Machu Picchu & S America Planning + India?

[casanovawa]

Hmmm, so its pretty much a fact that if you enter Chile through anywhere else than SCL you don't have to pay the reciprocity fee??? It would put me off a bit returning there, but if there was a way to avoid it i probably still have a few travel plans in Chile one day...

 

[Milboo]

Chile charges it as Australia charges its citizens for a visa to enter here.

When we stayed - and it was only for a night during transit, my friend had to pay it as she was on AU passport but I didn't as I am on a NZ passport - and NZ does not charge Chilean citizens for visas to visit there.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Chile charges it as Australia charges its citizens for a visa to enter here.

Seems like a reverse version of an eye for an eye to me.

Someone cuts their hand so I cut off mine in retaliation; we charge a fee that discourages their citizens from visiting our country thereby damaging our tourism industry, so in retaliation they charge a fee that damages their tourism industry. Brillant.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Good luck finding LA availability from SCL to AKL.

Seats found in J and confirmed + flight SCL to LIM, also in J

We have 5 weeks in Sth America all up. Now we have the flights we can begin filling in the detail.

 

[juddles]

Seems like a reverse version of an eye for an eye to me.

Someone cuts their hand so I cut off mine in retaliation; we charge a fee that discourages their citizens from visiting our country thereby damaging our tourism industry, so in retaliation they charge a fee that damages their tourism industry. Brillant.

Jacques, not trying to go off topic - but this may actually help you in your travels there:

I grew up in Chile, I understand Chileans, and despite the fact that I can pay that damn reciprocity fee up to 4 times a year (because I travel through constantly), I STILL respect it. Essentially, Australia charges Chileans heaps to apply for visas, so Chile charges Aussies a "reciprocity fee" in retaliation. But from the Chilean side, this has a basis in national pride - for decades Australia has acted like Chile is a third-world country, and treated Chileans like they are a pack of Mexican-like wannabe-illegal immigrants.

It is true that in the 80's many Chileans wanted to emigrate to Australia, but in the subsequent decades, prosperity has massively changed Chile. Now Chileans want to just visit Australia, but they still get treated like sh__t. At least that is the perception

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thanks juddles, I understand and agree with what you are saying.

It just seems to me that the policies both countries are counter-productive in that they discourage tourism and thereby hurt their own economies. As an example, the last time +1 and I transited SCL we had 15 hours to fill in and intended to leave the airport for a quick look around (as we have done during a number of <24 hour transits). That reciprocity fee made it totally out of the question so we stayed in the lounge for the day and did not spend any money in Chile. Perhaps not a large amount in the scheme of things but a negative impact just the same.

I suspect that the high visa fee has discouraged many Chileans from visiting Australia as well; perhaps New Zealand is the winner from this.

 

[Tiki]

Jacques, not trying to go off topic - but this may actually help you in your travels there:

I grew up in Chile, I understand Chileans, and despite the fact that I can pay that damn reciprocity fee up to 4 times a year (because I travel through constantly), I STILL respect it. Essentially, Australia charges Chileans heaps to apply for visas, so Chile charges Aussies a "reciprocity fee" in retaliation. But from the Chilean side, this has a basis in national pride - for decades Australia has acted like Chile is a third-world country, and treated Chileans like they are a pack of Mexican-like wannabe-illegal immigrants.

It is true that in the 80's many Chileans wanted to emigrate to Australia, but in the subsequent decades, prosperity has massively changed Chile. Now Chileans want to just visit Australia, but they still get treated like sh__t. At least that is the perception

I'm in the same position as Jacques Vert. I've been through SCL several times over the years and always stayed in the airport rather than going out to explore/spend money in Chile. I would have done so if not for the reciprocity. We've even had to spend a night on the floor in the transit lounge on long connections as we rarely get J on these segments and don't have status or lounge access.

Who needs to talk to who to fix this? I can't see any reason why Chileans shouldn't have the same entry to Australia as Americans, Canadians, Europeans, etc.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm in the same position as Jacques Vert. I've been through SCL several times over the years and always stayed in the airport rather than going out to explore/spend money in Chile. I would have done so if not for the reciprocity. We've even had to spend a night on the floor in the transit lounge on long connections as we rarely get J on these segments and don't have status or lounge access.

Who needs to talk to who to fix this? I can't see any reason why Chileans shouldn't have the same entry to Australia as Americans, Canadians, Europeans, etc.

I think sleeping on the floor of the airport to avoid paying US$117 to enter Chile is a bit extreme. Santiago is a great place to visit, let alone the rest of Chile. You now you are paying similar fees, if not more, to enter other countries/airports don't you? Its just that its included in the air ticket.

Americans, Canadians etc do have the same 'entry' into Australia as Chileans - as in everyone needs a visa. I dare say the fee charges (or lack of them) are proportional to the amount of electronic connection between the countries when visas and border controls are concerned. (Just like Australians entering the USA - our ESTA is much cheaper and easier than some other countries citizens who want to enter the USA.) For those countries where Australian visas can be facilitated easily (and where there is the most traffic), the visa is easily obtained at minimal cost. For other countries, there is more to get it done and a fee can be justified (by the bureaucrats). On the other hand, a number of countries require no visa for a number of other counties - such as Australians entering Chile, so there is strictly no visa fee. They call it a reciprocity fee, but it could easily be called an entry tax and incorporated into the air ticket.

 

[Tiki]

It would be $234 as there are 2 of us so for an overnight it's not worth it. It's not like we haven't roughed it before. If we were planning a longer visit of at least a few days we'd pay it. We've done so many long full day transits in places like AKL, SIN, BKK, NRT, ICN & TPE and always gone into town to do/see something. I'd like the option in SCL since it's pretty much the only way to use miles to South America as NZ rarely releases seats on AKL-EZE, even in Y.

