Rio de Janeiro Transportation

Getting There

Air

Rio de Janeiro's Galeão - Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport is located 20 kilometers (13 miles) north of the city. It is the second largest airport in Brazil and named for the composer of "The Girl from Ipanema." Rio de Janeiro is also serviced by the Santos Dumont Airport (+55 021 3814 7070), which offers flights to domestic destinations.

Galeão - Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG) +55 021 3398 5050 http://www.infraero.gov.br/

Flights are provided by the following airlines:

Aerolineas Argentinas (http://www.aerolineas.com.ar/) Air France (+1 800 237 2747 / http://www.airfrance.com/) American Airlines (+ 1 800 433 7300 / http://www.aa.com/) British Airways (+1 800 247 9297 / http://www.ba.com/) Continental (+1 800 525 0280 / http://www.continental.com/) Delta (+1 800 221 1212/ http://www.delta.com/) Iberia Airlines (+1 800 772 4642/ http://www.iberia.com/) Lufthansa (+1 800 399 3838 / http://www.lufthansa.com/) TACA (+1 800 400 8222/ http://www.taca.com/) United (+1 800 241 6522 / http://www.ual.com/) VARIG Brazilian (http://www.varig.com/)

From the Airport

Bus & Taxi: There is public transportation to and from the airport via Airport bus and taxi. Taxis are available outside the terminal, but it is advisable to purchase a prepaid travel voucher from the Transcoopass (+55 021 2560 4888) since metered fares can vary widely. The airport bus is operated by Realtur / Reitur Turismo (+55 021 2560 7041) and offers service to major tourist points including Flamengo, Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Barra da Tijuca.

Rio Airport Service (http://www.rioairporttransfer.com/) Central Taxi (http://www.centraltaxi.com.br/) Radio Taxi Coopertramo (http://www.radio-taxi.com.br/)

Car Rentals:

Avis (http://www.avis.com/) Hertz (+55 021 2275 7440 / http://www.hertz.com/) Interlocadora (+55 021 3398 3181) Localiza Rent a Car (+55 021 2275 3340) Unidas (+55 021 3398 3452)

Train

Train services throughout Brazil are largely limited to cargo. Transportation is provided by SuperVia (+55 021 2588 9494 / http://www.supervia.com.br/), but transit is often quicker via bus.

Bus

The Novo Rio Rodoviaria bus station (+55 021 2291 5151 / http://www.novorio.com.br/) is located five minutes away from downtown. Buses are a safe and efficient way to travel throughout the city.

Car

Traffic conditions in Rio de Janeiro are hazardous at best and visitors should avoid driving whenever possible. For the stout of heart, Rio de Janeiro is accessible by BR116.

Getting Around

Two metro lines service Rio de Janeiro. The city also provides comprehensive bus service.

Planning a Trip

Riotur (tel. 021/2217-7575; www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br) provides excellent information on the city of Rio de Janeiro and operates a number of offices and kiosks around town. At Rio's international airport (tel. 021/3398-4077), booths in the international arrivals halls of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (tel. 021/3398-2245 for both) are open daily from 6am to midnight. A third booth in the domestic arrivals hall is open from 6am to 6pm. At Rio's main bus station, Rodoviaria Novo Rio, there's a counter in the arrivals area, open 8am to 8pm (tel. 021/2263-4857). The main Riotur Information Center (tel. 021/2541-7522) is on Av. Princesa Isabel 183, Copacabana. Open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, this office has the largest selection of brochures and information. Riotur also operates an information line, Alô Rio (tel. 021/2542-8080), with English-speaking staff, Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.

A must-have is Riotur's Guia do Rio-Rio Guide booklet, published every 3 months. Written in both English and Portuguese, it lists all tourist attractions, events, and festivals, and has many other useful phone numbers. Riotur also publishes a number of brochures specifically on outdoor sports, museums, and Carnaval. The office in Copacabana is most likely to stock all these publications.

