Brazil, getting there and around

Getting There

By Plane

The busiest international airports are Aeroporto Galeao in Rio de Janeiro and Aeroporto Guarulhos in Sao Paulo. Con­necting flights to cities around the country leave regularly from here. Other main gateways are Manaus, Belem, and Belem, which are all in the North. Varig is Brazil's largest airline and flies into Brazil from at least 11 South American cities.

Getting Around

By Plane

Brazil has three major national carriers: Varig, TAM, and VASP. One of these airlines serves every major city. For further traveling to smaller cities around Brazil, Varig has two affiliates, Nordeste and Rio Sul. In general, VASP is the cheapest of the big airlines.

By Bus

For long-distance travel around Brazil, buses are your best bet. Bus services are generally reliable and cheap, and all major cities have frequent departures. The three classes of long-distance buses are as follows: comum , which is the cheapest but still comfortable; executive , which has fewer stops, roomier seats, and costs around 25 percent more; and leitos , which offers pillows, air-conditioning, and attendants serving sandwiches. It can cost up to double the price of a comum . All the big cities and some small ones have one central bus terminal, located near the outskirts. Average bus fares are US $2.50 per hour.

By Taxi

Taxis in the cities are reasonably priced. Most meters start around US $1 and rise by US $1 or so every kilometer. Prices can also increase at night and on Sundays. Some fares are fixed, usually from the airport to the city center and vice-versa.

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