SIPAIM: Housing, Transport, & Tourism
General Considerations
International attendees at SIPAIM 2022 are encouraged to ensure a smooth trip by checking out Chilean travel regulations and acting early to approve their COVID-19 vaccination status with the Chilean authorities: https://www.chile.travel/en/traveltochileplan/
Air Travel
The closest airport to Valparaíso (where the conference is held) is Arturo Merino Benitez Airport (SCL). This is Chile’s main airport located on the outskirts of the capital city of Santiago de Chile. Transportation options and approximate fares are listed below.
Time/Distance
Approximately 1h 15min drive (106km) from Arturo Merino Benitez Airport to Valparaíso.
Taxis
Several companies provide taxicab services from the airport to Valparaíso. Upon exiting arrivals you will find companies looking for clients. To book a private taxi in advance, we recommend the following contacts:
+56 9 9842 0881 Daniel
+56 9 8276 6149 Paulina
Private pre-booked taxis cost 70-80.000 Chilean Pesos (~$75-85 USD) and can be paid in cash
on the day. Taxis usually have 4 seats available, but larger cars can be arranged if needed. If you would like help booking taxi services
in advance, please speak to our colleague Grace Whitaker via WhatsApp: +56 9 3430 8181 (preferable) or grace.a.whitaker@gmail.com.
Ubers are also available and charge similar prices. However, tariffs and availability may vary.
Buses
To get from the airport to Valparaíso by bus, the journey has two parts:
The first bus runs every ~15 minutes taking passengers from the airport to a bus station called ‘Terminal Pajaritos’. The companies running this service are called ‘Turbus’ and ‘Centropuerto’. The journey takes around 15 minutes and costs 1.900 CLP (~$2 USD) one-way, or for a return ticket the cost is 3.400 CLP (~$3.60 USD) (which you can save until your return flight). If you are arriving from a domestic flight (T1) head straight to the bus station at the airport. If you are in T2 (international terminal), you can purchase tickets on floor 1, gate 4 (outside - see photo below).
Once you have arrived at Terminal Pajaritos, take a second bus to the Downtown Valparaiso (Terminal Valparaíso). Services are offered by several companies and tickets can be purchased the same day at the bus terminal. This journey takes around 1h 25 mins and costs 5-6.000 CLP (~$5-6.50 USD) one-way, or for a return ticket the cost is ~10.000 CLP (~$10.80 USD) (which you can save until your return flight)
Accommodation
There are a great number of accommodation options in Valparaíso (as well as the neighboring city of Viña del Mar). Some options are provided in the document linked here (Chilean Pesos). If you choose to stay at one of these places, please mention that you are visiting for the conference in order to maintain the prices stated.
If you are looking for roommates to share with, please use this live spreadsheet to get in touch with other attendees. If you would like help booking accommodation, please contact to our colleague Grace Whitaker via WhatsApp: +56 9 3430 8181 (preferable) or grace.a.whitaker@gmail.com.
Daily Transport to the Conference
The conference takes place at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (UTFSM) in Cerro Placeres in Valparaíso: https://goo.gl/maps/pagfx7Cq5Ykvi9Cw9.
There are several modes of transport available to get to the UTFSM listed below:
A word of warning: It is best to plan your journey before heading out into the streets to avoid needing to check your phone often. Downtown Valparaiso is not dangerous, but petty crimes like a phone being stolen out of someone’s hand is not uncommon.
Information regarding buses (“la micro”) is quite accurate using route planning in Google Maps. We also recommend downloading the app ‘Moovit’: https://moovitapp.com/. The buses numbered 501 and 503 pass through downtown Valparaiso and go up the hill to drop you outside the UTFSM. The buses advertise ‘Placeres’ and/or ‘Santa María’ as destinations. The bus numbered 510 will also take you up the hill and very close to the UTFSM (4-5 min walk). These journeys cost under 500 pesos (55 cents) and take 5-10 mins. If you don’t mind walking up the hill or up the front steps of the university, many other buses will drop you along the coast near the university.
‘Colectivos’
Colectivos are like shared taxicabs that follow somewhat fixed routes. They do not show up on Google Maps or Moovit. Two colectivos pass the UTFSM. Both advertise ‘Placeres’ on a sign on the the roof of the car. One route starts on the street ‘Pudeto’ in central Valapraíso (https://goo.gl/maps/gv4ydczSiMqhGV1B9), and passes through the street ‘Yungay’. The other starts at the northern end of Valparaíso (building ‘Aduana’: https://goo.gl/maps/28qEk2uBSsEVX8pR8) and follows the main street of ‘Pedro Montt’. However, these routes may vary. Colectivos cost 400-800 CLP (40-90 cents) depending on the distance to be traveled.
The Metro
Valparaíso has one metro line which runs along the coast to the adjacent city of Viña del Mar. The line also continues to the inland towns of Quilpué, Villa Alemana, and Limache. In order to take the metro, you must first purchase a metro card, which costs 2.000 CLP (~$2.20). You then charge the card with money to scan in and out of the metro stations. Journeys cost ~300-1.000 CLP (~30 cents - $1.10) depending on distance traveled. The closest metro station to the UTFSM is “Estación Portales”. Upon exiting the metro, take the footbridge and steps up the hill to the university (~12 min walk).
Valparaíso Tours
You can find various routes of experiences through Valparaíso which you can check on the following web pages:
https://www.viator.com/Valparaiso/d22148-ttd?localeSwitch=1https://ecomapu.com/en/nuestros-tours/
You can also find the free tour modality based on tips with a suggested $10,000 per person, these take place every day at 12:00 from Plaza Sotomayor with prior reservation at https://ecomapu.com/en/tours/
Special rate is offered for groups from 4 people.
Below you can find the promotional poster and route meeting point.
