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Calama · Chile

Car hire and driving in Calama

Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.

OverviewFlightsHotelsTrainsBusesCar rentalTours

In Chile traffic drives on the right. Picking up at CJC means 5 km (3 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648813 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648847 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648848.

Drives from Calama

Car rental from Calama: distances and estimated journey times
RouteCountryDistanceEstimated time
Calama to AntofagastaChile201 km (125 mi)about 3 h 4 min
Calama to Alto HospicioChile272 km (169 mi)about 4 h 9 min
Calama to IquiqueChile280 km (174 mi)about 4 h 16 min
Calama to San Salvador de JujuyArgentina418 km (260 mi)about 6 h 22 min
Calama to SaltaArgentina442 km (275 mi)about 6 h 45 min
Calama to TarijaBolivia444 km (276 mi)about 6 h 47 min
Calama to PotosíBolivia459 km (285 mi)about 7 h
Calama to AricaChile465 km (289 mi)about 7 h 6 min
Calama to TacnaPeru513 km (319 mi)about 7 h 49 min
Calama to OruroBolivia534 km (332 mi)about 8 h 9 min
Calama to SucreBolivia538 km (334 mi)about 8 h 13 min
Calama to CopiapóChile564 km (351 mi)about 8 h 36 min
Calama to LimaPeru1,442 km (896 mi)about 21 h 59 min
Calama to SantiagoChile1,235 km (767 mi)about 18 h 50 min
Calama to Buenos AiresArgentina1,697 km (1,055 mi)about 25 h 53 min
Calama to CórdobaArgentina1,100 km (683 mi)about 16 h 46 min
Calama to La PazBolivia667 km (415 mi)about 10 h 11 min
Calama to Santa Cruz de la SierraBolivia793 km (493 mi)about 12 h 6 min
Calama to AsunciónParaguay1,189 km (739 mi)about 18 h 8 min
Calama to CallaoPeru1,448 km (900 mi)about 22 h 5 min

Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.

Where to compare car hire

ExpediaCar hire from the major suppliers, and the one to look at if the flight or hotel is already booked there. Part of Expedia Group.Check car hire on Expedia (opens www.expedia.com in a new tab)
DiscoverCarsCompares local and international suppliers. Read the counter reviews before you pick.Check rental cars on DiscoverCars (opens www.discovercars.com in a new tab)
Rentalcars.comBooking.com's car arm, with wide airport coverage worldwide.Compare suppliers on Rentalcars.com (opens www.rentalcars.com in a new tab)
Every link above leaves this site.

We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.

Common questions

Which side of the road do they drive on in Calama?

The right, as everywhere in Chile.

How are the journey times on this page worked out?

From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.