Exchile Travel Strategy:
We want to make your trip the experience of a lifetime. Let us know what you are interested in, and if you want to visit other areas before or after your trip to Futaleufu. Using our thirty years of experience in remote Patagonia, we will design a trip and a route to get you there.
To purchase air tickets to Futaleufu we advise using our Travel agent Gilda from G&G Travel, she has twenty years of experience working with our clients. She will stack the deck in your favor. Gilda will be able to back you up while you travel through and around Patagonia. Let us make your travels easy. View the online map of your recommended route to visually see how you get here. Then all you need to do is sign up for the trip and purchase the air ticket from Gilda.
Why is flying through Esquel, Argentina the “ The Top Choice” to get to Futaleufu?
The Esquel airport is on the dry side of the Andes. Flights are rarely cancelled and the airport is only 45 minutes away by taxi from the hotel in Trevelin. You will get a full night’s sleep before your trip starts with us at border on the Futaleufu river, another 45 minutes by taxi from your hotel. Futaleufu via Esquel route.
Why charter a flight from Puerto Montt, Chile to Futaleufu?
If you have minimum time to be away from family or work, there is no faster way to get to Futaleufu. The charter (1hr) each way turns two days of travel, into additional active days, one at the front and one at the end of your trip. Though the charter is more expensive, you should have no extra enroute hotels or ground transport costs. If you have a group then the charter price is split between each member. We call this our “Executive Class”. You can depart your home on a Saturday, have a full four day Sunday - Wed descent of the Futaleufu, and get home for work on Thursday. On rare occasions weather can cause a diverted flight to Chaiten where we activate a plan B to still get you on the river the same day. Futaleufu Air Charter direct
Why the other Routes?
Futaleufu vía Bariloche Route:
If you want to fly to, or visit Bariloche, Argentina before or after your trip. IF you are flying in from Calafate. If you want to use travel miles to Bariloche. If you want to take advantage of the one domestic Aerolineas Argentinas flight a day that flies direct from Bariloche to the Buenos Aires International airport avoiding the 4 hour legal connection time. This can allow you to catch an earlier departing flight back to the states on Delta or other carriers.
Futaleufu via Chaiten Route:
If you want to fly thru Santiago, Chile before or after your trip. If you are using AA travel miles to get to Santiago and Puerto Montt. Your connection needs to arrive in Chaiten by 10:30 am to arrive in time for a public bus to Futaleufu, or you will need to prepay a private transfer. This flight from Puerto Montt to Chaiten also limits the bags to one checked of 15 kilo. You can pay for more if they have the space. Baggage Allowance : 20 Kg (44 pounds) each passenger. Each Additional Kg = CLP 1000 (Chilean pesos) with a Max.25 extra Kg.
Bus/Ferris/Fjords:
If you are adventurous, have time, flexibility, enjoy making arrangements yourself, and love traveling as the locals travel. For those that feel getting there is half the fun this could be the route for you. Spanish skills help as there are many moving parts to this route. However spectacular fjords and glaciers to be viewed as you walk around on a ferry gliding down a fjord.
Futaleufu To/From Torres del Paine via Calafate:
If you want to visit Futaleufu before or after Fitzroy, Chalten, Glacier Perito Moreno or Torres del Paine. This shows you how it is done.
Futaleufu To/From Torres del Paine via Punta Arenas:
If you want to visit Futaleufu before or after Torres del Paine. This shows you how it is done.
TRAVEL ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS TO EXPEDICIONES CHILE
TRIPS:
Do I need a visa?
Americans, and Citizens of the European Union do not need to pay a visa fee to enter either Chile, or Argentina.
Other Citizens entering Argentina:
Australians and Canadians must pay a Argentine visa fee online before they arrive in Argentina. Argentina’s list of other countries that need to pay reciprocal visa fee when entering Argentina. If you are required to, Pay here. Once the payment is received, an electronic receipt will be given and each passenger would need to show it upon their arrival in Argentina. It is good for the life of your passport. Lack of such proof of payment will generate the threat of denial of entry of the passenger.
Other Citizens entering Chile:
Australians and Mexican must pay when they are flying into Santiago’s International Airport. However, if Aussies or Mexicans are traveling through Argentina to get to Futaleufu, they will enter Chile at a remote border crossing where authorities will not process payment. In this case Australians and Mexicans should get a visa from the Chilean consulate in their home country before they travel. Fortunately the visa lasts the life of the passport. Chile’s list of countries that are required to pay a reciprocal visa fee to enter Chile.
What happens if I encounter en-route travel problems?
Print out and bookmark on your cell phone our enroute guidance pdf for your route.
Expediciones Chile and G & G Travel and Tours are not financially responsible for your travel complications getting to your trip pick up point and back home from the trip drop off point, HOWEVER, we will be relentless allies 24/7 in offering our influence to help solve any issues that you may encounter in route. This is our part of the world and we are extremely well connected. Our clients provide significant business for the transportation services we recommended, they work with us and they know that we aggressively represent our guests in finding solutions while they are in route to exchile trips. We recommend purchasing travel insurance and carrying a cell phone that connects both in Chile and Argentina (T-mobile automatically connects in both countries).
Advice for your Travel agent, if you are from outside North America, or you are going to buy your own air ticket. http://www.exchile.com/airfaresearch.html