Taxis in Santiago
Santiago is a cosmopolitan metropolis, home to sophisticated festivals, colourful parties and tasty cuisine. Trying to navigate your own way around this bustling city can be a bit overwhelming, which is why we recommend taking a taxi in Santiago, Chile. The local taxis in Santiago are black with a bright yellow roof and can be found buzzing around the city 24 hours a day.
You can easily hail one of these metered taxis in the street, walk to a taxi rank, call a phone dispatch taxi, use the Santiago taxi app or pre-book rides, such as your Santiago Airport taxi in advance.
Hand picked & english speaking drivers
Same price as a regular Taxi from the line
Drivers are always on time
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How much does a taxi cost?
| Taxi prices | Day time (05:00 - 24:00) | Night time (00:00 - 05:00) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIRPORT TO SANTIAGO HISTORIC CENTRE | 27 € | 27 € | 25 MIN |
| FROM AIRPORT TO CRUISE PORT | 120 € | 120 € | 1 HR 20 MIN |
| FROM AIRPORT TO COLCHAGUA VALLEY | 140 € | 140 € | 2 HR |
| FROM SANTIAGO TO VALPARAISO | 130 € | 130 € | 1 HR 30 MIN |
| FROM BUS TERMINUS TO NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | 9 € | 9 € | 10 MIN |
| FROM PLAZA DE ARMAS TO SANTA LUCIA HILL | 6 € | 6 € | 6 MIN |
Cost of a Santiago taxi
Taxi prices in Santiago aren’t well-regulated. Most Santiago taxi rates are calculated using a taximeter, but drivers will often switch off their meter to try and haggle a higher price with tourists. If your driver is using a meter, you can expect your price to be calculated with both time and distance elements as follows:
Base fare: €0.50 (CHP 400)
Price per km: €0.75 (CHP 750)
Price per minute: €0.25 (CHP 190)
There are also shared taxis available throughout the city, called Collectivos. Collectivos are much cheaper than the standard taxi price in Santiago, but they operate on more fixed routes, so are less convenient. The cost of a single journey in a Collectivo will be around €2.50 (CHP 2,000).
Extra Charges:
It’s important to note that there may be extra charges, such as the number of passengers, excess luggage, travelling during public holidays and using a phone dispatch taxi.
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How to get a Taxi in Santiago
Taxis are abundant in Santiago, so finding one shouldn’t be a problem. During the day, you can easily hail a Santiago taxi in the street or walk to the nearest rank. You can find Santiago taxi ranks located around the city in most major squares, outside major landmarks such as Santa Lucia Hill, La Moneda Palace, Plaza de Armas and Santiago Airport. If you’re travelling at night or prefer a more personalised service, you can call a local taxi company or use the Santiago taxi app.
How to get a taxi from Santiago Airport
You’ll find an official Santiago taxi rank outside of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Santiago Airport. The ranks are open 24 hours a day and are located on Level 1 of the terminal buildings. Taxis from the airport will charge you by using a taximeter, so the cost of your journey will depend on your destination and the traffic.
What is the taxi app in Santiago Chile?
As the common international ride apps such as Uber and Cabify don’t operate in Chile, there’s only one Santiago taxi app available and that’s PideTaxi. It’s important to note that this app is in Spanish and that it uses local taxi drivers, so there can be very varied levels of service and pickup times.
For a more reliable Santiago taxi service, we suggest pre-booking your rides with a trusted company such as Welcome Pickups.
Useful Santiago taxi numbers
Calling a Santiago taxi number can often be a difficult process. Most dispatch handlers only speak Spanish and the wait times for your taxi can be extremely long. The most common way to call a taxi in Santiago is to have your hotel receptionist or restaurant phone on your behalf. However, if you wish to make the call yourself, you can use one of the following numbers:
Black & Yellow Taxi: +56 9 5375 1878
CentrOriente: +56 2 2622 0022
Benefits of booking a Santiago taxi in advance
Waiting around for your taxi to arrive or spending time arguing with your driver over the cost of your ride isn’t the best way to spend your time in Chile. Don’t waste precious time that you could be spending enjoying the city with your friends and family, instead pre-book your transfers.
Booking with Welcome Pickups will allow you to relax and enjoy the city. Your savvy driver will show you all the top local spots and will offer competitive all-inclusive prices and guaranteed on-time pickups at the location of your choosing.
Santiago taxi tips
- Ensure your driver sets the taximeter to the base fare before you begin your journey, or be prepared to haggle for your fare.
- Check the cost of a Santiago taxi online before negotiating rates with your driver.
- Carry small bills to pay your driver, as a common scam is being short changed by drivers who claim not to have change for large notes.
- Always pay for your Santiago taxi service in Chilean pesos. There are continuous fluctuations in the value of the currency, so you may be overcharged if you decide to pay in foreign currency.
- Tipping your Santiago taxi driver isn’t common practice, but you can round up your fare if you do wish to add a tip.
- Not all Santiago taxi drivers speak English. To secure an English-speaking driver for your convenience, you can pre-book your rides with a private company.
- Santiago taxis don’t accept credit cards, so be sure to bring cash in the local currency (CHP).
- There are "shared taxis" known as Collectivos that offer very low fares for fixed journeys around the city.
- Pre-booking your taxi in Santiago will ensure guaranteed on-time pickups, competitive fixed fares, English-speaking drivers and 24/7 customer support.
Wheelchair-accessible taxis in Santiago
On the whole, Santiago is not a very wheelchair-accessible city. Therefore, conventional taxis do not have ramps or the space needed to accommodate wheelchair users. However, you can pre-book a specialised, private vehicle by calling +56 9 9895 6990.
Santiago taxi safety and complaints
Even though taxis are considered safe in Santiago, some of them are unlicensed. To avoid any unpleasant surprises be sure to only take licensed taxis with the logo of the company on the car and a clear ID in the window. If you think you have been taken advantage of by a local driver, contact the Santiago Police Department on +56 2 916 3000.