Choosing the right luggage can make exploring Chile more comfortable, practical, and economical.
The best option will depend on the duration of your adventure, the destinations you visit, the transportation you use, and each airline’s baggage policies. With over 4,000 kilometers from north to south, it’s common to combine flights, buses, and ferries during a single trip.
Therefore, choosing the correct luggage can help you save time, avoid additional costs, and move more easily between different destinations. If you’re planning your route, check these itineraries for traveling through Chile and organize a more efficient trip.
What luggage to bring based on your Chile itinerary?
1. Backpack or Carry-on Bag
If you’re planning a 2- to 5-day getaway focused on a single city, this format can be a good alternative. A compact travel backpack, that complies with your airline’s permitted dimensions and weight, will give you greater freedom of movement.
- Ideal Destinations and Itineraries: Urban tours of Santiago, getaways to the beaches of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, or days of disconnection in the Elqui Valley.
- Main Advantages: Allows you to move easily on public transport, avoid waiting at the baggage carousel, and save money by avoiding checked luggage fees.
- What to Pack: Light clothing, a windbreaker jacket, comfortable urban footwear, and your essential personal items.
2. Cabin Suitcase
If your trip lasts between 5 and 8 days and combines two destinations without requiring high-mountain clothing or technical equipment, a hard-shell or soft-sided suitcase with wheels will allow you to carry more clothes and maintain comfort during transfers.
- Ideal Destinations and Itineraries: City and coast combinations like Santiago with Valparaíso, or summer routes through San Pedro de Atacama, La Serena, or Valdivia.
- Main Advantages: You get more space to organize different garments for various occasions, maintaining a format that is easy to transport between hotels and taxis without needing to check it.
- What to Pack: Several changes of clothes, spare footwear, a mid-weight coat for cool northern or central nights, and toiletries in cabin-approved containers.
3. Checked Luggage
If you’re planning a journey of more than a week, traveling through regions with extreme temperature contrasts, or engaging in outdoor sports, it’s best to check a large suitcase and complement it with a smaller travel backpack for daily use.
Meanwhile, if you’re traveling with oversized sports equipment, such as surfboards or bicycles, check the airline’s specific conditions for transporting them, as they may be subject to special fees and requirements.
- Ideal Destinations and Itineraries: Trips through Patagonia (like the W Circuit in Torres del Paine), road trips along the Carretera Austral, or long itineraries connecting the Atacama Desert with the southern zone.
- Main Advantages: You’ll have enough capacity to carry thick parkas, trekking boots, and technical clothing. The small backpack will serve to carry your documents, water, and additional warm layers during daily excursions.
- Remember that the weather in southern Chile can change drastically in a single day, so wearing clothes that you can layer will be essential for your comfort.
What luggage do airlines flying in Chile include?
Included baggage depends on the airline and the fare you purchase. On the most basic fares, some airlines include a personal item that must meet certain dimensions and must be placed under the seat in front of you. Carry-on luggage and checked baggage may incur an additional cost.
The permitted weight and dimensions for carry-on and checked luggage vary by airline and ticket type. Generally, permitted carry-on luggage can be up to 10 or 12 kg, depending on the airline and ticket type, while checked luggage usually has a limit of up to 23 kg.
If you’re flying with LATAM, JetSMART, or SKY Airline, check what exactly your fare includes before purchasing your ticket, as permitted weights, dimensions, and prices may vary depending on the route and flight type.
What to do if you need to store your luggage?
If you have a layover of several hours or want to explore Santiago before continuing your trip, you can use the luggage storage service, located in the International Terminal (T2) of Santiago Airport. It operates 24 hours a day and allows you to store suitcases and backpacks from a few hours to several days.
Rates are charged per piece of luggage and vary according to storage time. We recommend checking the current prices directly at the service counter or on the airport’s official website before your trip, as they may change. If you need to leave luggage for longer, an additional charge applies for extra hours.
Currently, the National Terminal (T1) does not offer this service.
What to do if your luggage is lost, delayed, or damaged?
If your luggage doesn’t arrive, arrives damaged, or you notice items are missing from inside, you must inform the airline as soon as possible and file a claim. Remember to always keep your baggage claim tag, as it will be necessary to process the request.
According to the Civil Aeronautics Board (JAC), if your suitcase arrives damaged or you notice missing items, you can inform the airline immediately or within 7 days of receiving the luggage. In case of loss or delayed delivery, notification can be made up to 21 days after the date you were supposed to receive the luggage.
