Car rental at the Rio de Janeiro Airport

Rent a car at Rio de Janeiro airport

Ausblick auf Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro Airport (GIG) or its full name Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport is the main airport of Rio and the second largest airport in Brazil. In colloquial terms, the airport is known as Galeao International Airport and with a change of airport operator in 2014, the new brand name is RIOgaleao - Aeroporto Internacional Tom Jobim

From Rio de Janeiro Airport to the city by Rental Car

If you are travelling by rental car, you can use the expressways that connect the airport with the various districts of the city. Reserve your desired vehicle online on rental car and you can pick up your rental car directly at the airport. You will find the car rental companies in the arrival area of the respective terminals at the airport:

Airlines and destinations at Rio de Janeiro Airport

The two largest local airlines are TAM and GOL, both of which have a base in Rio and offer international connections, for example to Miami and Paris, in addition to numerous regional destinations such as Brasília and Belo Horizonte.

Orientation within Rio de Janeiro Airport

• Terminal 1: Azul Linhas Aéreas, Flyways and Gol.
• Terminal 2: Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Canada, Alitalia, American Airlines, Avianca, Condor, Copa Airlines, Delta Airlines, Delta Airlines, Edelweiss, Emirates Airlines, Iberia, KLM, TAM, TAM, Lufthansa, Passaredo, Royal Air Maroc, TAAG, TAP Portugal, United Airlines.

Most of the air traffic will be handled in the new Terminal 2, so it is the busier one. However, both terminals have the usual infrastructure and service facilities that meet the standards of a major international airport.

Location and transport connections of Rio de Janeiro airport

The airport is located 20km from the city centre of Rio de Janeiro. Numerous buses, taxis and train connections are available to reach the airport from downtown.

There are luxurious (blue) and ordinary (yellow) taxis at your disposal, which can be booked at the company stands in the arrivals halls of both terminals.

The TransCarioca line of the Rio Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) public transport system connects terminals 1 and 2 with the bus station Alvorada in Barra da Tijuca with a stop at the subway line 2, Vicente de Carvalho station, where you can change to the entire subway system.

At Alvorada you can switch between the TransCarioca and TransOeste lines. The public transport in Rio runs 24 hours a day and tickets are sold at the BRT counters on the arrivals level.

Bus 2918 follows a similar schedule to the Alvorada Bus Terminal, but with a different and shorter route via the expressway.

Bus 2101 is an express connection between Galeao and Santos Dumont airports.

Bus 2145 is a regular city bus service to the central bus station, downtown and Santos Dumont Airport. It runs every 20 minutes between 5:30 and 22:30. Ticket counters for these bus lines are located in the arrivals area of both terminals.

Viaçao 1001 operates the city bus line 761-D from the airport to Niterói. The same company also operates a premium bus to Armaçao dos Búzios four times a day. Departure is from the arrivals level of Terminal 1.

Buses 924 and 925 go to the district of Ilha do Governador and 915 to Bonsucesso. From both districts there are connections to the north and south side of the city.

Warm all year round - winter becomes summer

Rio de Janeiro has a tropical climate all year round due to its location at the Guarana Bay. The climate differences between the seasons almost do not exist. Brazil is almost completely on the southern side of the globe, therefore the summer becomes winter and vice versa. It can get very. hot in summer in Brazil. The climate is tropical all year round. To plan a trip to Rio de Janeiro for the summer, we provide you with the following information: Summer in Rio de Janeiro is from December to March, winter from June to August. The average annual temperature is about 22 degrees Celsius. 

Weather table for the Brazilian summer: 

Weather table for the European summer: 

Directions to Rio de Janeiro Airport by Rental Car

The location of the airport, only 20 km from downtown Rio de Janeiro, makes it easy to get there by rental car. Here are the main routes to the airport:

From downtown
Presidente Vargas > Linha Vermelha > exit Ilha do Governador > Estrada do Galeao (approximate time: 30 minutes)

From the South Zone
Rebouças Tunnel > Linha Vermelha > exit Ilha do Governador > Estrada do Galeao (approximate time: 31 minutes)

From the North Zone
Linha Amarela about Dom Hélder Câmara > exit Ilha do Governador > Estrada do Galeao (approximate time: 20 minutes)

From Barra da Tijuca
Avenidas das Américas to Avenida Ayrton Senna > Linha Amarela > exit Ilha do Governador > Estrada do Galeao (approximate time: 28 minutes)

Sightseeing in Rio by Rental Car

Due to its size and sheer number of attractions, there is only a small selection that most people know as the city's landmark and should not miss on any Rio visit.

The cable car takes you to the top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, where you can admire the Guanabara Bay, the promenade of Rio de Janeiro and places of interest such as Pedra da Gávea, the hill of Dois Irmaos and Corcovado. Address: Avenida Pasteur, 520, Urca.

The Christ Redeemer statue, the city's most famous symbol - and most of the time voted as one of the seven wonders of the world - is at an altitude of 710 m above sea level. There are two ascents to the monument: minibus or train. The 20-minute train takes you on the Corcovado Railway, which was inaugurated in 1884 by Dom Pedro II, Brazil's last emperor, and crosses an Atlantic jungle. Address: Rua Cosme Velho, 513, Cosme Velho.

Considered by many football fans as the "temple of the gods", is one of the largest stadiums in the world. It was built in 1950 to house the World Cup and designed to accommodate 166,369 people. Today, after some renovations, it covers a capacity of 87,630th access is from the Rua Professor Eurico Rabelo, gate 16.