Get a Taxi, Rio de Janeiro

Upon collecting your luggage you will move through the secure customs area and after exciting this area you will move onto the main airport concourse. From here on, depending on the time of day, things can be quite hectic.

As well as the girls at the taxi desks trying to get your attention, so they can sell a ride into the city, you will often also have a variety of other ‘unofficial’ taxi drivers tugging at your sleeve in the hopes they can sell you a ride to your hotel. Under no circumstances should you accept a ride from someone unless they work for an officially registered taxi company. Choose to ignore this and you could find that the journey costs far, far more than you anticipated. You may be charged a lot of money, you may robbed, or you may be left standing on the side of the road without any of your belongings.

It is possible to take a yellow taxi from the airport, but either be prepared to pay whatever they choose to charge you, or be prepared to bargain, in Portuguese. Even if the taxi driver speaks some English they will pretend that they don’t. If you are ripped off by a taxi driver in Rio don't take it too badly, many Brazilian's not native to the Cidade Marvelhosa also find themselves paying more than a local would pay when travelling from the airport.
Keep in mind that, like taxi companies all over the world, Rio de Janeiro has its fair share of good drivers, and those who will exploit the fact that you don't speak the language, and don't know how much you should pay.

Another option is the ‘executive’ style taxi companies. These companies operate a reliable ‘fixed rate’ service from the airport to any destination. Their desks can be located on the main concourse, and will generally be right in front of you as you exit the luggage collection/customs area. Although these companies will charge more, you will not have to haggle with them, and in the long run you may find that you’ve paid less than if you’d taken a yellow taxi and then been overcharged.

‘Executive’ taxis operate a fleet of more upmarket vehicles, generally only 2-3 years old, with air-conditioning, safety belts etc. Some companies can now be found on the internet, although they may not speak English. Some, such as Rio Airport Transfer(www.rioairporttransfer.com), will allow you to book and pay online prior to arriving in Rio, as well as offering a meet and greet service.

Many travellers are cautious when visiting Rio De Janeiro and rightfully so. It is a crime ridden city but being cautious and smart will end up with most travellers having a fantastic time. Rios taxis are excellent for zipping around (some at break neck speed !) and charge about R 5 per km. Radio taxis are more expensive but safe and charge about R 80 from the International airport. I have taken the local taxis as well as Radio taxis and as long as you select a representable looking taxi, you will unlikely go wrong. Be smart and take one if you are nervous.

There are rogue taxis that are yellow and even have meters, but they don't have a permit displayed as required by law. We flagged one down at one end of Atlantica in Copacabana, for a short trip to the other end, and didn't notice until halfway there that the meter was already at R9. The trip usually costs only R8. It was early Friday evening (about 6pm) and we didn't feel like arguing, so we paid a couple extra dollars and chalked it up to experience. The next day we traveled the same distance on Nossa Senhora, and the fare was R7.50. I handed the driver a 10 and he handed me back a 5. I refused it and he figured out what I needed was a 2. Passengers are expected to round up to the next real, although on one ride the fare was 15.10 and I got back 5 for my 20. I would have tipped him but I thought he took the long way around; on the other hand, the route provided great views and maybe it avoided traffic delays. The meters measure mostly distance, not time, so speed is of the essence and journeys are exhilarating. As a local explained to me, though, you don't see many accidents because cars cost twice as much as in the States and people take better care of them.

Hi,
I am a frequent traveler to Rio. I assume you have already made reservations at your Hotel. If so, ask if they can provide an airport pickup for you. This is best because the driver will meet you, with your name on a placard, and can take you directly to your Hotel. If not, your being a single woman; I would get an airport taxi to your destination. These cabs are metered, and you can confirm an approximate fare from the airport lobby taxi booth. Leblond, and Ipanema are very safe places, and their beaches are nice and safe. Look like you belong and blend with the Brazilians and you will be fine. Just always be aware of your surroundings, use your street sense and you will be fine. Do you have any friends in Rio that you communicate with? I am sure that they can give you good advice. If you have any questions on where to go and what to see, just send me an email.

The cabs you see that aren't yellow can be different colours, but the largest and most common companies use blue cars and white cars, depending on the company. These companies have nicer cars with air-con, alloys, often tinted windows etc and if you pre-book through a site like Rio Airport Transfer then they'll generally meet you after you've collected your luggage at the airport ands show you to your car. Depending on your state of mind and familiarity with visiting places like Brazil this may be a nice option as it offers you a little bit of security and peace of mind. But, if you're a seasoned traveller used to bartering with taxi drivers and wise to their tricks then a yellow cab will get you to your hotel just fine.
Once in the central city you'll generally find that cab drivers are much more up front and less inclined to ripping off the tourists.

You know, my original aim in Rio was to use the taxis. A lot of people here seemed to recommened them. But as time went on, I think the bus is your best bet to go for cheaper fares. You can take taxis from almost anywhere around town. Make sure it's the ones with the red liscence plate as those are the "official" taxis here in Rio. From what I've gathered, taxis are more expensive then the buses so unless you got money to burn try to use the bus instead. See if you can bargain with the taxi driver if your Portuguese is good enough, maybe you'll get a better deal!

We've just returned from Rio and we had a very good experience with Rio Airport Transfer. They offer a very reliable transport service from Rio de Janeiro airport to hotels in Leblon,Ipanema,Copacabana and most areas of Rio,Brazil.

We felt much safer using this company than a normal yellow taxi and they provided a meet and greet service at the airport - good for more mature folk like us on vacation in Brazil for the first time.

Highly recommended.

Rio's Santos Dumont airport handles mainly domestic flights, private planes. Named after the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, the airport is situated right next to the city.

If you are arriving from Sao Paulo at Rio's SDU, you shall find the 3 prepaid taxi booth on one side of the small luggage pick up area. The fare for various parts of the city are clearly marked on the wall behind the booths.
Staff spoke OK English. You pay the fare at the booth, and will get a voucher. The staff will instruct you to proceed to the proper exit where you will show the voucher to the red or blue taxis, waiting there.

The taxi driver will take his portion of the voucher, and take you to the location as per your instruction.

We paid 34 R for the drive to Arpordor, which is the same fare as Copacabana. Driver spoke pretty good English.
And didn't ask for tips or anything.

I highly recommend taking this prepaid route for first timers, as already mentioned by other VT members, this saves all the guessing and is not that more expensive than taking a meter taxi.

At the end of our trip, we took a yellow meter taxi from Leblon Marina Palace to SDU, and it costed 30 R , so there you go.

BTW Marina Palace offered us shuttle service but the rate was a joke.