What does a Metro or bus trip cost?
Santiago's Metro, Red buses and the Tren Nos commuter line share one integrated fare system, and the price you pay is set when you tap in. Metro de Santiago publishes three weekday time bands for rail. Buses are flat.
| Weekday band | Hours | Metro or Tren Nos | Red bus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punta (peak) | 07:00–08:59 and 18:00–19:59 | CLP 895 | CLP 795 |
| Valle (off-peak) | 09:00–17:59 and 20:00–20:44 | CLP 815 | CLP 795 |
| Bajo (low) | 06:00–06:59 and 20:45–23:00 | CLP 735 | CLP 795 |
| Saturday, Sunday, holidays | All day | CLP 815 | CLP 795 |
Red states that the integrated fare covers up to two transfers within 120 minutes of the first tap, travelling in the same direction and without repeating a bus route. One of the transfers can be to Metro and another to Tren Nos.
How transfers change the total
When you switch between bus and rail, the system charges only the difference up to the higher fare. Red's own combination tables show how that works:
- Starting on a bus at peak and changing to Metro, you pay CLP 795 and then CLP 100 at the Metro gate: CLP 895 in total.
- The same trip in the valle band costs CLP 795 plus CLP 20: CLP 815.
- Starting on the Metro in the bajo band and changing to a bus, you pay CLP 735 and then CLP 60 on the bus: CLP 795.
- Two buses, or bus to bus to bus, stay at CLP 795.
Should you buy a bip! card or tap a bank card?
The answer depends on whether you will ride buses. Contactless bank cards now work at Metro and Tren Nos gates, but the bip! FAQ says they are not yet accepted on Red buses and that bus integration will come at a later stage.
| Your plan | Best way to pay | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Metro only, a few days | Contactless Visa or eligible Mastercard, or phone wallet | Same fare as bip!, no card to buy |
| Metro plus Red buses | bip! card | Buses do not take bank cards; bip! keeps bus–Metro transfers linked |
| Airport bus 555 or 444 | bip! card | Red buses only take bip! or a QR code |
The FAQ adds some conditions for bank cards:
- All Visa cards are enabled. Mastercard holders are sent to a checker page to confirm their card works.
- Keep using the same card or the same phone wallet for the whole trip, or the transfer is not recognised.
- The adult fare always applies; student and senior discounts are not available on bank cards.
- The day's trips are grouped and charged at night. If the charge is declined, the card is blocked for travel until the debt is recovered.
Red also accepts a QR code generated in the Red or BancoEstado app, with a monthly spending cap of CLP 41,000 after which adult rides are free, according to Red's announcement. The bip!QR account behind it is linked to a Chilean RUT number, so it is designed for residents rather than short-stay visitors.
How do you buy and top up a bip! card?
Metro's ticket offices keep the same hours as the network, except on Sundays and holidays, when they close at 22:30. Beyond the Metro, the bip! site has a search tool for top-up points in each comuna. If you top up online, Metro reminds you that you must then validate the new balance at a top-up totem before it appears on the card.
Hours, express trains and luggage
The Metro runs 06:00–23:00 on weekdays, 06:30–23:00 on Saturdays and 07:30–23:00 on Sundays and holidays. Metro warns that if you enter close to closing time, some transfers between lines may already have stopped.
On Line 2, Ruta Expresa runs on working days from 06:00 to 09:00 and 18:00 to 21:00. Trains run as a red route or a green route that do not call at every station. Check the route colour of your destination station before boarding in those hours.
Suitcases, backpacks and travel bags are allowed on the network, according to Metro's tips and FAQ page. Folding bicycles with a cover are allowed every day, and standard bicycles only on Sundays and holidays in the first carriage.
A week of rides, costed
Take a visitor staying five days who makes one peak Metro ride, one valle Metro ride and one bus ride a day, each a separate trip. Using the fares above, that is CLP 895 + 815 + 795 = CLP 2,505 a day, or CLP 12,525 over five days.
On a bip! card the same rides cost the same, plus CLP 1,550 for the card. On a contactless bank card, the two Metro rides are the same price, but the bus ride is impossible because Red does not yet take bank cards. For that visitor the card pays for itself in convenience rather than fares: it is the only way onto the buses.
If you only use the Metro, skip the card and tap your bank card. If buses are part of your plan, buy a bip! on your first Metro trip and load enough for two or three days at a time.
For getting in from the airport, see Santiago airport to the city centre. If you plan to drive instead, Santiago TAG tolls in a rental car explains how the urban motorways charge.