Chile's railway system, run by Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE) (tel: 600 585 5000, in Chile only; website: www.efe.cl), is not what it used to be. There has been some investment in recent years but routes are relatively limited. Trains leave from Estación Central (Central Station), Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins (Alameda) 3170 - the grand 19th-century terminus was designated a national monument in 1983.

Rail services: The only long-distance passenger trains from Santiago go south to Chillán (journey time - 5 hours 30 minutes) where you can connect with buses to destinations further south. Total journey times are: Los Angeles (10 hours), Temuco (12 hours), Pucón (14 hours).