may answer some of these questions....but in the meantime...

Regarding the $4 bus between Santiago and Valparaiso: We would be going from the ship to the airport after disembarking or staying a night or two.

How far from the airport is the bus terminal? Do you just get a taxi between the two?

Thanks!

~~Celebrity Infinity 02/2005~~; NCL Sun 02/2003; Celebrity Millennium 05/2002; Ocean Princess 10/2001; Ocean Princess 8/2001; NCL Sea 7/2000; Ocean Princess 3/2000; Celebrity Mercury 10/1998; Star Princess 3/1996; NCL Dream 8/1995; Azure Seas 2/1991

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ALadyNCal:

I have ordered a travel book that may answer some of these questions....but in the meantime...

Regarding the $4 bus between Santiago and Valparaiso: We would be going from the ship to the airport after disembarking or staying a night or two.

How far from the airport is the bus terminal? Do you just get a taxi between the two?

Thanks!

_~~Celebrity Infinity 02/2005~~; NCL Sun 02/2003; Celebrity Millennium 05/2002; Ocean Princess 10/2001; Ocean Princess 8/2001; NCL Sea 7/2000; Ocean Princess 3/2000; Celebrity Mercury 10/1998; Star Princess 3/1996; NCL Dream 8/1995; Azure Seas 2/1991 _<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dear 2dogcarole, do u remember if the Oceanic Hotel in Vina Del Mar is air conditioned. If it isn't, were u comfortable without air conditionig. I am planning on staying at the Oceanic in Feb. Thanks for any info you can give me. Also, what injections or pills, if any, did u take before this cruise. Again, many thanks for the info. Lois

Thanks to everyone for your contributions. What a great board.

Westcoaster, I have a couple of questions for you.

Did you take a taxi from the airport to the bus station? Also when you got to Valpo, did you take a taxi to the Brighton B&B? And finally, getting to the pier - did you taxi again? And was the embarkation routine? We are hoping to take some chilean wine onboard. It's expected on Oceania, or so I've read. Our first cruise on Oceania!

Any suggestions for eating, drinking and don't miss venues? I know about the poet's home and will definitely go there.

Thanks again for all the clarification and information.

Carol

Lois,

You will love the Oceanic. I don't think it has air conditioning but being on the coast you don't need it. It was probably in the mid 70's when we were there the first of Feb. The windows opened up and wonderful breezes came into the room. You could also hear the waves breaking on the rocks below the hotel. There was also a ceiling fan over the bed but we never used it.

Carol

Lois,

No special shots were required for the around the horn trip. The only pills I took were my bonine.

Carol, in answer to your question, yes we did take taxis from the airport to our hotel in Santiago (we stayed there 2 days), from the hotel to the bus station in Santiago, from the bus station to the Brighton in Valparaiso, and from the Brighton to the pier. We were on Celebrity, and were told that we would have to go to Vina for pre-embarkation, then get bused back to Valparaiso. However, we saw lots of people checking in right at the pier in Valparaiso.

Do you think it is better to stay in Santiago or Valpariso pre-cruise? We were thinking of staying in Santiago and taking a wine tour on the day of the cruise that would end in Valpraiso and take us to the ship. What do you think?

Vicki

ACJV

We checked in at the Valparaiso pier. Then we took as very short bus ride (less than a mile) to actually board the ship.

Dear Carol, thanks for all the input. Have a great day. Talk soon. Lois

Has anyone had any experience with either:

1) Valparaiso's Vineyard Inn, or

2) Hotel Monterilla in Vina del Mar

We are looking for a nice hotel in either city for around $200/night and would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

thanks

____________

Has anyone had any experience with either:

 

1) Valparaiso's Vineyard Inn,

In January, we stayed for three nights at the Robinson Crusoe Inn, which is across the street from the Vineyard Inn and under the same ownership. The Vineyard Inn was not yet finished but was being used for overflow from the RC. We didn't see the rooms at the Vineyard, but the public spaces were attractive.

These hotels are in a residential area. We enjoyed strolling the streets and the views are spectacular, but the restaurant options within walking distance are limited. The location worked well for us, but it is very different from Vina del Mar. We thought that Valparaiso was more interesting, but it isn't for everyone.

Harvey:

We are staying 1 night in Santiago and then doing a tour of the vineyards with a lunch at Indomita on the way to Vina del Mar where we will stay at the Hotel Del Mar (casino) for the 2 nights prior to the cruise. We are on the the same cruise as you and I think the same flight from LAX on the 22nd or 23rd.

In January, we stayed for three nights at the Robinson Crusoe Inn, which is across the street from the Vineyard Inn and under the same ownership. The Vineyard Inn was not yet finished but was being used for overflow from the RC. We didn't see the rooms at the Vineyard, but the public spaces were attractive.

 

These hotels are in a residential area. We enjoyed strolling the streets and the views are spectacular, but the restaurant options within walking distance are limited. The location worked well for us, but it is very different from Vina del Mar. We thought that Valparaiso was more interesting, but it isn't for everyone.

Thank you for the information. I didn't realize the Vineyard Inn was so new which helps explain the lack of reviews on the web. I realize there is a large difference beween Vina and Valpo neighborhoods and we are trying to make up our minds as to what is important.

