Air
Arica airport, 18 km north of city, Chacalluta, T058-211116. Flights to La Paz, with LanChile; to Arequipa, Sky; Santiago, Sky and LanChile all via Iquique (some via Antofagasta), book well in advance; to Lima, LanPerú and others from Tacna (Peru), enquire at travel agencies in Arica.
Airline offices
LanChile, Prat 391, T058-251641, http://www.lan.com; Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, P Lynch 371, T058-216411; Sky, 21 de Mayo y Sangra, T600-600 2828, http://www.skyairline.cl.
Bicycle/motorbike
Many hostels hire out bikes. Otherwise try the tour operators in Bolognesi and Thompson.
Bicicletas Wilson, Diego Portales 1479, repairs, parts, sales, ATB specialists. Recommended.
Pablo Fernández Davils, El Salitre 3254, T058-212863, for motorbike repairs.
Bus
Local
City buses run from Maipú, US$0.60. Colectivos run on fixed routes within city limits, US$0.80 per person (US$1 per person after 2000). To reach Valle de Azapa, take a yellow colectivo from outside the international bus terminal or from P Lynch y Chacabuco, US$1.50.
Long distance
There are 2 terminals, both northeast of the centre at Av Portales y Santa María, reached by many buses, colectivos (including No 8 and 18, US$0.80) and taxis, US$2 (terminal tax US$0.40).
The main terminal is for national services and services to La Paz with Chilean companies. Next door is the terminal for colectivos to Tacna and Bolivian services to La Paz. It is advisable to arrive 30 mins before departure for all services.
Apart from the following, bus company offices are located at the bus terminals: Buses Gutiérrez, Esteban Ríos 2140, T058-229338; Buses La Paloma, Germán Riesco 2071 (bus U from centre); Bus Lluta, Chacabuco y V Mackenna; Litoral, Chacabuco 454, T058-254702. Martínez, 21 de Mayo 575, T058-232265;
To Antofagasta, 11 hrs, US$20-32; to Calama, 10 hrs, US$21, several companies, most at night; to San Pedro de Atacama, daily 2200, 11½ hrs, US$25; to Iquique, frequent, 4½ hrs, US$10, also colectivos, several companies, all with offices in the terminal; to Santiago, 30 hrs, several companies, US$50-85 (most serve meals though these vary in quality; generally better on more expensive services; student discounts often available); to La Serena, 23 hrs, US$40-75); to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, 29 hrs, US$55. Note that all southbound luggage is carefully searched for fruit prior to boarding and is then searched again at Cuya on the Pan-American Highway. If you are travelling south of Iquique on an evening bus you may well have to get off the bus in the middle of the night.
Car
Car hire from American, Gral Lagos 571, T/F058-257752; Avis, Chacabuco 314, T058-584820, occasional offers; Cactus, Baquedano 635, loc 40, T058-257430, reasonable service; GP, Copacabana 628, T058-252594, good reports; Hertz, Baquedano 999, T058-231487, reliable; Klasse, Velásquez 760, piso 2, Loc 25, T058-254498. good deals.
Hertz provides the most reliable vehicles but check any rental vehicle for jack and lug wrench, and check the condition of the fan belt (often dry and cracked) and spare tyre.
It is periodically forbidden to take fruit products south of Arica: vehicles may be searched at Cuya, 105 km south, and at Huara, 234 km south. There are service stations between the Peruvian border and Santiago at Arica, Iquique, Pozo Almonte, Oficina Victoria, Tocopilla, Oficina María Elena, Oficina Blanco Encalada, Chuquicamata, Calama, Carmen Alto, Antofagasta, La Negra, Agua Verde, Taltal, Chañaral, Caldera, Copiapó, Vallenar, La Serena, Termas de Socos, Los Vilos, then every 30 km to the capital.
Hitchhiking
It’s not easy to hitch south: try Terminal del Agro off the Pan-American Highway (trucks leave Mon, Thu and Sat before 0700) and the Copec station opposite (reached by bus from Arica marked ‘Agro’ or colectivo No 8). To hitch up to the altiplano, try the Bolivian truck centre at the mouth of the Lluta valley.
Taxi
Taxis generally charge US2 between any 2 points in the city, but ask first as there are no meters. Try Radiotaxis Chacalluta, T058- 254812, for journeys to/from the airport.
