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General Information
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HOST CITY
Viña del Mar is located in the Valparaíso Region about 120 kilometers from the capital Santiago. It's known as the "Garden City" for its natural beauty, surrounded by green areas and large floral gardens. One of its main attractions is the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, enjoyed through its 13 beaches. Its numerous palaces that belonged to ancient times recognized families of
the city have become important and elegant museums. The city is also characterized by its intense cultural, artistic and entertainment.
CONFERENCE HOTELS
Our conference host has arranged room blocks at a number of area hotels, with special low rates during the conference (see Planning Your Stay). Booking details, the number of rooms available, reservation cutoff dates, hotel information, and maps are available online at www.iaia.org > IAIA14. Please book early to ensure that your first choice is available.
CLIMATE
Viña del Mar has a Mediterranean climate with dry warm summers and mild winters. April is a pretty warm month. The week of the conference, average temperatures are 10C/50F(low) and 20C/68F (high), and the probability of rain is low.
LANGUAGE
In all the territory, Chile's official language is Spanish. Little English is spoken in the region, including in Viña del Mar and Santiago.
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
Foreign visitors must have a valid passport.
When entering Chile, the visitor receives a valid tourist for 90 days.
Those from countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Chile will need a valid passport and must also obtain registration of their passport or consular been granted by the Chilean authority abroad or International Police to verify your arrivals.
Countries that need Chilean visa: New Zealand, Haiti, India, Lebanon, Egypt and Russia.
Tourists from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay may submit the following documents: valid passport unstamped, National Identity Card or Book civic engaged.
It is suggested to carry a photocopy of the original documents is not necessary to bring the originals.
Some countries must pay a reciprocity fee, but the reciprocity fees are canceled at the airport before going through PDI (Police), upon arrival to Chile. Foreign visitors do not need additional documents; they just need to pay the fee. PDI provides a voucher that will serve to pass immigration.
Applications for visas can be performed on the following sites:
https://tramites.minrel.gov.cl (in Spanish) https://sac.minrel.gov.cl/ciudadanos/ (in English)
The person should enter thie site, record all the information required(with attachments) and send therequired form to the appropriate consulate.
TRANSPORTATION
Our Chilean hosts have arranged a shuttle service with a company called Transvip to transport delegates from the Santiago airport to Viña del Mar and back to Santiago. Transvip has a desk at the airport where transport can be arranged upon your arrival. However, reservations are highly recommended.
BUSINESS HOURS
Mainly banks and general public services open at 09:00. The opening hours of public banks are Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 14:00. Money Exchange and businesses open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 21:00.
CURRENCY AND CREDIT CARDS
The currency in Chile is the "Peso."
There are coins of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 pesos and
bills of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000
pesos.
The dollar is currently the most widely used currency in international transactions. The value of the dollar in Chile is determined by the market. One dollar equals
$514 (November 2013). We recommend changing your money in banks or Money Exchange Houses.
TIPPING
In Chile 10% on top of your restaurant bill is considered a good tip and is appreciated. A very few restaurants will have a 12% service charge. This should appear
on the bill and is voluntary. You can ask for it to be removed and tip the amount you feel is appropriate.
You do tip porters. The amounts vary ,but porters at 5 star hotels are usually happy with a 1000 peso bill.
You do not tip taxi drivers, but people usually round off the fare in their favor.
Taxi drivers should give you correct change, but you can say "keep the change" if it's going to be a small coin or two.
ELECTRICITY
The electrical supply in Chile is 200 volts at 50 Hz. Two-pin ungrounded plugs or two round pins and a roundgrounding pin in a line are standard.
SMOKING
It is illegal to smoke in enclosed public places.
TAXES
The tax in Chile is 19 % and is included in the price.
HOLIDAY ADVISORY
Holy Week (Sunday, 13 April-Saturday, 19 April 2014) is a major travel holiday for Chileans. Be sure to book your transportation and hotel early.