Chilean buses are some of the most comfortable on the continent, which is a blessing because journeys can be painfully long.

There are a number of Chilean bus lines, the most prominent of which are TurBus (www.turbus.com) and Pullman Bus (www.pullman.cl). They both travel all of Chile, offering online booking and multiple classes of buses. Classes in Chile range from standard coaches to premium luxury buses with seats that fold down into beds (coche cama).

Bus tickets in Chile are generally a good value and only need to be booked more than a day in advance during holidays or for long-distance routes. Few routes, however, service national parks and other wilderness areas.

One alternative for travelers in Chile, albeit a pricey one, is to take a hop-on/hop-off bus trip. Offered by Pachamama by Bus (www.pachamamabybus.com) and ChileXperience (www.chilexperience.com), these services cover touristy areas. Passengers buy a ticket for a certain number of days or a certain route and are free to get off the bus wherever they’d like and board again when the next bus passes through.