Written by Alexander Kopp, Maria Gaulto, Maria Vajello
06/08/2025
Michael Swigunski, Pexels
Rio de Janeiro is served by two primary airports: Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG), which handles both domestic and international flights, and Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), primarily for domestic travel, particularly to São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. The city's main long-distance bus terminal is Novo Rio Bus Terminal, connecting Rio to various cities across Brazil.
By Air (International):
Direct flights to Rio de Janeiro's Galeão International Airport (GIG) are available from major cities worldwide, with average direct flight times from locations such as London being around 11 hours and 43 minutes. Flights from US cities like New York can start from approximately $537 for a round-trip. European flights from cities like London Heathrow have indicative round-trip fares starting from around £557 to £574. Flights from Dubai can take approximately 14 hours and 25 minutes.
By Air (Domestic):
Within Brazil, Gol, LATAM Airlines, and Azul are major carriers offering direct flights to Rio de Janeiro (GIG and SDU) from numerous cities, including frequent departures from São Paulo and Brasília.
By Bus (Interstate):
For travel within Brazil, long-distance buses are a common option. For instance, a bus journey between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo can take as little as 6 hours and 40 minutes, with indicative costs starting from €9.48.
From Airports to City:
From Galeão International Airport (GIG), travelers can access the city center via BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lines, which connect to the metro system and the Novo Rio Bus Terminal. A BRT and metro combination costs less than R$9 and can take approximately 1.5 hours to areas like Ipanema. Taxis and rideshare services like Uber are also available, with taxi fares to the South Zone typically around R$70 ($17 USD) and travel times between 10 to 50 minutes depending on traffic.
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