BlaakLane.com books Santiago airport car service at a fixed fare shown before you confirm. Enter your SCL flight, the destination (a Sanhattan tower, a Vitacura hotel or a Valparaiso cruise pier) and a vehicle, and the price appears before you pay. A vetted Santiago affiliate, named on your confirmation, tracks the landing and meets you at the designated pickup area for pre-booked transport outside your terminal.
How to book an SCL transfer
Enter Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) and your flight number on this page or at book, then the destination, passengers and bags. Choose one of the nine classes and confirm the fixed fare. The reservations and dispatch desk in Toronto, open 24/7, passes the job to a vetted operator from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network contracted to the BlaakLane.com written standard. The confirmation shows the operator, chauffeur and vehicle.
Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at SCL
Santiago's airport, in Pudahuel about 17 km north-west of the centre, has two terminals linked by walkways:
- Terminal 2, opened in 2022, handles international flights.
- Terminal 1 handles domestic flights within Chile.
Connecting from an international arrival to a domestic flight means clearing immigration and customs in Terminal 2, then walking to Terminal 1. Your chauffeur positions at the terminal matching your flight.
Pickup point for pre-booked cars
The standard service is a pickup at the designated area for pre-arranged transport outside the arrivals level of your terminal. Official taxi and transfer counters inside the hall sell rides; you can pass them. After customs, contact the chauffeur on the number in your confirmation and they bring you to the car waiting outside. For a name-board greeting at the arrivals exit, add meet and greet during booking. Add-ons are only available in selected locations.
PDI immigration and the SAG inspection
Chile's Policia de Investigaciones (PDI) handles passports, and many nationalities enter visa-free for tourism. After baggage reclaim, every bag passes through customs and the Servicio Agricola y Ganadero (SAG) inspection, which is strict about fresh fruit, meat, dairy, seeds and plant material. Declare anything you are unsure about; undeclared food can bring a fine. Allow 40 to 75 minutes from gate to curb when the early-morning long-haul bank arrives from North America and Europe. Waiting is included for 60 minutes from actual landing on international flights and 30 minutes on domestic flights, then charged in 15-minute blocks. See the SAG site for the rules.
Drive times from Santiago airport
The Costanera Norte, a tolled urban expressway using electronic TAG billing, runs east from the airport along the Mapocho river to Providencia, Las Condes and Vitacura.
| Destination | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Santiago Centro and La Moneda | 17-20 km | 25-45 minutes |
| Providencia | 22-24 km | 25-45 minutes |
| Las Condes and El Golf (Sanhattan) | 25-28 km | 30-55 minutes |
| Vitacura | 27-30 km | 30-55 minutes |
| Lo Barnechea | 32-35 km | 40-65 minutes |
| Valparaiso and Vina del Mar | 110-125 km | 1 h 20 min to 1 h 45 min |
| Valle Nevado and Farellones ski area | 70-80 km | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 30 min |
| Casablanca Valley wineries | 75 km | 55-75 minutes |
Weekday peaks from 7:30 to 9:30 and 18:00 to 20:00 are the slowest. Mountain roads to the ski resorts have many switchbacks and can require snow chains in winter; the affiliate plans vehicles accordingly.
Is there a train from SCL?
No rail line reaches the terminals today. Airport buses run to the centre and connect with the metro at stations such as Los Heroes and Pajaritos. They are inexpensive and frequent, but with luggage, and for Las Condes or Vitacura, a pre-booked car saves a change and usually 30 minutes or more.
Choosing a vehicle in Santiago
- Standard Sedan (2 passengers, 2 bags): a single traveller to Providencia.
- Luxury Executive Sedan (S-Class class, 2/2): mining, energy and finance executives heading to El Golf.
- Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach) (2/2): company chairs and visiting board members bound for Catalinas.
- Standard Black SUV (Suburban class, 6/6): families, skiers with boards and wine-country trips.
- Executive Black SUV (Navigator/Escalade class, 6/6): executive teams and winter mountain transfers.
- Luxury Stretch Limo (8 passengers): Miraflores weddings and anniversary nights.
- Sprinter Van (12 passengers, 12 small bags): cruise groups heading to Valparaiso and conference teams.
- Party Bus (14 passengers): Barranco nights out and family reunions.
- Sprinter Luxury Jet Van (7 passengers, carry-on only): teams on a one-day visit.
Compare them on the fleet page, and see rates for planning ranges.
What your fare includes
The fixed fare includes the vehicle, the chauffeur and the included waiting. Arturo Merino Benitez access charges and gratuity for a Santiago transfer are charged at actual cost and added to the booking. Child seats are free on request. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours out; within 72 hours the fee is 10%, within 48 hours 50%, and within 24 hours or on a no-show 100%.
Cruise transfers to Valparaiso and San Antonio
Many cruises start or end at Valparaiso or San Antonio on the coast. The airport transfer to Valparaiso takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes; San Antonio is similar. Book the leg at a fixed fare and allow for the cruise check-in window. See Port of Valparaiso cruise transfers and cruise lines and ports.
Seasons and events
The ski season in the Andes usually runs from June to September, when mountain transfers are in demand. The southern summer from December to February brings holiday travellers and cruise passengers, and Fiestas Patrias in mid-September closes many businesses for several days. Lollapalooza Chile, usually in March, fills hotels.
Related pages for Chile and the region
For hourly hire, wine-valley tours and city meetings, see Santiago chauffeur service. Regional connections include Lima (LIM), Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) and Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU). The airport concession's site, Nuevo Pudahuel, lists terminal services, and entry rules are on the PDI site.
Departing from SCL
From Las Condes or Vitacura, leave about three hours before an international flight at quiet times and three and a half hours in the evening peak. Enter Terminal 2 for international departures and Terminal 1 for domestic flights, as the drop-off curbs differ. Many long-haul flights to North America and Europe leave in the late evening, when the Costanera Norte runs freely.
Business districts and hotels
The financial and corporate heart of Santiago is the Sanhattan cluster: El Golf, Nueva Las Condes and the area around the Costanera Center towers. Mining and energy companies, law firms and banks cluster there and along Avenida Apoquindo, while government offices sit around La Moneda in the centre. Most international hotels are in Las Condes, Vitacura and Providencia, with a few boutique options in Lastarria. For a day of meetings, hourly chauffeur hire with a 3-hour minimum is often more efficient than several single rides.
Wine valleys and day trips
The Casablanca, Maipo and Colchagua valleys are popular day trips from Santiago. Casablanca sits on the way to Valparaiso, about an hour from the airport; Colchagua is two and a half hours south. Book these as city tours and day trips and the chauffeur stays with you between tastings.
