Travel to Chile and Termas Puyehue

February is high tourist season in Chile (think France in August, but more frenetic), and international flights to Santiago in late January may be booked before December, 2006. Everyone (apart from Chileans) who is planning to attend SOTA must make airline reservations well in advance. There are two commercial flights per day into Osorno If the Santiago-Osorno ticket is purchased immediately the price may be as low as ~$135US roundtrip), but waiting can bring this up to twice the cost of buying well in advance. Please consider the departure times listed below when you make your international connections (www.lanchile.com  or  www.despegar.com).

Flight #251 Departs Santiago for Osorno 09:30, Arrives 11:55
Flight #257 Departs Santiago for Osorno 15:35, Arrives 18:00

Flight #252 Departs Osorno for Santiago 12:25, Arrives 14:45
Flight #256 Departs Osorno for Santiago 18:30, Arrives 20:55

When these flights have been fully booked, procrastinating participants will be forced to fly from Santiago to Temuco or Puerto Montt (if seats are available), or to travel from Santiago by bus (highly reliable, low-cost option), train, or rental car (very expensive). The total elapsed time for traveling by cab (take a cab to the Terminale des Buses) and bus directly to Osorno from the Santiago airport will be at least 12 hours. Thus, attendees should not try to combine this option with an arrival in Santiago late in the morning of January 28. Driving time to Termas Puyehue in a car from the Santiago airport will be around 9-11 hours depending on stops.

Overnight buses with sleeping accommodations travel during the night and would arrive in Osorno early in the morning. One-way tickets on buses with the most comfortable class of sleeping accommodations cost ~45 or ~60 $US. More information can be obtained on the TurBus web page (www.turbus.com).

Attendees who wish to spend one or more nights in Santiago are encouraged to use the Hotel Monte Carlo (http://www.hotelmontecarlo.cl/santiago/info_general/informacion_gen.htm: safe, calm, modestly priced, mediocre breakfast).

If you want to check into other hotel accommodations in Santiago:
http://www.metrotravelguide.com/hotels/Santiago/_/Chile/
http://www.chilecontact.com/Hotels_Santiagos.html

Participants flying into Temuco or Puerto Montt will be required to arrange for their own bus travel to the Osorno airport (3-4 hrs). Participants arriving in Osorno on January 27 and 28 will be transported to Termas Puyehue from the Osorno airport (and back to Osorno on February 3). When you have made your reservations, please inform Rosemary Hickey-Vargas (hickey@fiu.edu) of your Osorno arrival and departure dates and times in order to expedite transport to and from Termas Puyehue.