I just had a look at the e-Visa thing for Australia, it seems to me (not that I am in charge of anything) that Chile, Brazil & Argentina (at least) should be eligible for the eVisitor which is free and that would get rid of all these stupid reciprocity charges on both sides and boost tourism for all. So that's why I ask who needs to talk to who to make it happen?

 

[RooFlyer]

Contact your federal MP and ask them to get that nice Ms Bishop to take it up with Heraldo Muñoz Valenzuela.

 

[love_the_life]

It would be $234 as there are 2 of us so for an overnight it's not worth it. It's not like we haven't roughed it before. If we were planning a longer visit of at least a few days we'd pay it. We've done so many long full day transits in places like AKL, SIN, BKK, NRT, ICN & TPE and always gone into town to do/see something. I'd like the option in SCL since it's pretty much the only way to use miles to South America as NZ rarely releases seats on AKL-EZE, even in Y.

I just had a look at the e-Visa thing for Australia, it seems to me (not that I am in charge of anything) that Chile, Brazil & Argentina (at least) should be eligible for the eVisitor which is free and that would get rid of all these stupid reciprocity charges on both sides and boost tourism for all. So that's why I ask who needs to talk to who to make it happen?

I wouldn't dream of not paying the fee and at least getting out to have a look around. That's what travel is all about IMO. In the total overall scheme of things/budget the cost becomes negligible. It just seems a little 'cutting off your nose, despite your face' in my mind but YMMV so each to his/her own.

 

[amaroo]

I wouldn't dream of not paying the fee and at least getting out to have a look around. That's what travel is all about IMO. In the total overall scheme of things/budget the cost becomes negligible. It just seems a little 'cutting off your nose, despite your face' in my mind but YMMV so each to his/her own.

+ 1 ... we only had time for one night at either end of our trip, but really enjoyed our time in Santiago. Life Experience > Reciprocity Fee ..... as you approach the city you start to feel better about the fee. They need all the money they can get!

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thanks to everyone for the replies and suggestions.

We've starting to pencil in a rough itinerary and as we have 9 months before we head off there is ample time to take on more suggestions. While everything is still subject to change, we currently have the following:

23/4/18 - Fly to SYD & overnight (may take in a show if there is something that takes our fancy)
24/4/18 - QF27 (J) direct to SCL. Even though we arrive at 1110 we will probably stay near the airport the first night to allow for some recovery time after the long flight, etc. Yes, we will incur the reciprocity fee so we may as well make the most of it...
25/4/18 to 10/5/18 - Thinking of hiring a car and cruising around Chile for 16 days.

11/5/18 - LA600 in J, SCL-LIM then a couple of nights in Lima
13 or 14/5 - Separate paid flight to CUZ and then head down the Sacred Valley to acclimatize.
After a couple of days in the Valley head on to Machu Picchu; we'll probably stay 1 or 2 nights in Aguas Calientas.
Then back to CUZ for a couple of nights.

From CUZ we are currently thinking of flying to LPB and then working our way back to CUZ by bus/train and spending a couple of days around Lake Titicaca along the way. This is because flying CUZ-LPB and then coming back to CUZ and flying CUZ-LIM-SCL looks easier and less expensive than going overland from CUZ to LPB and then getting from LPB to SCL.

29/5 - LA801 SCL-AKL

 

[RooFlyer]

Crikey; 16 days in Chile would be a great time! You'll have to keep an eye out for the weather, but I'd suggest heading south, rather than up into the altoplano (although you could do both).

To the south is the spectacular scenery of the volcanos, the green valleys of Patagonia (do you fish - a world class trout fishery) and the Chilean fjords. I went there with JohnM, including a fjord cruise in February this year (above that link is Santiago).

Its probably not worth the expense and hassle of taking your car into Argentina (see permit discussion in that trip report), but the Argentinean lake Country is very nice.

 

[Milboo]

16 days in Chile - I'd be heading to Atacama and then to La Paz in Bolivia to the Salt Flats.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Crikey; 16 days in Chile would be a great time! You'll have to keep an eye out for the weather, but I'd suggest heading south, rather than up into the altoplano (although you could do both).

To the south is the spectacular scenery of the volcanos, the green valleys of Patagonia (do you fish - a world class trout fishery) and the Chilean fjords. I went there with JohnM, including a fjord cruise in February this year (above that link is Santiago).

Its probably not worth the expense and hassle of taking your car into Argentina (see permit discussion in that trip report), but the Argentinean lake Country is very nice.

Thanks RooFlyer, we followed JohnM's and your Trip reports with great interest and they have already been very helpful. Given that we are a couple of months later than you guys (to avoid the wet season in MP), we are thinking that we may not go so far south as you but this is still under consideration.

We are not into fishing but do enjoy a glass of wine so we may check out some wineries instead.

We followed your efforts in crossing over to Argentina and will probably leave that for another trip.

Have you spent any time in northern Chile: Arica, Antofagasta, Iquique?

 

[Jacques Vert]

Is anyone else having trouble with the "Go Advanced" button? When I try to use it I go to a screen that says the page won't load.

 

[amaroo]

Is anyone else having trouble with the "Go Advanced" button? When I try to use it I go to a screen that says the page won't load.

Working at this end.

 

[Jacques Vert]

16 days in Chile - I'd be heading to Atacama and then to La Paz in Bolivia to the Salt Flats.

We had a quick look at the salt flats following previous suggestions. Now that we are looking at heading to La Pas we will have have another look.

How did you get there? And any suggestions on where to stay?

 

[Jacques Vert]

Working at this end.

Thanks, maybe it has something to do with my new virus scanner.

PS: Now seems to be working again. Looks like you fixed ti for me