Getting around in Rio

For those who don´t live in Rio, getting around inside the city may seem very complicated, principally in public means of transportation. So, I wrote some advices of how getting around in an easy and cheap way.

Getting out from International Airport (Tom Jobim/Galeao) to Copacabana

By taxi: You can get the conventional Rio taxis (they are yellow with a blue line beside and the company name written in white). The price is calculated through a “taximeter”, which price is R$4,30 + price of the kilometer (R$1,40/Km from Monday to Friday, from 6am to 10pm; and R$1,68/Km in the weekend and Monday to Friday from 10pm to 6 am). One can get a taxi in the airport getting out in the landing gates. It takes more or less 30 minutes from the airport to Copacabana and it can cost R$35 to R$40, depending on the time it is (dawn or during the day). There´s also the option to get a cooperative taxis, from the companies installed in the airport. They´re white or blue. The price is agreed with the taxi driver before the running, but it´s always more expensive than common taxis.

There are just two ways to go from the International Airport to Downtown, Copacabana or Ipanema: taxis and buses. There is no subway!

By bus: The cheapest option to get from International Airport to Copacabana, Ipanema or Downtown is getting the special buses in the airport. The bus is the 2018 (Aeroporto X Alvorada), they are blue and the fare costs R$7. The bus is very comfortable, with Wi-Fi, and goes through Downtown, Flamengo, Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Sao Conrado and Barra da Tijuca. You can check the complete itinerary in the Rio Onibus Site.

Getting out from Santos Dumont Airport (Domestic Airport)

By bus: It´s the same bus from International Airport, number 2018.

It´s basically the same options as International Airport: Buses or taxis.

By taxi: The fare from there to Copacabana, for instance, can cost more or less R$15 to R$20.

Getting out from Rio Bus Station: By taxi: In the conventional taxis (yellow with a blue line beside), the fare to Copacabana will cost more or less from R$20 to R$25. By bus: There´s the special line 2017 (Rodoviaria X Leblon), that goes from the Bus Station to Downtown, Flamengo, Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. The fare is R$9,10. You can check the complete itinerary here.