The Santiago metro is an excellent system which is easy for foreigners to use. We bought a ticket and boarded the correct train after only 30 minutes in the city. There are several lines but the two of most interest to visitors will be line 1 which was built under the Alameda (the main east-west road through the city) and then east through Providencia in the 1970s and the more recent Plaza de Armas to Quinta Normal leg of line 5.
In 1968 the decision was taken to build a rubber-tyred metro system with 5 lines and totalling 60 km. In 2009, the total length of the network is 102.4 km with 104 stations.
The Metro sells tickets from 6:00 to 23:00 Monday through Friday, 6:30 to 22:30 on Saturdays, and 8:00 to 22:30 on Sundays and holidays. The fare depends on the time that you use the Metro. The cost of a ticket in the Horario Punta (rush hour, 7.00-9.00 and 18.00-20.00) is P460 (approx. US$0.85); in the Horario Valle (off-peak hours, 6.30-7.00, 9.00-18.00, 20.00-20.45, and all day weekends and holidays) is P400 (approx. US$0.75); and in the Horario Bajo (low-use hours, 6:00-6:30 and 20:45-23:00) is P380 (approx. US$0.70). Senior citizens (65 and older) and students pay P130 (US $0.25), except for the rush hour when senior citizens pay the normal amount of P460.
When you walk into a metro station, there are generally maps of the entire metro network very clearly displayed. The lines are named by the last station that they reach in a given direction, so for example, Line 1 east is named Escuela Militar, and Line 1 west is named San Pablo. So once you know where you are going, just swipe your ticket and head toward the line you want to get on. Transferring lines is also simple. When you get off a train in a transfer station, you will see a sign that says something like "Cambiar a Linea 4 – La Cisterna".
Art is a major element in some of the stations. The station Universidad de Chile has a giant mural created by Mario Toral representing the history of the country. Other pieces of art are in Baquedano (featuring modern art and a concert space), Bellas Artes (multimedia art), Santa Lucía (a gift made by the Lisbon Metro), La Moneda (with realistic painting representing typical landscape), and various other stations.
My experiences on the Metro were always very positive. The service is clean, safe, and very fast. You may have some trouble during peak travel times, however. These times bring large crowds and cramped station platforms that quickly fill the subway cars to capacity. However, during non-peak times, the Metro is a pleasure to ride and a great way for visitors to get around the city.