Rent a Car in the north of Chile
Rent a Car in the north of Chile
If you plan to rent a car in the north of Chile, please take note that our company may offer you car rental services in the following cities: Arica; Iquique; Antofagasta; Calama; San Pedro de Atacama; Copiapo; and La Serena. In all these cities, except San Pedro de Atacama “town”, we may offer car rental companies with offices in the city and airport as well.
There are very few gas stations in the north of Chile (most of them belong to COPEC). If you are planning to rent a car in Arica and drive many days in Putre area, we recommend you rent a pickup truck with an extra gasoline tank (20-liter canister) so you won’t take unnecessary risks running out of gasoline (or diesel) in your trip. The same thing happens if you rent a car in Iquique to visit the surroundings. Please take note that is not legal to take gasoline canisters inside closed cars, only open pickup trucks.
It is very hard to find cars and VANS and city cars in the north of Chile. Most companies that rent vehicles in the Atacama desert, offer pickup trucks, SUVs, and jeeps, although you may also find subcompact cars and compact sedans as well.
If you are into off-road driving, hiring a 4x4 vehicle like a jeep or pickup truck is a must in the north of Chile, especially in the Atacama Desert and Calama and its surroundings. Otherwise, a normal 4x2 (simple traction) car, like a compact sedan or subcompact, will be enough to drive in Chilean good quality main roads and get to know amazing locations like Cejar Lagoon, Chaxsa lagoon, Miscanti altiplanic lagoon, La Portada of Antofagasta, San Pedro de Atacama Death and Moon Valley, Tal Tal, Arica, Putre, and Surire, among other interesting locations.
Please take note that Surire salt lake road is in very bad conditions and a high clearance rental vehicle is recommended if you want to drive in that area.
Even if you rent a 4x4 pickup truck or 4WD jeep, if you want to visit Tatio geysers, we highly recommend you take a tour. The main reason for this is that to get there you must start driving at 4am and there are not many signals on the road to get there.
Another tips
"I have used LYS Rent a car for the last seven years for hire cars used during trips to Chile and Argentina, the cars have always been in first class condition and during over 40,000 Km travelled we have never suffered a mechanical break down. From the first e-mail enquiry to collection at the airport, booking of first class accommodation arranging of permits and finally returning us to the airport I have always received a first rate service from the LYS team I would recommend there excellent car hire operation to any one who is visiting Chile and needs a Hire car LYS are the number one car Hire firm, customer service is there number one consideration at all times."
Best Wishes, Brendan Burke
"We have used Lys Rent a Car on numerous occasions and have always been very pleased with their service. I have been most impressed with their ability to find us exactly the cars we need in a wide range of delivery options. Lys Car Rental has proven to be a valuable contact in Chile."
Peter Foley, Head Coach US Snowboarding
"The Alzar School counts on reliable vehicles to make our programs in Chile possible. LYS Rent a Car has been a consistent and valued partner since 2012 and we have really appreciated their help. Whether it is finding vans in Santiago, securing 4x4s in Coyhaique, or arranging transfers in Puerto Montt, LYS has always been easy to work with and trustworthy. Mr. Gabor is unique in understanding our needs and his fluency in English makes communicating about reservations from the USA smooth. Thank you, LYS, for all the help over the years! We are looking forward to our next trip!"
Sean Bierle, Head of School.
"During 2 months last year we made a 14000 km road trip through Chile and Argentina. It was a wonderful experience also because our jeep provided by LYS never caused us any problems. A missing stamp at the border with Argentina was solved effectively by Andres through email and direct contact with customs: we only had one hour delay and could hit the road again in Argentinean Patagonia. Also the pick-up at the airport and the accomodation during a couple of days in Santiago were well taken care of. After coming back in Santiago we had a nice meal with Andres and his wife Raquel before our departure back to Amsterdam and our house on the island of Zakynthos Greece. We will be back again in the near future for another trip on the road in this unique part of the world."
Gert Peeters and Ton Nederhoed
"Sincere thanks again for all your help and patience in organising three different car hires for us over the last 2.5 months and 30,000 kms : two from Santiago and one from Punta Arenas. All three went well especially because you made sure we had good vehicles and the right border crossing papers. Your handling of our last minute change to the type of vehicle was fuss free. Thank you also for being at the end of the phone 24/7 and for responding promptly to our emails - you were so calm when we contacted you about the parking issue at the border- truly appreciated. Your suggestions for an apartment and restaurants in Santiago were perfect as well - truly a service we would not expect from one of the multinational companies. We felt we had a friend in Chile before we even arrived!"
Kind regards, Margaret and Gary – Ireland
"I have been using Lys since 1992 on an annual basis. Twice in 2015, twice in 2016 and again twice in 2017. Whilst not always the cheapest Andres lays out the cost and what is covered precisely. No additional costs on collection or return something the car rental industry has a reputation for. I never had a opportunity to test the 24/7 service and support until my last trip. Our hire car was broken into with many electrical items stolen and the car documents. Andres acted swiftly, responsibly and was very supportive ensuring our immediate crisis was not a total disaster Andres speaks perfect English combined with a slight touch of English humour. I thoroughly recommend this company."
Roger M Ferryman
"My wife and I rented cars through LYS in 4 different locations over a 6 week visit to Chile in January-February 2017, our first time in the country. By working with Andres Gabor we could make all the arrangements through one point of contact. Throughout our trip Andres was a ready source of advice for sights, routes, and restaurants. (All of his recommendations were spot on.) Especially useful: Andres had the cars delivered and picked up wherever was most convenient for us, which meant our rentals needn't always be timed to airport arrivals and departures. In short: our trip was remarkable, Andres was a real asset, the cars met our needs, and we recommend LYS enthusiastically."
Thanks and best wishes, Peter & Ellen Brown
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