If you are an expat in Santiago, you will definitely use public transportation to move around the city. As I already mentioned, 7 million people live here so you will need a lot of time to get from one part of the city to another. There are a couple of ways to move around: bus, metro, taxi, bike or your own car.
METRO
There are 5 metro lines 1, 2, 4, 4A and 5. Linea 1 is the red line which goes through the city center. Not all parts of the city are connected to the metro. There is a great app which tells you everything about metro lines, whether they operate or not, when the train comes, and other details. I highly recommend ‘Moovit’ and as they said ‘peace of mind, in the palm of your hand’, just open the app, click where you want to go and the app will do the rest. However, there is one thing which you have to bear in mind if you want to take the metro in rush hours. CROWD! It was Monday morning 8 AM when I was going to the city center with my friend. When we got to the metro station, she told me to stand in front of the door when the train arrives. As she emphasized it, I just did it as she told me. The next moment I saw the CROWD was coming down, when the FULL train arrived. The door opened, some people went out of the train, but the CROWD outside had to get on the train, which seemed impossible as the train was already almost full. Then it happened that the CROWD literally pushed me into the train as I was standing in front of the door, I barely walked, and in a second I was on the train looking for my friend, who succeeded to get in as well. I was standing among people, no need to hold for anything, the CROWD held me very tightly. I couldn’t move at all. The only thing I was thinking about was my purse which luckily remained in front of me under my hands. Then I heard my friend telling me to remain on the train at the next stop, which I found weird as I was standing on the passage. I should have moved to make space for people to go out. The ride seemed to last forever in such a condition where heads of other people were right in front of my face. I still don’t know how I managed to stay on the train at the next stop. If I had gone out of the train, I wouldn’t have come back on it, as the CROWD would push me far from the train. The ride was like being packed in a sardine can till the last station, where all of those people should leave the train and the station. As I followed my friend’s advice, I remained on the right side of the crowd, so we succeeded to leave the station as fast as possible. I am still sorry I couldn’t take a picture of what was still around the train, when we were already up the stairs. What is also important to know is that the train doesn’t stop at every station in rush hours, so be careful about the time when you use the metro. In addition, this situation is common only in rush hours, but not during the day.
BUSES
Bus system is very well organized in Santiago. Rides can last long, especially in rush hours, but you don’t have to wait long to take the bus. There are blue and orange buses, as well as mini buses. Orange buses usually take shorter routes. There is one important thing to know. If you want to take a bus, you have to wave in front of it like catching a taxi. If you don’t wave, it will not stop even though it is the only bus that operates at the bus stop where you are standing and waiting for it. Additionally, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t stop; it sometimes happens for no reasons. On the other hand, if you are on the bus and you want to get off at the next stop, you have to press the stop button and only then will the driver stop the bus. Don’t expect that it will stop only because the bus is full. There is also one GREAT thing which you can find on the buses - young people singing and entreating passengers. Music is great, some kind of rap and pop; I really enjoy it every time they are on the bus. And the other INTERESTING thing is that you will definitely NOT STAY HUNGRY or THIRSTY. There are sellers who jump on the buses on some stops and offer ice-cream, snacks or drinks, and they usually wear some red vests and red caps. Food and drink are not expensive and many people actually buy from them.
TAXI
There is also a safe, fast and relatively cheap way of transportation – taxi. UBER and CABIFY are very commonly used and are the cheapest here. I often take a taxi, especially in the evening or at night. Once I traveled by Uber for about 35 minutes and it cost me $7. My friend invited me to use Cabify and I got 10000 pesos (around $15) on my Cabify account. You can also do the same. Invite your friends, and get free rides. There are also local taxi companies, and the best one is the one which you can catch on the street, the black with yellow roof.
BIKES
People use bikes quite often in Santiago though I don’t find them very cheap and convenient. You have to switch for another bike every 30 minutes (don’t forget that you need a lot of time to get from one point to another). Public bikes are orange.
TICKETS
There is one uncommon thing concerning tickets. You can’t buy monthly or weekly ticket because they don’t exist. There are plastic bip! cards which you can obtain at bip! offices or metro stations, and ask for the one for tourists. Top it up with as much money as you need (prices are different for buses and metro). The card got the name for the sound it makes when you pass it over the scanners - beep :) If you take three rides in 2 hours (2 by bus and 1 by metro), you pay only for the first ride and the rest is free of charge.
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