Climate:
Clothing: It is recommended to wear summer clothing.
Time zone: Chilean Continental standard time corresponds to the time zone UTC-4:00 (Universal Time Coordinate; formerly, Greenwich Mean Time). Chile uses a 24-hour military clock (e.g. 3:00 PM is 15:00 hours). Chile uses the European format for noting dates (Day, Month, Year, e.g. 19 November 1997 is 19-11-1997).
Electricity: Electrical voltage in Chile is 220 volts, 50 cycles (220V 50 Hz). All electronic devices designed for 110V require a transformer. All portable appliances, including portable computers, usually have transformers of high voltage (110V-240V) which are adaptable to the Chilean electrical system. Some hotels have 110V lines.
Water: In general, Santiago 's drinking water is completely safe to drink. For people who are generally more susceptible to changes in their environments, we suggest that you drink only bottled mineral water (you can choose between effervescent water, "natural" or no gas "sin gas") during your first days in Chile . This water is commonly found in supermarkets, corner stores and restaurants.
Raw Food: It is not advisable to eat raw vegetables, especially those grown at ground level (e.g. lettuce, carrots, strawberries, etc.), unless they are bought in established supermarkets, which normally monitor the sources of their products. Thus, there is a great variety of vegetables in which you should feel free to partake, as they are guaranteed of having been watered with clean water. Established restaurants also offer this guarantee.
City Schedules: In general, commercial malls, restaurants and public transportation are available within the following hours:
PLACES |
DAYS |
SCHEDULE |
| Offices |
Mon to Fri |
9:00-18:00
|
| Banks |
Mon to Fri |
9:00-14:00
|
| Commercial Malls |
Mon to Sun |
11:00-21:00
|
| Supermarkets |
Mon to Sun |
8:30-22:00
/ 23:00 |
| Shops |
Mon to Sat |
10:00-20:00
|
FEED |
DAYS |
SCHEDULE |
| Lunch |
Mon to Sun |
13:00-15:30 |
| Dinner |
Mon to Sun |
21:00-24:00 |
Personal Security: Santiago is widely known as a safe city for foreign visitors, specially when compared with other large cities in Latin America . Nevertheless, it is advisable that you take normal safety precautions against pickpockets For example, avoid interactions with unknown people and keep wealthy goods out of sight.
