Before I left on my world trip I had not met anybody who had traveled South America. I didn't have anybody to give me tips on the ins and outs that you learn in hostels. I thought the only way to travel great distances was to fly. So I booked a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile through Aerolineas Argentina.
It was my first plane flight that I was taking after leaving the States. Right after checking in at the airport (EZE), I was instructed that I had to pay an "airport" tax. It was 60 pesos ($20 US Dollars)! I had to go to the entrance of the airport to a special office that was set up to collect money from travelers. They attach a sticker to your plane ticket that you have to show an employee before you go to customs. I had never heard of paying an airport tax. I think in the State's all the fees are in the price of the ticket. I prefer the State's way of doing it, because you take care of all the fees at one time. At the airport tax window, they do not take credit cards. You have to pay cash! When traveling outside of the states, I hate to use my dollars if I don't have too, but I had no other option since I couldn't use my credit cards and didn't have any pesos left.
After the quick flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago I headed down to the customs department to get into the country. Before I left on my world trip I checked on the State Department's website and it said there was no Visa required for entry into Chile. So I headed straight to customs and got in line. When I got up to the customs agent he would not let me through. He told me that I had to pay tax! I couldn't believe it. I had no idea I had to pay a tax to get in Chile. So I went to the back of the customs line and say a guy in a booth. He asked to see my passport. He saw that I was an American and told me that the tax was $100 US Dollars!! I was shocked. There was nothing I could do. I had to again pay in Dollars in order to get a piece of paper stapled to my passport. (If you are Canadian it is $125 to get into Chile). I was then allowed to enter Chile!
If you are traveling South America I would plan on driving into Chile by taking the bus. There is no fee to enter Chile if you drive in. You only pay when you fly into the country! You can take the bus in from Bolivia or from Argentina. You can get to Santiago from Mendoza, Argentina in about 5 hours. I hope this tip hopes you in your planning of your trip!
