Chile Argentina and Patagonia

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction &/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

British citizens currently do not need a tourist visa to enter Chile and Argentina. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding these.

Your initial flight is to Santiago International Airport in Chile direct via Sao Paolo with LATAM Airlines (LA), departing from London Heathrow Terminal 3. Your return flight is from Buenos Aires in Argentina via Sao Paolo with LATAM Airlines (LA). Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. IMPORTANT: Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking, lounges or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extra Tel. 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313. There are many illegal taxis operating around Santiago Airport and they have been known to steal from tourists. Official taxis are dark blue in colour.

Please Note: It is compulsory to recheck luggage in Sao Paulo when connecting with a domestic flight.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves moderate days of walking on uneven paths and small hills and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The currency in Chile is the (Chilean Peso (CLP). We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. The currency in Argentina is the (Argentinian Peso (ARS). We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any meals where these are not mentioned on your itinerary and personal purchases, such as souvenirs, drinks and snacks. Approximately (£500-£600) per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour. Please also bear in mind that there will be several shopping opportunities throughout your tour. Tipping is at your discretion; however we would recommend approximately ($3.00-5.00) per day. Tips are accepted in the local currency, however it is asked that if you do not tip in the local currency that you only pay with notes, as coins cannot be exchanged.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is an escorted tour, meaning the you will have the services of an English-speaking guide during each excursion ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

On your arrival into Chile you will be met by a representative from our local agent, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Pure Chile representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. If you cannot see your representative they will be at Exit Gate 4.

There are many illegal taxis operating around Santiago Airport and they have been known to steal from tourists. Official taxis are dark blue in colour.

If you need to contact your representative during you stay the details are:

Pure! Chile (during your stay in Chile) Address: Nueva Providencia 2214, office 186 Contact number: 0056 9 5681 6943 Email: Sales1@pure-chile.com or info@pure-chile.com

Eurotur (during your stay in Argentina) Address: Viamonte 486, Buenos Aire, Argentina Contact number: 0054 11 4312-6077 Email: patricia.parra@eurotur.tur.ar

Emergency contact information:

Chile: Telephone: 0056 956816943 (24/7)

Argentina: When calling from a UK number: 0054 911 6878 1562

When calling from a local number in Argentina: 11 6878-1562 / 11 4992-136 E-mail: 247@eurotur.tur.ar