Organized Self-Drive Chile Tours are a great opportunity for adventurous and independent travelers to discover the country.
To guarantee a safe and worthwhile experience, you will follow set routes and stay overnight in pre-booked accommodations. Furthermore you will be provided with comprehensive travel information so that you will not miss important sites of interest and attractions on your way through Chile.
Damage to tires is not covered and will be charged to the client unless it constitutes part of the damage caused by a collision or accident involving a third party.
3 hour grace period in which to return the vehicle.
Clients have the option of obtaining CDW cover for material damage without excess in Punta Arenas in non 4x4 categories apying ana additional cost of CLP 10.472 (USD 20)per day.
Vehicle replacement in case of accident, breakdown or repairs for the same vehicle or a similar one.
Second spare wheel: USD 10 per day, subject to availability.
Accesories: GPS, snow chains, ski rack, car seat for babies (possible to request but availability not garanteed).
For vehicles picked up in Santiago and returned in another city o viceversa, the client will be asked about the number of days they will be in Santiago and charged accordingly.
Pick up trucks with container for gas or diesel (20 litres): CDW excess of 20 UF + VAT applies in any event. (aprox. USD 1000).
Border crossing to Argentina: Restriction of category “C” or higher at all major borders if prior arrangements are taken.
Information required: complete name, nationality, passport number, upon reservation, no later than 14 days prior to rental.
The permission allows max. 3 times border crossing.
Multiple border crossings (3x OUT and IN) between Chile and Argentina 16-30 days: USD 290 per vehicle.
The civil responsibility cover of the C.D.W. covers liability of the insured party Autorentas del Pacífico S.A. (Hertz Chile) for bodily injuries and/or death of third parties (excluding passengers of the rented vehicle) or damage to third party property. The maximum amounts of the cover are the following: Material damage caused to third parties until 500 UF (appr. 20.000 USD) per event and for bodily damage or death, covered up to 10.000 UF (maximum) (aprox. 400.000 USD).
In Argentina: Civil responsibility cover of the C.D.W. covers liability of the insured party Autorentas del Pacífico S.A. (Hertz Chile) for bodily injuries and/or death of third parties (excluding passengers of the rented vehicle) or material damage to third party property. The maximum amounts of the cover, in accordance with Aseguradora Magallanes S.A’s policy n° POL 1 04 089, are the following: material damages until 20.000 USD per third party with a maximum limit of 40.000 per event, and for bodily damage or death, covered up to 40.000 USD per person with a maximum limit of 200.000 USD per event.
Consider: Valid national and international drivers license, valid major credit card (minimum CLP 350.000, approx. USD 700), minimum age 22 years old. Additional driver is free of charge, but has to be registered in rental contract. Rental day = 24 hrs, Pick-up trucks can be available with baggage covers (hard top covers are not available) to protect luggage if you request them upon booking. One-way rentals are only possible within Chilean territory (some exceptions can be arranged/quoted upon request).
IF A RENTAL CAR IS REQUESTED AT THE HOTEL OF THE TRAVELLER, CREDIT CARD INFORMATION SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE RENTAL COMPANY BEFORE ARRIVAL. IN CASE OF NOT PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION THE REQUEST WILL BE DENIED.
"As far as we were concerned everything was really excellent....well organized with very useful and interesting points along the route. The car rental arrangements worked very smoothly. The car was delivered right on time and all the necessary paperwork (for Argentina!) explained. At the last minute in Puerto Montt I changed the drop-off details-the helpful staff at the hotel informed the local Hertz office and things were just fine.
The hotels were excellent choices. The Landhuas San Sebastian was really outstanding; the others all at a high standard. The one place that perhaps needs your review is the Hosteria Portal de Piedra in Angostura. This is a small hotel (that's not a problem) but it is located several miles out of town so we were committed to driving out for an evening meal. Although the hotel had a small restaurant it had a very limited menu (3 pasta dishes). The buffet continental breakfast was the of the minimalist variety. This place stood out in a negative way from the whole trip.
"Just thought I would let you know that we had a fabulous holiday in Chile / Argentina . Thank you for the planning and organisation. I can’t fault anything . The accommodation, the route , the hire car were all top drawer . We had a bit of a panic at Hertz when they didn’t appear to be expecting us , but the lady who had met us at the airport soon sorted it out . The only other moment of concern was that Hosteria Canela at Esquel thought we had arrived a day earlier than we were expected , but fortunately he had sufficient accommodation to put us up anyway .
We were very impressed with the Maps and driving information. They did put the “ H “ indicating the location of the hotel at Torres del Paine in the wrong place on the map , which led us astray on Thursday , 1st March for an hour or two , but that was the only problem we had with following the route .
"We loved the tour- as you know Patagonia is amazing. All the logistics worked out fine- no missing hotel reservations and the paperwork for getting back and forth over the Chile/Argentina border would have been impossible for us to handle on our own.
The hotels ranged from okay to very nice, so we were happy with those. The only one that was disappointing was the Hosteria Alemana in Puyuhuap. The lady who ran the hotel was very nice, but the room was damp and was very bland in appearance.