Being a big country and an important travel destination, transportation in Brazil is well provided and not very hard for tourists to use.
Domestic Airlines and Major Airports
The national Brazilian carriers are Gol and Tam. The traditional Varig is now is pretty much just a shadow of what it once was. Other carriers include: WebJet, TAF and OceanAir.
One of the most important airports for domestic flights is Congonhas Airport (CGH) in Sao Paulo. It’s located close to the city center (15 km / 9 miles) and is the best connection airport if you want to get to Rio. The easiest way to get from the airport to the city center is by taking the “Aeroporto” regular line buses. Also you can take the metro and then the bus.
Most of the airports are operated by Infraero , which offers all the information you need in English, including the flights schedules and airports (by region).
Important Notes
Air service connects most of the Brazilian cities but the routes are not as direct as they would seem on the map. Often you will be required to go through hubs such as Sao Paulo or Brasilia, which obviously leads to higher prices. Also, most flights are subject to departure tax – just like the international flights.
Booking domestic flights online can be really frustrating. Some airlines, such as Gol, accept American Express payments (but not Visa or MasterCard) but most airlines would ask for your Brazilian national identity number (which as foreigner you won’t have). A good idea is to email them and try to work your way around the problem.
Always check the flight number and not the city of destination. Usually a more distant (or the most distant) city will be listed but the plane will stop in several cities before reaching the final one.
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share              |
