Means of transport Brazil

From the centre, take a bus from the small bus station of Praia Grande or from Avenida Beira Mar, near the José Sarney bridge. Beware, some buses that go there make a 1 hour detour through the São Francisco district.

Belém

: 12 hours journey. Departure at 8pm with Transbrasiliana (www.transbrasiliana.com.br).

Teresina

: 7 hours. Several departures per day with Viação Progresso (www.progressoonline.com.br) or Guanabara (www.expressoguanabara.com.br).

Parnaiba

: 8 or 10 hours. Departures at 8:30 am with Expresso Guanabara (www.expressoguanabara.com.br).

The company Dersa Ferry has been awarded the concession to operate the ferry between Ilhabela and São Sebastião. The crossing time is approximately 20 minutes and there are departures every 30 minutes between 5:30 and 23:30. The timetable varies according to the number of passengers and the weather conditions. The tourist office website provides information.

Warning: during the holidays and on important public holidays (Christmas, New Year, Carnival...), queues can be long. It is better to avoid going back and forth during the day.

Rio's modern metro is extended by bus lines. The metro ticket is not returned after passing through the gate, except for day or week passes.

Line no. 1 (orange): from Ipanema (Osório) to Copacabana, Botafogo, Flamengo, Catete, Glória, downtown (to Central) then Estacio to Uruguaí in Tijuca.

Line no. 2 (green) leaves from Zone Nord (Pavuna), Maracanã and feria São Cristovão.

Line no. 3 (blue) is only at the planning stage.

The new line no. 4 (yellow) links the Barra da Tijuca district with Ipanema and Copacabana.

It is located 13 km from the centre, between the falls and the town. There are daily flights from Latam, Azul and Gol to Rio, São Paulo and many other cities in the country, as well as to the capitals of neighbouring countries. There is an ATM, an exchange office.A taxi to the center costs about R$50-70 and R$15 to the falls. A city bus (number 120) connects the center, (count 35 minutes of journey): it is the same one that circulates between the center and the falls.

Many foreign destinations, including Paris with TAP. Hub for many destinations within the country.

Services: shops, restaurants, bookshop, post office, banks.

To get there: by taxi (around R$50), via the bus line (no. 102 serves the central station, around R$3) or with the executivo line no. 113, the most practical option for reaching the centre and the main hotels (airport - north and south hotel sector, shuttles every 30 minutes, around R$12).

Between Salvador and Morro de São Paulo, it is necessary to take a boat to reach either destination. Biotur is one of the agencies responsible for catamaran crossings from Salvador to Morro de São Paulo. You can contact them via the Internet to purchase tickets. When sailing to Morro de São Paulo, it is compulsory to pay an eco-environmental tax of R$20 per person, which is paid on boarding at Morro de São Paulo. Departures from Morro at 11.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and from Salvador at 9 a.m. and 2.30 p.m.

GOL is now the second largest Brazilian airline. It offers numerous destinations from and to the main Brazilian cities, but also to smaller cities. It is a low cost airline, but with serious services, serving the largest network in the country. With some connections, you can even go to the surrounding countries (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile...) and to Miami. From France, you can buy a 4 flight pass in Brazil for 532 US$ or 629 US$ in South America.

Costa Verde Transporte is a bus company which, as its name suggests, serves the Costa Verde as far as Paraty, via Mangaratiba and Angra dos Reis on the way. This reliable and serious bus company offers several departures daily, every day of the week to the Costa Verde resorts. However, remember to book in advance on the site, as the buses are very often full for these tourist destinations, especially at weekends and for the holidays. Buses, like many intercity busses, can be taken from the Rodoviaria Novo Rio.

Launched in 1997, the first line was opened in 2014 for the World Cup. Today, 23 stations are in operation on the entire 42-kilometer network. Line 1 runs from Lapa to Piraja, on the outskirts of Salvador, and line 2 of the Soteropolitan metro, connected to line 1 at Acceso Norte station, went into operation in spring 2018. It serves Salvador airport, enabling passengers to reach the city center much more quickly than by road. Wagons are comfortable, air-conditioned and safe.

You can't go to Manaus without seeing where the economic heart of the city beats. This free zone is connected to the rest of the world by the river, cargo ships and its port. Built by Englishmen in 1902, the port is vertically mobile, to accompany the great differences in water level - 10 m - according to the seasons. The record dates from 1953, when the Amazon was 29.70 m above sea level. It is a large port that can receive up to seven ships during the floods of the Rio Negro. Departures to Belém, Parintins and Santarém, among others.

