We had an easy trip over from Santiago to Valparaiso... a short walk to the Metro station, off at the University of Santiago stop, and up to the bus station. From there we bought tickets on the TurBus bus to Valparaiso.
The bus was really nice... nearly brand new, clean, air conditioned, and lots of leg room. About $7 pp one way, with a 20% discount on the return trip.
When we arrived in Valparaiso, the first bus stop was in the middle of a big flea market. Dave and I looked at each other and said "Why not?", and hopped off the bus to check it out.
It was jam packed with people looking for bargains... could have been anywhere in the U.S. And people selling all kinds of stuff... junk and not so junk.
We didn't buy anything but a few Chilean old coins, for less than a dollar each, but we had fun looking. When we were thru, we asked 3-4 people before we got consistent answers on which city bus to catch to get close to our hotel. It's always useful to ask more than one person... we have often had very helpful people tell us with great assurance exactly the wrong direction to go!
Our hotel, the Residencia En El Cerro, is a very old house with drafty old rooms, but we have a great view of the harbor. Our room is fitted out to sleep 5 people, but the owner assured us we were only paying for a double (22,000 pesos, or about $35/night). Hot showers (shared) and continental breakfast included.
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