Getting to and from the Airport in Rio de Janeiro
Getting to the airport on time is important, as well as, leaving it safely after your arrival. This article outlines the transportation alternatives of getting to and leaving Rio de Janeiro airports.
A research conducted by the Department of Civil Aviation, the SAC, in the first three months of 2013, interviewed 21,200 passengers who attended 15 major Brazilian airports, showed that most passengers came to the airports by private car. When asked about other types of transportation, 67% of passengers preferred taxis while 25% used buses.
In many cases, what hinders the decision of “how to get to the airport” is the low number of alternatives. From the airports analyzed, only the airports in Recife and Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont) have metro stations that are fairly close.
Galeão Airport
Galeão Airport, also known as the International Airport of Rio de Janeiro and Tom Jobim Airport, is the largest Airport of Rio and the second largest of Brazil. The Airport is located on 20 de Janeiro Avenue, in the north of the city, from 20 km of the city center.
By Car Rental
Renting a car in the Galeão Airport i's easy. The car rental companies have counters spread all over the airport, located in the passengers terminal 1 and 2, and in the arrival sectors A and B. The following counters can be found in Galeão:
- Avis: + 55 0800 725 2847
- Hertz: + 55 0800 701 7300
- Locaralpha: + 55 0800 722 1176
- Lolcaliza: + 55 0800 979 2000
- Movida: + 55 0800 606 8686
- Unidas Aluguél de Carros: + 55 0800 121 121.
By Taxi
The following taxi companies are located in the passengers terminal 1 and 2, and in the arrival sectors A and B. The taxis don't just take people from the airport, but also bring people to it, if it's arranged by telephone.
- Aerocoop: + 55 (21) 3398-3691
- Aerotaxi: + 55 (21) 3398-3163
- Coopatur: + 55 (21) 3907 7000
- Coopertramo: + 55 (21) 2209 9292
- Cootramo: + 55 (21) 3976 9944
- Transcootur: + 55 (21) 2590 2300
- Transcopass: + 55 (21) 2209 1555.
By Private Bus, City Bus and Metro
Galeão is located in an island of Rio – the Ilha do Governador for that matter - the airport doesn't have a metro station close to it. Despite that, four different bus lines directly transport people between Galeão and Santos Dumont Airport or between Galeão and Alvorada Bus Terminal. The terminal not only has bus lines connected to the Rio Airports, but also has bus lines that circulate in the city.
The bus lines are offered by the company Real Auto Ônibus, which are listed below:
- Line 2018: Galeão – Alvorada Bus Terminal – Santos Dumont Airport(Via the Fringe of Rio South Zone)
- Line 2918: Galeão – Alvorada Bus Terminal – Santos Dumont Airport (Via Yellow Line)
- Line 2101: Galeão – Santos Dumont Airport (Via Red Line)
- Line 2145: Galeão – Santos Dumont (Selective via of Brasil and Presidente Vargas avenues).
Santos Dumont
The Airport is located in the Senador Salgado Filho Square, in the east of the city from 2 km of the city center. According to Infraero, in 2010, Santos Dumont received more than 8 million passengers, making the airport the sixth largest airport in Brazil.
By Car Rental
A few car rental companies have stores inside Santos Dumont Airport, offering services to the airport's passengers. Among them are:
- Avis: + 55 0800 725 2847
- Hertz: + 55 0800 701 7300
- Mister Car Rent Car: + 55 0800 771 8773
- Movida Rent Car: +5 5 0800 606 8686
- Unidas Aluguél de Carros: + 55 0800 121 121.
In the airport's web page, it's possible to compare the companies' prices and availability for the car rentals in the dates and periods customers are seeking through an online tool.
By Taxi
The following taxi companies are located in the passengers terminal. The companies don't only take people from the airport, they also bring people to it if it's arranged by telephone.
- Coopataxi: + 55 (21) 3288 4343
- Ouro Táxi: + 55 (21) 2106 7777
- Transcootour: + 55 (21) 2590 2300
- Transcoopass: + 55 (21) 2209 1555.
By Private Bus, City Bus and Metro
Cinelândia is the nearest metro station to Santos Dumont, only 10 minutes away by walking. The lines that work in Galeão are the best option to get to the city. Lines like 2018 and 2918 lead their passengers to the Alvorada Bus Terminal, where buses of all types circulate, permitting access to many city areas.