Holidays to Chile

Culture and history

Most Chileans are Roman Catholic and the religion has played a large role in defining social and political life.

Greeting-wise, men usually shake hands in the traditional fashion but women generally pat each other on the right forearm or shoulder.

When on a holiday in Chile, make sure to sample some of the country’s culinary specialities include empanadas (a combination of meat, chicken or fish with onions, eggs, raisins and olives inside a flour pastry), cazuela de ave (soup with rice, vegetables, chicken and herbs) and bife a lobre (steak with fries, onions and eggs).

Seafood such as clams, sole, sea bass and oysters are also popular.

Chile is also famous for its wine and you’ll obviously need to taste a few glasses to find your favourite.

Famous Chileans include Pablo Neruda, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971 – you can visit his house/museum in Valparaiso – and former footballer Manuel Pellegrini who, at the time of writing, is the manager of Manchester City.

Flight time

It takes the best part of 15 hours to fly from the UK to Chile: plenty of time to watch a few films and enjoy a snooze.

Currency

Peso - The currency in Chile is the Chilean Peso (CH$). Major credit cards are commonly accepted in towns and cities.

Passports and visas

It’s a good idea to carry a photocopy of your passport with you. British citizens do not require a visa to enter Chile.

Visit GOV.UK for more advice on passports and visas.

Phrases

Here’s a few words of Spanish to get you started

I don’t speak Spanish – no hablo espanol

Hello – hola

Goodbye – adios

Please – por favour

Thank you – gracias

Yes – si

No – no

Excuse me – perdon

Timezone

Chile is three hours behind GMT.

Electricity

Round two or three-pin plugs are most commonly used so you’ll need to bring an adaptor to run British appliances.

Language

Spanish; Castilian - The official language in Chile is Spanish. Mapudungu, Papanui and Aymara are also spoken.

Tipping

Hotel service charges have been covered in the cost of your holiday, but if you would like to leave the hotel staff a little extra something, this is at your discretion.

Climate

The weather in Chile varies greatly depending on where you are visiting.

As a general guide, the north tends to be hot and arid, the central region warm but wet (especially from May to August) and the south usually cool and damp.

Health

Tap water is safe to drink but is usually chlorinated so you may prefer to stick with bottled mineral water.

As health information can change at any time, we’d advise you to consult your GP at least 12 weeks before departure.

Country-specific information and advice on possible health risks is also published by the National Travel Health Network and Centre, and The British Foreign and Commonwealth Travel Advice Unit provides important health and safety information for British nationals travelling abroad.

Population and size

Around 18 million people live in Chile and the majority of those live in Santiago. Chile – which is shaped, coincidentally, rather like a chilli – is three times larger than the UK.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in most public places.