Brasilia Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away

By plane Due to long distances and falling prices in air travel, flying has become a practical way of getting to Brasilia. The city is a national air travel hub, and there should be plenty of flights. In fact you may find your plane touching down at Brasilia airport even if you're not starting or ending anywhere near, such as Salvador to Belém. Brasilia's airport (phone:(61) 3364-9000, fax: (61) 3364-9251) is situated 11 km (7 mi) from the city center and has one of the few tourist information services in town (phone (61) 3033.9488, from 7.30 am to 10.30 pm). It also has an exchange office at the arrivals area, another one at Banco do Brasil (open Mo-Fri 11:00-16:00, departures area) and several ATMs. Taxis are the most convenient means of getting from the airport into the city. They are relatively expensive for Brazilian standards and the 20-minute drive to the hotel zone should cost about R$ 30-40. Buses number 102 and 102.1 are frequent and significantly cheaper. They link the airport to the main bus terminal at Rodoviária, from where you can catch buses or the subway to other parts of the city. By bus Due to its central location, Brasilia is well served by a bus network that connects it with the rest of Brazil. Travel times are about 15 hours to São Paulo, 18 hours to Rio, 10 hours to Belo Horizonte and 3 hours to Goiania. Buses from other States arrive at a dedicated bus station called rodoferroviaria (phone:(61) 3363-4045), that is located at the west end of the axis and is connected to the city centre by bus (number 131, frequency each 10-20 minutes, from 5 am to midnight) and taxis. By car Drivers coming from southern and Center-west states will arrive by the Saída Sul entrance. From other states, you'll enter Brasilia by Saída Norte. After you're inside the Federal District, keep following the Brasília signs and Zona Central if you're staying at the hotels sector.