Do I need to fly to see both Patagonia and the Atacama Desert?

Yes — the two regions sit at opposite ends of the country, roughly 4,000 kilometres apart, with no overland route that makes sense as a single trip. Both are reached by their own separate domestic flight from Santiago.

Are Chilean long-distance buses comfortable?

Yes, on the routes where they operate — reclining semi-cama and flat-bed salón-cama classes make overnight journeys within central Chile genuinely comfortable, and the network is extensive between Santiago, the coast and the Lake District. It thins out significantly south of Puerto Montt, where flying or ferries take over.

Can I drive the entire length of Chile?

No — the paved road network doesn't run continuously the whole length of the country. South of Puerto Montt, the Carretera Austral is broken by fjords that require ferry crossings, and the far-southern Magellan region around Punta Arenas has no road link at all to the rest of the country's highway system, reached instead by its own flight.

Which airline should I fly for domestic routes?

LATAM and Sky Airline operate the great majority of domestic Chilean routes, both flying the main trunk lines — Santiago to Calama, Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt — frequently enough that availability is rarely a problem. The real planning task is timing connections through Santiago's hub airport between regions.

Getting around

Getting Around Chile: Flights, Buses and Ferries

Chile's extreme length is the single fact that shapes every transport decision here — no other country asks a traveller to cover this much latitude in one trip, and the practical answer is to treat Chile as several distinct regions connected by domestic flights rather than one long overland journey. Santiago's own metro and city transport belong to the capital's own guide; what follows is how to move between regions.

Updated 2026-08-16

Domestic Flights: the Country's Real Connective Tissue

Flying is the standard way to cover Chile's distances, not an optional upgrade — Santiago to Punta Arenas in the far south, or to the Atacama's gateway city of Calama, each covers roughly the distance of a long-haul international flight, entirely within one country. Santiago's international airport functions as the domestic hub as well, with most routes radiating out from it rather than connecting directly between regional cities, so a multi-region itinerary usually means routing back through the capital between legs. Two carriers, LATAM and Sky Airline, operate the great majority of domestic routes, and both fly frequently enough on the main trunk routes — Santiago–Calama, Santiago–Punta Arenas, Santiago–Puerto Montt — that availability is rarely the constraint; timing a multi-region trip around connection days is the real planning task.

Long-Distance Buses in Central Chile

Where flying isn't necessary — within the Central Valley, along the coast, or between Santiago and the Lake District — Chile's long-distance bus network is extensive and comfortable by regional standards, with reclining semi-cama and fully flat salón-cama classes making overnight journeys a genuine alternative to flying on routes of eight to twelve hours. Santiago's main bus terminals connect to Valparaíso, the wine valleys, Pucón and Puerto Varas with frequent daily departures. The network thins out considerably south of Puerto Montt, where the paved highway system itself gives way to fragmented fjord geography, so buses stop being the practical option for reaching deep Patagonia.

Where the Road Runs Out: Ferries and the Carretera Austral

South of Puerto Montt, Chile's continuous road network genuinely ends — the Carretera Austral through Aisén is interrupted by fjords that only ferries cross, meaning a Patagonian road trip has to be planned around a handful of daily sailing times rather than driven straight through. Car rental is the natural way to explore this stretch and the Lake District above it, where distances between sights are short but public transport is thin. Further south still, the Magellan Strait region around Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales is reached by its own separate flight from Santiago rather than by any overland connection to the Carretera Austral network — the two halves of Chilean Patagonia don't actually link up by road.

Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.