Air
LanChile to Santiago via Antofagasta, 5 daily, US$110-430 return depending on season and flexibility. Sky Airline is slightly cheaper. Transfer services from the airport are offered by Transfer City Express, T055-341022, US$9 per person.
Airline offices
LanChile, Latorre 1726, T600-526 2000 and airport, T055-311331; Sky, Latorre 1497, T055-310190.
Bicycle
Repairs from Ciclos Méndez, Vívar 2071.
Bus
No main terminal; buses leave from the company offices: TurBus, Granaderos, about 12 blocks north of centre; tickets from Ramírez y Balmaceda; Pullman Bus, Balmaceda 1802; Atacama 2000, Abaroa 2106; Frontera, Antofagasta 2041;Géminis, Antofagasta 2239; Kenny Bus, Vivar 1954; Flota Barrios, Ramírez 2298.
To Santiago, 22-24 hrs, US$50-95; to Antofagasta, 3 hrs, several companies, US$8; to Arica, usually overnight, 9 hrs, US$28, or change in Antofagasta; to Valparaíso/Viña del Mar, US$50-65; to Iquique, TurBus, 3 daily, 6 hrs, via Tocopilla, US$20. To La Serena, usually with delay in Antofagasta, 16 hrs, US$35-65. To San Pedro de Atacama, 1½ hrs, US$4, TurBus, several daily, Atacama 2000, 3 a day, continuing to Toconao and Peine; Frontera, 6 a day, last bus 2030, often leaves late, but does have a driver who likes to dress up as Spiderman.
To Salta (Argentina), 15 hrs, services with both companies leave early morning Tue, Fri and Sun, US$50, Géminis, Pullman Bus.
To Bolivia, Buses Frontera and Atacama 2000, between them have daily services to Ollagüe for US$12 , either leaving early or late at night with connecting services over the border to Uyuní, US$5.
Car
Car hire is not reliable in San Pedro de Atacama, so you’re better off picking up a vehicle in Calama. A high-clearance vehicle (necessary for the desert) costs around US$100 per day. Rates are sometimes much lower at weekends. A hired car, shared between several people, is an economic alternative for visiting the Atacama region.
Hire companies include Alamo, Hoyos 2177, T055-364543; Avis, Gallo 1985A, T055-319757; Budget, Granaderos 2925, T341076; Hertz, Latorre 1510, T055-341380; IQSA, O’Higgins 877, T055-310281.
Calama videos