The Rio de Janeiro state tourism agency TurisRio (tel. 021/2215-0011; www.turisrio.rj.gov.br) offers information on destinations outside the city. Their office, on Rua da Ajuda 5, 6th floor, Centro, is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.

Beware Dengue Fever in Brazil -- Occasionally Brazil experiences outbreaks of dengue fever, a malaria-like illness transmitted by mosquitoes. Most of the cases were reported in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with additional outbreaks in São Paulo as well. For the latest information on the situation in Rio, check the Centers for Disease Control website (www.cdc.gov) before you leave.

Getting There

By Plane

Most major airlines fly to Rio de Janeiro, sometimes with a stop or connection in São Paulo.

Rio de Janeiro's Antônio Carlos Jobim Airport (tel. 021/3398-4527), more commonly known as Galeão Airport, is 20km (12 miles) from downtown. The second terminal, Terminal 2, is used by Varig and its Star Alliance partners. All other airlines use Terminal 1, which is connected to Terminal 2 by a walkway.

On the third floor of Terminal 1 is a Banco do Brasil office (open daily 8am-10pm), as well as ATMs of HSBC and Banco 24 Horas, both of which use the Visa/PLUS system. The American Express office (open daily 6:30am-10pm) is located in the arrivals hall of Terminal 2.

Taxis at Galeão are a challenge. Drivers will start to hassle you the minute you step through the sliding doors. The safe bet is to buy a prepaid fare at the Transcoopass desk in the arrivals hall (tel. 021/2560-4888; all major credit cards accepted). Rates range from R$58 (US$29/£16) to Flamengo, and R$60 to R$70 (US$30-US$35/£16-£19) to the beach hotels of Copacabana and Ipanema. Prepaid taxis are about 40% more expensive, but give you peace of mind; it doesn't matter if you get stuck in traffic or the driver takes the long route. On the other hand, if you know what you're doing (or can bluff), you can cut those prices significantly just by hailing a regular taxi out in front of the terminal. A ride to Copacabana should cost about R$40 (US$20/£11) in average traffic conditions. Note that if you don't know what you're doing, your friendly Rio taxi man may well take you on a detour long enough to double that price, or even claim the meter reads in dollars.

Realtur/Reitur Turismo (tel. 0800/240-850) runs an airport bus service to the tourist areas along the beaches of Flamengo, Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Barra da Tijuca. From 5:30am to 11pm a bus departs every 30 minutes and takes approximately 1 hour to make the full trip from the airport to Barra. R$6 (US$3/£1.60) per person. Note that it only stops on the beach avenue. Check with your hotel to see if it's within walking distance of the bus stop.

Santos Dumont Airport -- Rio's second airport, Santos Dumont, Praça Senador Salgado Filho (tel. 021/3814-7070), is located downtown. Surrounded by the Baia de Guanabara and a hop and a skip from the Sugarloaf, this scenic airport is used by TAM, Gol, and Varig for the Rio-São Paulo shuttles. The Realtur bus stops at Santos Dumont on its way to and from the international airport. The bus trip from Santos Dumont to Copacabana takes about 20 minutes. Taxis are available in front of the airport; a ride to Ipanema costs about R$30 (US$15/£8). Prepaid vouchers can also be purchased at the taxi counter in the arrivals hall. A variety of bank machines, including a Banco do Brasil and HSBC ATM, are located at the center entrance of the airport.

By Bus

All long-distance buses arrive at the Novo Rio Rodoviaria, Av. Francisco Bicalho 1, Santo Cristo (tel. 021/3213-1800; www.novorio.com.br), located close to downtown in the old port section of the city. Going to or from the bus station it's best to use a taxi. It's not a great area to walk around with all of your belongings. Prepaid taxi vouchers are available at the booth next to the taxi stand. A ride from the bus station to Ipanema will cost about R$35 (US$18/£9.50) prepaid.

By Cruise Ship

Cruise ships dock in the terminal almost opposite Praça Mauá. Downtown is an easy walk, and public transit is close by. If returning to the ship after dark, it's best to take a taxi. Praça Mauá becomes a somewhat seedy red-light district in the evening.