TRAVEL INFORMATION

1) ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE INFORMATION

Arrival and Departure Airport: You should arrive at and depart from Punta Arenas Airport (airport code: PUQ/SCCI)

Pickup information: We do not provide airport pickup due to the fact that our guests are arriving at such different times throughout the day. You should take a taxi upon arriving at Punta Arenas Airport to our hotel at the following address:

Hotel Tierra del Fuego, Avenue Colon # 716, Punta Arenas, Chile.
Tel: 61-226-200 (this is the local dial number)

Our trip leader will be waiting to meet you in the hotel lobby at 7.30pm to escort you to dinner.

Drop-off information: We will provide an airport shuttle service on the last day of your trip so that you are dropped in time for your flight.

Airlines and Checking Equipment: If you intend to bring your own equipment, please check with your airline regarding policies for checking and transporting sports gear and equipment before you book your flight. This includes inquiring as to weight, charges and liability.

Flights: We do not book flights or insurance for our clients. For recommendations, click here

2) TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Travel Insurance: Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory for all our trips. Please do not attend any of our trips without purchasing appropriate insurance coverage. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation protection so that you will be covered in the event that you are unable to attend our trip (due to injury, illness or other unforeseen circumstances). We do not provide travel insurance for our clients. Please see our flights & insurance page for suggestions on purchasing travel insurance.

Passports & Visas: All countries require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa. To learn more about visa and entry requirements for Chile, please check out: Chile Passport & Visa Requirements or consult your local travel agent. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documentation.

Age: We do not have any age restrictions on our trips. The majority of our clients are between the ages of 25 and 45, but we also have many clients who are older and younger than this.

3) HEALTH AND SAFETY

Emergency Contact: If you need to contact Access Travel in an emergency, you can reach us during office hours at the following numbers:

Dialing within North America: 1 (650) 492-4778
Dialing outside of North America: +1 (650) 492-4778

If you feel that you need to contact us outside of office hours, one of our staff members will be available on the following mobile lines:

Mobile-phone: +1 650 521 2662 or +1 650 387 4249

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Health requirements: Please carefully review the health information section of the following webpage for up-to-date health information, including information on the quality of medical care, the availability of medications and the necessity for vaccinations in Chile: US Dept of State Consular Information Sheet: Chile. You are responsible for ensuring that you receive any necessary vaccinations before embarking on your trip with us.

Fitness requirements: The majority of our trips are open to people who are beginners in our target sports. Nevertheless, you should have a reasonable level of fitness before attending any of our trips and you should enjoy physical activity and the outdoors.

Safety & Security: To maximize your safety during our tours you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals. For information on safety and security in Chile, please review the safety and security section of the following webpage: US Dept of State Consular Information Sheet: Chile

4) WHAT TO TAKE

We recommend that you pack as lightly as possible. There will not always be someone available to help you carry your bags so you should only bring as much as you can carry on your own.

We suggest that you bring the following items:

Clothing & Equipment
* sleeping bag (usually available to rent in town $5 per day) & sleeping mat (usually available to rent in town $3 per day)
* fleece, silk or cotton sleeping bag inner (recommended if renting a sleeping bag)
* small camping pillow
* good, comfortable hiking boots/shoes
* a quality waterproof and windproof jacket (just in case)
* breathable waterproof long trousers
* t-shirts and long-sleeved tops (cotton polo necks are good for layering)
* swimsuit (for the hardy)
* breathable (wicking) under layer or thermal vest
* underwear and personal items
* wool cap or other warm hat
* one bandanna or scarf
* comfortable footwear for around camp
* set of thermals for cold nights
* wool sweater or fleece
* fleece jacket or waistcoat
* casual summer clothing
* tracksuit trousers or comfortable walking trousers for optional hikes and for relaxing at camp or hotel
* sun hat or baseball cap with a clip on the back to prevent blowing away
* sunscreen & sunglasses
* first-aid kit (should contain lip balm, aspirin, insect repellent, band aids, a cream for sore muscles (e.g. deep heat), extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
* personal toiletries (ladies should bring tampons as they are impossible to find in the park)
* water bottle (minimum one litre)
* camera with plenty of film and spare batteries
* waterproof camera bag or bring plastic bags; for example, Ziplocs
* flashlight/torch with spare batteries (Maglite or similar)
* money belt
* small towel
* Waterproof stuff-sacks are supplied to each client (capacity 60 litres/3,200 cubic inches). These are sufficient for the demands of the trip.

