Brief Route Description:
If you are going to be flying through Chile, this is a reasonable route to get to Futaleufu that many locals use to get to Futaleufu. However, there are lots of moving parts. To purchase the tickets for the Puerto Montt - Chaiten flight from out of the country you will need to do it through our Travel Agent Gilda. You will get a voucher with all the details. The baggage allowance on this flight is 20 kg or 44 lbs. Each additional kg is 1000 Chilean pesos or about $1.50 usd, with a maximum of 25 extra kilo.
She can also arrange a prepay private transfer from the Chaiten Airport to the village of Futaleufu. At the end of your trip the return on a bus from Futaleufu to Chaiten can be on the Public Bus saving you some money. The flight will not leave until the passengers from the bus are loaded on the plane.
Map View or this Route
Via Puerto Montt, Chile
Arrival:
1. Fly: To Santiago International (SCL) on a early arrival.
2. Fly: First connecting flight to Puerto Montt Airport (PMC).
3. Taxi: To Private Airstrip (La Paloma) in Puerto Montt (25 min).
4. Fly: 11:30 am La Paloma to Nuevo Chaiten Airport (WCH) (50 min).
5. Private transfer Pre paid: From Nuevo Chaiten Airport to Futaleufu. (3.5 hours).
6. Check in: To your hotel, Sleep.
6. Adventure Starts: At our Futaleufu office (11 am).
End of Exchile Adventure:
1. Drop off: At your hotel in Futaleufu (5 pm). Sleep.
2. Public Bus: (6 am) Futaleufu to Nuevo Chaiten Airport. (3.5 hrs).
3. Fly: Nuevo Chaiten to Puerto Montt Private Airstrip (La Paloma).
4. Taxi: La Paloma Airstrip to Main Airport (25 min).
5. Fly: To home country (overnight).
Arrival Santiago International Airport (SCL):
In flight, fill out all necessary customs forms. Upon arrival in Santiago, go through customs in the airport. Americans, Canadian, and Citizens of the European Union do not need to pay a visa fee to enter either Chile. If you have doubts check to see if you need to pay a reciprocal visa fee and you can pay at the airport. After clearing the international police, you will grab a cart and your bags and wheel your bags through customs. An hour and half is the legal connection between the arrival of your international flight into Santiago and the departure of your national flight in the same airport.
Connecting Flight Airline Check In (SCL): Your next flight departs from the upper level of the same airport. Wheel your cart to an elevator to the top level and check for for you flight to Puerto Montt. When checking your baggage in for a domestic flight in Chile, remember the international baggage allowance is greater than the national baggage allowance within Chile. They may try to ask for baggage fees. Tell them you have just arrived on an international flight and they are supposed to take your baggage without additional fees if it is within the international limit. Show them your international ticket and baggage checks and they should not charge you.
Arrive Puerto Montt Airport Tepual (PMC): This is the main airport in Puerto Montt serviced by LATAM and Sky airlines. Grab your bags, hail a taxi and make the transfer to a Private air strip called La Paloma, 25 minutes away.
Arrive La Paloma Airstrip
When you arrive at La Paloma have the taxi driver take you to Hanger 10 and Pewen office. Check in for you flight at the time indicated on your voucher from Gilda. Fly to Nueva Chaiten Airport
Arrive Nueva Chaiten airstrip (WCH)
Public Bus Nuevo Chaiten Airport to Futaleufu.
The first flight from Puerto Montt (La Paloma) departs at 9:30 am arriving in Chaiten at 10:15. A public bus waits ($15 usd) for the arrival of the flight, for the 4 hour trip to Futaleufu.
It is not possible to fly internationally into Santiago early enough in the morning to make it to Puerto Montt for the first flight to Chaiten. It is possible for the second flight a 11:30 am departure from Puerto Montt La Paloma airstrip. That means however prepaying for a private transfer to meet you in Chaiten and drive you to Futaleufu. Alternatively one could spend a night in Puerto Montt to get the first flight to Chaiten the next day and take the public bus.
Private Transport between Nuevo Chaiten Airport and Futaleufu.
For your convenience you can prepay the private transfer from Chaiten to Futaleufu when you sign up for your trip. $420 usd per vehicle each way, 5 passengers with luggage, 3.5 hours.
Departing Futaleufu to Chaiten:
At the end of your exchile trip stay you will be dropped off at a Hotel in Futaleufu. The next morning at 6:00 am a public bus ($15 usd) departs Futaleufu for the Nuevo Chaiten Airport (4 hrs). The flight waits for the arrival of the bus from Futaleufu. Your flight then returns to Puerto Montt at the private airstrip, La Paloma. You will need a taxi (25 min) to get the main airport El Tepual for flights elsewhere. If you desire you can prepay for a private transfer for the return from Futaleufu to Chaiten, and save 30 minutes of travel time
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