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Information Sheet Last Updated: June 2004
Roads and Car Travel
The road network is 79,293 km long and much of it is in good condition and many roads are paved. The region around the capital and the Central Valley are the best served. The main road is the Panamericana (Ruta 5), which is now dual carriageway from La Serena to Puerto Montt. A paved coastal route running the length of Chile is also being constructed, which should be ready by 2007.
Vehicles may be rented by the day, week, or month, with oru without unlimited mileage. Rates may not include insurance or the 18% VAT. Make sure you know what the insurance covers, in particular third party insurance.Shop around for the best deal and reputable Chilean companies ofer much better value then the well known international dealers. On the highways, tolls are very expensive, often more than a bus ticket for one person, but the charge includes towing to the next city and free ambulance incase of an accident. It is often quite expensive to return the car to a city other than the one you picked it up in, so unless you plan on making a roundtrip, you may be better off taking a bus to your destination then renting a car there. If you plan to leave the country in your rented car, you must get authorization from the rental agency.
