Now that the shock of winning a trip to the Olympics has started to wear off, I need to start thinking about all the things that need to be thought about when travelling.
The trip consists of one night stopover in Santiago, 4 nights in Rio, two nights stopover in Santiago then home. Hotel cost is covered as are flights.
While in Rio we will have transfers and tickets to Olympic events for three days.
I am aware of the reciprocity fee in Santiago which is apparently $116US. Do I need US money or can I pay in AUD or Chile currency?
How much would you think I would need in terms of spending money in each currency. Should I get local currency in cash before I go? Or is it easy enough to put everything on my travel card (commonwealth bank)?
Due to crime levels I am guessing I should keep real money to a minimum.
Any other tips greatly appreciated as I have never been to South America before. Thank you
Travelling to Rio and Santiago
loulou1 on 04/06/2016 - 15:16
Comments
My wife and I lived in Santiago for two years a while back, and it's as safe as anywhere if you stay away areas that the locals warn you about.
http://santiagotourist.com/30-things-to-do-when-visiting-san… details a few great things to do there.
Drink a pisco sour or two, watch the changing of the guard at La Moneda, eat all four types of empanadas (beef, chicken, seafood and cheese), wonder if micro (bus) drivers are sane - there is heaps to do.Every taxista (taxi driver) will ask ¿Te gusta Chile? and ¡Me gusta mucho! (I like it a lot) is the correct response :-)
Don't mention the smog if it's bad day!Nice folks, too.
Try http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/ to get an idea of what basics will cost. Seem to remember CitiBank doing free international withdrawals … https://www.citibank.com.au/aus/banking/everyday_banking/cit… … maybe open an account prior to leaving and top it up from your CBA. Enjoy the trip.