Best method to get to Copacabana from GIG?

[mvan1]

Although I have been to Rio many times, for the past ten years or so, I generally arrived in Brazil initially at Sao Paulo and then traveled to Rio from the domestic airport in Sao Paulo (Congonhas) to the domestic airport in Rio (Santos Dumont).

I scheduled an unexpected trip to Brazil soon but I will be going to GIG rather than Sao Paulo.

Years ago (more than ten years), at GIG, I used to take a taxi after buying a taxi voucher from one of the frantic girls waiving forms to arriving passengers at GIG. Is this still an option?

As an alternative to a taxi from one of the frantic girls described above, after exiting the secure area at GIG, arriving passengers used to be able to take an escalator to the departure level and catch a metered taxi that had just dropped off other customers. Does anyone have first hand experience with this or has this method of getting a metered taxi no longer possible at the departure level?

My hotel has an airport pickup service but I do not want to be waiting around in case the service is late. As most of us have learned over our trips to Brazil, people in Brazil are often not dependable.

Question - Does anyone have any current experience with getting to Copacabana from GIG and how do you do it?

One more thing - I assume that passengers still hear this announcement only at GIG but not at Santos Dumont -

or has it also been discontinued?

http://www.irislettieri.com.br/

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[Guest tomcal]

Mvan, go past the girls waving from the taxi stands, go out baggage claim with a dozen guys trying to get you to their taxi service(they are fixed rate non metered and more expensive) and as soon as you exit the automatic sliding doors, there will be several more guys trying to get your attention, look for the Yellow metered taxi line, also I think the red and white are also metered, but tell them that is what you want and you will excorted to the taxi. If I remember it's about 65 R vs. 110 on the fixed rate cabs!

[mvan1]

Mvan, go past the girls waving from the taxi stands, go out baggage claim with a dozen guys trying to get you to their taxi service(they are fixed rate non metered and more expensive) and as soon as you exit the automatic sliding doors, there will be several more guys trying to get your attention, look for the Yellow metered taxi line, also I think the red and white are also metered, but tell them that is what you want and you will excorted to the taxi. If I remember it's about 65 R vs. 110 on the fixed rate cabs!

Thanks very much, I knew that you would know.

What about the announcement from Iris. Is it still played at GIG?

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[Guest parisrio2000]

I am coming with you, I will help.

[JAYBLK]

I did precisely as Tomcal suggested two weeks ago and it was fine. By the way, on the trip back and throughout RIO, I used Uber. It was great and cheaper than taxis.

[mvan1]

I did precisely as Tomcal suggested two weeks ago and it was fine. By the way, on the trip back and throughout RIO, I used Uber. It was great and cheaper than taxis.

Thanks for the comment about Uber.

Even though I travel more than two hundred thousand air miles each year and visit many different countries, I have never used Uber.

Did you summon Uber while in Rio using an AP? Do they obtain your location via GPS or do you speak with an operator of sorts?

If one were to be staying on Avenida Atlantica in Copacabana, how long is a typical wait for an Uber driver?

Uber is obviously doing something right, considering the constant increase in the number of customer is has as well as the frequent compliments about the service.

There is no logical reason I have rejected the idea of using Uber except that habits are hard to break.

[paulsf]

Download the Ap. GPS will follow you everywhere. I was using it here in Ft.Lauderdale till they got kicked out this week, but as soon as I arrive in Bangkok, it knows I'm there.

[SolaceSoul]

If you have 45 minutes to an hour to spare, and you want to save money, then take the Real Airport Bus from GIG to Copa. It only costs about $6 USD a person. It is very comfortable and air conditioned, usually not very crowded and typically rides down Avenida Atlantica, or Rua Barata Ribeiro, a parallel street two blocks away, depending on the day. It will stop at the corner that your hotel or apartment is located if you ask the driver.

It also picks up at the domestic airport Santos Dumont as well, for a cheaper rate.

You catch the Real bus right outside baggage claim, the same area you'd catch the other buses or vans. Just look for bus signs and a sign for the Real bus to Copa.

On my last trip there, I along with 3 other traveling friends took the Real bus instead of a taxi because we had way too much luggage for all 4 of us to fit in one car, and since we all arrived before 9 a, and couldn't check in until around noon, it made sense for us to take the scenic route on the bus. It was very convenient, and we used the extra reais we saved on the garotos at the sauna that night.

[Guest tomcal]

Mvan, the Brazilian counterpart to Uber is Easy Taxi (app for IPhone and Android) it was founded in Rio in 2011 and is now also worldwide. here is the history on it; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Taxi It works great and is in all the cities we go to in Brazil!

[JAYBLK]

Thanks for the comment about Uber.

Even though I travel more than two hundred thousand air miles each year and visit many different countries, I have never used Uber.

Did you summon Uber while in Rio using an AP? Do they obtain your location via GPS or do you speak with an operator of sorts?

If one were to be staying on Avenida Atlantica in Copacabana, how long is a typical wait for an Uber driver?

Uber is obviously doing something right, considering the constant increase in the number of customer is has as well as the frequent compliments about the service.

There is no logical reason I have rejected the idea of using Uber except that habits are hard to break.

I don't travel quite as much as you do. But, i have had taxis refuse to pick me up in enough cities to get a special glee every time I open my Uber app. It's like giving the finger to every NY, Chicago, Paris, Brussels, Beijing cabbie who drove past me.

I did summon Uber via an app and it worked in precisely the same way as it does in the states. I could put in the exact address or have them come to where the GPS indicated that the phone was. Keep in mind that I had a Brazilian simcard/phone while I was there. My average wait for a car in the middle of Agenda Atlantica was 5 minutes. More than one, the car as waiting for me before I could get downstairs. Several times, there were two or three Uber cars picking up other guests. Leaving Saunas in SP and Rio, I occasionally stood around for a few minutes after settling the bill to wait for the Uber to arrive. TomCal mentions Easy Taxi, which I also downloaded an used in SP a couple of times. I like the convenience of not having to exchange cash that Uber offers. So I only used Easy Taxi on the occasions in SP where the Uber was more than 10 minutes away.

[JAYBLK]

I should have made clear that Uber cannot come to GIG to pick up a customer. I did use Uber from GRU though. No Uber in Salvador, yet.