Bus System in Chile

La Micro

The buses in Chile are known as "micros" (feminine). They'll either become your best friends or your worst enemies. Either way, they are essential to getting around in Chile if you do not have a car. Colectivos, a shared-taxi system, are another way to get around. They are a little more expensive, but might get you closer to your destination in half the time. Colectivos stop less but cost more (around 500 or 600 pesos without a student card).



You pay the bus driver when you get on the bus. Have your money ready as to not hold up other people or attract attention to pick pocketers. The micros cost anywhere from 140 pesos (under 35 cents) if you have a student "Escolar" card to 500 pesos ($1) if you do not have a card and are traveling outside of the local region. Local without an escolar usually costs 300 pesos (about 60 cents).

Note: The government recently let foreign exchange students in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar have Escolar cards, but many students have not yet received them. It is worth talking to your University about this because it can save you tons. If you don't have a student card and are scratching your head over your empty pocket at the end of the summer, you probably forgot to add up all those 60 cent charges.

A trick that some international students do to get around the extra charge is to use their International Youth Card. If you look half Chilean, you can flash your card as you hand the bus driver 150 or 200 pesos to receive the discount. After all, if you are leaving the University with a backpack and notebook in hand - how can the bus driver not charge you as a student?

Depending on where you are and where you are going, the micro can pass once every 10 seconds to once every half hour. If you are on 1 Norte in Viña (Viña del Mar) and need to get to Errazuriz in Valpo (Valparaíso), you can hop on any micro that is not going to 5 Oriente or Libertad. On the other hand, if you are in the middle of Reñaca Alto waiting to get to Valpo, pack a lunch and invite some friends.

The micro can be exciting. As I mentioned in my last post, clowns and comedians occasionally come on to tell jokes for money. If you enjoy a skit and would like to give some money, 100 or 150 pesos is sufficient. Vendedores also hop on for a few seconds to offer cheap ice cream or chocolate.

Don't be surprised if you get on a micro and find that the people are packed in like sardines. The limit for a micro is 28 seated people and 18 people on foot, but during rush hour, it can reach well over that number. If you are on a crowded micro, hold onto your purse or backpack, as this is when pickpocketers get most of their business. Also, it is courteous to give your seat to an elderly or disabled person if there are no more seats.



Note: The micro will not take you a long distance. There are no micros, for example, from Valpo to Santiago or Santiago to La Serena. For longer distance bus information, use the sites below.

More information on the Micro

Buses:
Tour Bus
Pullman Bus
Cruz del Sur

For more information about getting around in Chile, Click Here.