Useful additional items
* spanish phrasebook or dictionary
* travel alarm clock
* swiss army knife
* herbal teabags
* Wet Ones or similar travel wipes
* tissues
* reading material

Documents & Money
* passport (with photocopies)
* travel insurance (with photocopies)
* airline tickets (with photocopies)
* Credit and/or debit card and/or travelers checks and/or cash
* Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required

Spending Money
* Meals: All meals are provided except for meals on day 1 and lunch on day 2.
* Other expenses - There are no required additional expenses for this trip aside from meals, but you might like to take spending money for such things as souvenir shopping, nightlife and internet cafes.
* Tipping: you should budget $60 for local gratuities

5) USEFUL LINKS

Country Information: For additional information about traveling in Chile, check out US Dept of State Consular Information Sheet: Chile

Currency Exchange: The currency in Chile is the Chilean peso. For the latest currency exchange information check out Yahoo Currency Converter.

6) ABOUT ACCESS TRIPS

Who we are: Access Trips is dedicated to offering a wide range of instructional adventure tours. If you're looking for a vacation that provides a huge sense of personal achievement while still being fun, exciting and rewarding, our tours are right for you. We coined the term `instructional adventure tour` to describe our unique style of travel because as far as we know, we are the only company in the world to specialize in offering a variety of such trips! Instructional adventure tours offer the best of both worlds - expert instruction to help you develop and improve in your favorite pastime (or, if you're a beginner, to help you learn a new pastime correctly from the start), and varied and exciting itineraries to give you a unique and memorable travel experience. Our tours are the perfect mix of a high quality instructional course and an exciting adventure vacation and you'll find there's nothing more satisfying than challenging yourself and reaching new heights in your favorite pastime, while also enjoying a unique and authentic travel experience. Our instructional tours encourage you to develop your potential in a relaxed and non-intimidating setting, regardless of your ability level, and reward you with carefully selected accommodation, delicious food, incredible scenery and unique cultural experiences.

We offer trips in all continents except Antarctica and we currently specialize in snowboarding, skiing, surfing, mountain biking and multisport tours. Our team is made up of instructors who are among the best in the world; we select them not only for their talent and experience (many are professional and competitive athletes) but also for their great personalities and their passion for coaching. Our tours attract men and women of all abilities and ages and, thanks to the fact that all clients have a common interest, our trips tend to be fantastic social experiences in addition to great instructional trips.

Our commitment to our clients: Like many travel companies, we are dedicated to offering the highest quality, safest and best value trips that we can. But our client mission is much more than this: on top of offering an excellent product, we are committed to making a positive change in the lives of our clients. We at Access Trips have all benefited in meaningful ways from the remarkable power of having a passion in life - of having a pastime that brings you pleasure, friendships, a sense of achievement and a total escape from the pressures of everyday life. Some of us have found self-confidence, others friendships, and others motivation and drive as a result of our involvement in sports. We want our clients to also experience the pleasure of finding and pursuing a passion. It is our goal that clients return from our trips having found a new passion or solidified an existing one, having made lasting friendships, having experienced a deep sense of achievement as a result of reaching new heights in their favorite sport, and having acquired a new perspective on life as a result of the unique experiences that our trips provide. We have had more than a few clients who have returned from our trips and decided to make major life changes such as changing careers to pursue more meaningful work, moving countries to be closer to the outdoors, and changing universities to be around more like-minded people. We do not expect our trips to have such a dramatic impact on all our clients, but we do hope that all our clients can be inspired in some small way from the experience of sharing their passion with us.

Our commitment to others: Although we are ultimately a for-profit business, Access Trips is about so much more than just turning profits. We operate Access Trips because we are passionate about travel, sports and the outdoors and because we love to share this passion with our clients, our employees and the local people we encounter during our travels. It is deeply important to us that our business contributes to the world in a favorable way and that we use our resources to affect as much positive change in the world as we can. We believe that we have three major responsibilities: to our clients, to our employees and to the world at large (which includes the environment and local communities) and we are doing everything we can to serve these three groups to the best of our ability. Please see the company section of our website (http://www.accesstrips.com/company/mission-overview/) to read more about the actions we are taking to fulfill our mission and to effect positive change in the world.

7) FINAL NOTE
The information contained in this document is provided in good faith. Due to the nature of travel, details in this document may change. You should thus use the above information as an indication only and not as a contractual obligation on the part of Access Travel, Ltd.