Car rental in Calama is the Atacama's gateway decision: cars are collected at Calama - the El Loa airport counters or city offices - because San Pedro de Atacama, ninety minutes southeast, has no rental facilities of its own. The desk line-up is solid: Europcar operates airport, city and station pickups, United Rent-A-Car staffs the main lobby at the baggage-claim exit, and Sixt, Hertz-affiliated MITTA, Econorent, Budget and Avis all serve the airport - but advance booking is essential, since walk-ups commonly find nothing available until the next day. The drive to San Pedro crosses high desert at altitude, and the region's classic excursions - Valle de la Luna, the Tatio geysers at 4,300 metres, the altiplano lagoons - reward a high-clearance vehicle and dawn starts. Fuel up in Calama or San Pedro; between them lies beautiful nothing.
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