Two questions if you have the time to answer:

1) How was the Robinson Crusoe? It once had high reviews on Tripadvisor but recently the reviews have been mixed.

2) Was there any public transportation nearby either of these hotels? We enjoy walking but several posts have spoken of the steep hills in Valpo.

Harvey

Harvey:

 

We are staying 1 night in Santiago and then doing a tour of the vineyards with a lunch at Indomita on the way to Vina del Mar where we will stay at the Hotel Del Mar (casino) for the 2 nights prior to the cruise. We are on the the same cruise as you and I think the same flight from LAX on the 22nd or 23rd.

Shelly,

Yes we have requested our TA to get us onto LAN 603 on the 22nd and will be in a D1 cabin on the 9th deck of the Radiance. We are leaning towards going directly to Valporaiso and spending three nights either there or in Vina.

Did you know that LAN supposedly has a shuttle for their passengers which leaves from the Santiago airport and goes to Vina del Mar? I found from some postings that the shuttle leaves the airport around 8 am, arrives in Vina at 3 Norte and Libertad around 10 am and costs $10 per person. I've sent an email to LAN asking about the shuttle and will post the information in our Radiance roll call.

Harvey

I have not seen info yet on taking the bus between Valparaiso and Santiago. What have you read about where to catch it, etc? Thanks.

 

Celebrity Infinity 02/2005!; NCL Sun 02/2003; Celebrity Millennium 05/2002; Ocean Princess 10/2001; Ocean Princess 8/2001; NCL Sea 7/2000; Ocean Princess 3/2000; Celebrity Mercury 10/1998; Star Princess 3/1996; NCL Dream 8/1995; Azure Seas 2/1991

We were in Santiago for 2 days and 1 day in Valparaison before boarding the Star Princess and we stayed at Hotel Ultramar no elevator no restaurant just cold breakfast and sandwiches. I would stay in Vina del Mar if I go back.

In Vina del Mar you would be able to walk around where we were nothing to see. Vina del Mar is not far from Valparaiso

We were in Santiago for 2 days and 1 day in Valparaison before boarding the Star Princess and we stayed at Hotel Ultramar no elevator no restaurant just cold breakfast and sandwiches. I would stay in Vina del Mar if I go back.

In Vina del Mar you would be able to walk around where we were nothing to see. Vina del Mar is not far from Valparaiso

Lise,

Thanks, the Ultramar won't be on our lodging list. Did you see any places in Vina where you would like to stay on your next visit?

Harvey

Two questions if you have the time to answer:

1) How was the Robinson Crusoe? It once had high reviews on Tripadvisor but recently the reviews have been mixed.

2) Was there any public transportation nearby either of these hotels? We enjoy walking but several posts have spoken of the steep hills in Valpo.

1. We were upgraded to a suite that appeared to be the best room in the hotel and had great views in every direction. The standard size rooms looked a bit small. The hotel has multiple levels and no elevator so, like everywhere in Valpo, it can be a hike to your room. Breakfast was great, and the owner was helpful. Most of the rest of the staff speaks very limited English. There were a few oddities such as not being allowed to drink red wine in our suite. The owner asks guests to post reviews in Tripadvisor, which may explain the large number of reviews for such a small hotel. We enjoyed our stay and have no regrets about selecting it.

2. The RC is within walking distance of a funicular. We walked to Neruda's house, which is uphill from the hotel. We did not use the bus system so I don't know how close the hotel is to a route. The hills can be steep but that's part of the charm.

I am in the area 4 times per year for business.

My favorite hotels in the order I like them:

Vina del Mar

Oceanic-full service hotel-European style

Cap Ducal-a weird little hotel built on the seawall in the shape of a ship. Ocean views to die for from most rooms

O'Higgins-older, very Euro style hotel close to the casino and restaurants. The suites are VERY nice. The regular rooms, not so much. But the suite prices are in your budget easily.

In Valparaiso (I don't stay there as much as Vina)

Brighton Hotel-the view is spectacular. The hotel-older but exquisitely maintained.

I have driven up to the Grand House (another hotel on top of a hill). B & B style hotel. Only a few rooms and every time I have gone there, they were full. But I looked around and if I ever remember to make a reservation in advance, I am going to stay there. If for no other reason, the view was fantastic.

For a special treat (I don't know how long you are going to be in the area). This hotel is south of Santiago. Vina/Valparaiso are north.

Vina Casa Silva-an EXQUISITE experience in the middle of the winery. Luxury inn with horse drawn carriages and even their own polo grounds. Not as expensive as you would think (about $300 for the night, including dinner and wine tastings.) The polo was free, the carriage rides were only about $25.00pp.

Enjoy!!!

We used asiarooms.com and got a booking at the Sheraton Miramar in Vina del Mar for $235 in January. That is $200 less than Sheraton website rate. It is a little out of the way, but the price is great. A cheap taxi ride from the casino, restaurants, etc area. Al rooms have sea views.

By the way, greatam, thanks for all your good advice, hints, etc. I am planning quite a long trip in South America using a lot of your hints.