Easy Transfer offers a practical, fast and comfortable solution to get to Ilha Grande and Paraty easily and quickly in complete safety. The company picks you up directly from your hotel in the southern zone of Rio or from Santa Teresa, Lapa and the center, then direction Ilha Grande or Paraty. For the trip to Ilha Grande, the package includes your transfer by van to the pier of Conceição de Jacareí and then the boat crossing to the island. Remember to book at least 24 hours in advance. Shuttles are available every day.

Rio de Janeiro's international airport, Galeão, located on the Ilha do Governador, 20 km north of the city centre, has two terminals. You will disembark or depart from the airport, depending on the airline:

At Terminal 1: Aerolineas Argentinas, Air France, Alitalia, American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways, Continental, Delta Airlines, Gol, Iberia, Lanchile.

In Terminal 2: Pluna, Spanair, TAM, Tap, United Airlines and Varig. Arrivals and departures are on level 1.

Numerous national and international destinations, nevertheless rather high ticket prices.

Airlines: Latam, GOL and Azul (national flights) and Copa Airlines (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Central America, Caribbean), American Airlines and TAP Portugual.

Services: restaurants, shops, banks, car rental companies

To get there: take a taxi or an Aéroporto bus at the intersection of Ferreira Pena and Leonardo Malcher streets, 40-minute ride, R$3.

For domestic flights, although these also depart from Guarulhos International Airport (remember to check).

To downtown São Paulo: A "prepaid" taxi to the center costs about R$55. This is a good option as the airport is very poorly served by public transport.

To Guarulhos International Airport and Viracopos Airport: Airport Bus Service provides a link to Guarulhos for R$50 (www.airportbusservice.com.br), in 1 hour and 10 minutes - departures every hour and a half, between 5:30am and 11pm every 30 minutes.

With the Uber app, you can transport yourself easily and cheaply than by taxi. In Brazil service is available in the cities of Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Campinas (São Paulo), Curitiba, Fortaleza, Londrina (Parana), Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, São Paulo and Vitoria (Espirito Santo). 

Viaçào is a bus company specialized on the Costa do Sol (Buzios among others). The main cities of this very touristic part of the State of Rio are served from Rio de Janeiro or Niterói: Arraial do Cabo, Araruama, Búzios, Cabo Frio and Saquarema. When you arrive in Rio or leave Rio to take the Viação company, you must go to the Rodoviaria Novo Rio in the northern zone. From 10 to 15 departures per day depending on the destination and the season. Check the timetable (which can change) on the company's website.

You can get to Niteroi by taking the long bridge over the bay, but you can also take the ferry to Niteroi to see its main attraction: the Niemeyer Museum, which looks like a flying saucer or a postmodern building. The CCR Barcas company provides quarter-hourly crossings to the town of Niteroi, on the Praça Arariboia (20-minute crossing), in front of the bay, and to the small island of Paqueta every 2 hours (70-minute crossing). Paqueta, an island without a car, is an interesting opportunity for a walk

White taxis with two red and yellow stripes. Taxis (usually, not just this company's) run on meters (make sure they are on) and prices change after 6pm. You can estimate the price of a ride at www.tarifadetaxi.com/rio-de-janeiro. It is advisable to take taxis at the head of the station or to call them on the phone. This is safer. There are 70 taxis from the international airport to the south zone. Avoid taking "pre-paid" taxis at the airport, they are more expensive. Take them in the dedicated lanes.

The company Dersa Ferry has been awarded the concession to operate the ferry between Ilhabela and São Sebastião. The crossing time is approximately 20 minutes and there are departures every 30 minutes between 5:30 and 23:30. The timetable varies according to the number of passengers and the weather conditions. The tourist office website provides information.

Warning: during the holidays and on important public holidays (Christmas, New Year, Carnival...), queues can be long. It is better to avoid going back and forth during the day.

Belo Horizonte is an important regional airport! TAP offers direct flights between Lisbon and BH. Whether you are coming from the interior of Brazil (Rio, São Paulo, Salvador...) or from an international flight, you will definitely land at Confins, as the downtown airport, Pampulha, is now only used for rare domestic flights, especially within the state of Minas Gerais. Tam, Gol and Azul fly to BH from Rio or São Paulo.