[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"]Galeão-Airport Rio de Janeiro's International Airport / source[/caption]

After months of planning the perfect trip to Rio de Janeiro, you arrive to the Marvellous City via Galeão International Airport and, leaving the terminal, you realise you don’t know where to go. It may seem absurd, but it happens to a lot of tourists who think Rio’s International Airport is close to everything and one could just pop in a cab and go to the hotel, nice and easy. But things in Rio are not quite as simple, which is why we’ve prepared this guide.

Survive Rio Galeão with our tips!

- First of all, don’t let the names confuse you. The International Airport is officially called Tom Jobim as a tribute to one of the creators of Bossa Nova and writer of famous Garota de Ipanema song, but is widely and more commonly known as Galeão Airport. This is the old name, named after the neighbourhood it is located in. Actually, the international code for it is GIG.

- Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG) is 20 km away from the city center. It is located on Ilha do Governador (Governors Island) a traditional suburban neighbourhood in the North Zone of Rio, on Guanabara Bay, as you can see in the picture below.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"]Galeão-Airport Rio's Galeão International Airport on Ilha do Governador / source[/caption]
- It’s location in the suburbs is what complicates getting from Galeão International Airport (GIG) to the touristic zone of Rio, if you do not know the city. And it may also be hard to find safe transportation at a reasonable price there. There are some bus services, but they usually take far too long to get to places like Copacabana. The company that manages the airport has increased control, to avoid clandestine taxis that used to be a safety issue for tourists. However you should still be careful and book your transfer to the hotel from the taxi stands within the terminal and pay for it inside the airport, or, even better, book a private transfer from airport to hotel in Rio in advance and enjoy the advantages of having a safe transfer service waiting for you at your arrival, paying by credit card in advance, all resulting in a lot less hassle.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"]Galeão-Airport How to get from Rio's International Airport into the city / source[/caption]
- There’s an airport right in Rio’s city centre called Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), but it operates only domestic flights and some to and from Argentina. If you have the chance to fly into Rio at Santos Dumont, go for it. You will pay a lot less for transport from the airport to your hotel. Also, it is an amazing experience to land on a landing stretch that lies right by the sea:
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"]Santos-Dumont-Airport Arriving at the Santos Dumont Airport / source[/caption]
- If you are travelling to Rio during high season, like Carnival and New Year, it is best to book as early as possible. And you should avoid flying on the nights before the festivities, like December 30th or the last Friday before Carnival, because Rio airports usually get chaotic just before these busy days. However, ensure you don’t arrive too last minute, unless you book a transfer service in advance, as transportation can be scarce and, if your flight has a delay, you may miss out on the festivities.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"]Galeão-Airport Rio's airport get very crowded during peak season and before festivals and holidays / source[/caption]

- Last but not least, things are hugely improving in Rio. The city is getting more and more prepared for the big events that are coming: the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the Olympic Games (2016). So, both airports in Rio are going through significant reforms and the transport logistics will surely improve for tourists in due time.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="429"]Galeão-Airport Rio International Airport - Galeão / source[/caption]
If you want to book a transfer service from the Rio International Airport, or Domestic Airport, head to our website. We offer safe and convenient one-way and round-trip transfers in modern vehicles.
For more services and tours in Rio de Janeiro, check out our extensive catalogue of Rio activities!