Rio or Rio & Sao Paulo ?

[Guest joe2001]

I'm set to go to Rio next week and am now thinking if I should also visit SP. I'm Flying in and out of Rio, so what would my options be to go to and from SP. Flights look expensive, how about trains / bus, are they safe and how long would the journey take and cost ? How close would the trains /bus take me to the best saunas ? OR should I just stick to Rio ? cheers Guys - Have fun -play safe :-)

[Guest Jake]

The flight from Rio to SP is one hour and it is almost a shuttle situation with both Varig and Tam Airlines (the latter, by the way, is excellent both domestically and internationally). Driving or bus is about 5 hours with some interesting scenery. You should be able to get a flight once you're in Rio in the low-to-mid $100 range - round trip - at today's rates. If you're only planning a week in Rio, it probably isn't worth taking time out. But if you're planning ten days or more, several days in SP could be a ball (especially Lagoa among other cultural interests!).

[trilingual]

I don't think there's train service any more. (There was an overnight deluxe sleeper, but I'm pretty sure it's been discontinued.) Buses are very comfortable. As Jake said, flying is fast and cheap. The shuttles leave Rio from Santos Dumont (SDU) airport right downtown, and arrive at the fairly close-in Congonhas (CGH) airport in São Paulo. There are flights back from São Paulo to the international airport in Rio (GIG) if you want to connect directly back to your flight home.

 

If you take the bus, it arrives in São Paulo at the huge Rodoviária do Tietê bus station. You can take the metro directly from the bus station to the Lagoa, if you're in that much of a rush! Just take a train heading to Jabaquara, get off at Santa Cruz, and follow the directions in the Brazilian saunas review! But you might want to stop first at your hotel to check in and leave your luggage. Not much place to stash it at the saunas!

[LAShowbiz]

Joe, double check that airfare. It's dirt cheap. Remember, the price is in reais. I think it's about $110-130 RT (when I was there). I actually took a trip to Salvador, Bahia (OMG... what a beautiful area... so much prettier than Rio).

 

A bus is definitely cheaper (I think it's under $10), but do you really want to sit on a bus for six hours? It's not worth it time-wise. I know alot of the sauna boys in Rio go up to San Paulo to work on weekends and they take a bus, but they're used to such travel options. Most Americans would fly in a heartbeat.

[+ Axiom2001]

LAShowbiz, although I plan to be in SP during the latter portion of next month and the first part of November, from what I have read here and from what my Paulista friend in SF told me, I'd give it a try. I changed my ticket (extended time) on the urging of Tri. From what I presented in my itinerary, I would have been too rushed.

 

I'm flying into Rio and out of SP. The change cost me 100US, but I think I made the right decision. I'll send you the name of the shoe store as soon as I find my notebook of record. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to mislay or misfile or misplace things, only finding them later in the simplest of places.

 

Since you have explored the saunas of Rio, I would suggest (again from everything I have read in books as well as from what has been written on this board, and from what my hunky Brasilian friend has related to me, you Have to go to the Lagoa in SP.

 

Enjoy!

[+ Axiom2001]

Gentlemen, forgive me, please. I must begin to READ much more carefully; the author of this thread is Joe, not LA..., so Joe ignore the shoe bit and think seriously about the information in the latter paragraph. Sorry LAShowbiz, I thought you were returning again...

[trilingual]

According to http://www.decolar.com VASP has a RT fare from Rio to SP for R$367. At the current exchange rate that's US$106. I'd bet the fares are similar on GOL or the other airlines that operate shuttles to SP.

 

Showbiz, you've been holding out! What did you do in Salvador? Who did you do in Salvador? And where? (I KNOW you didn't go shopping there!) I'm going in January, so up-to-date tips are appreciated!

[Guest joe2001]

Thanks Tri and all for all the information you have given, I'm trying to book a flight from GIG to CGH (Sao Paulo - Congonhas) but Decolar.com is not available in english, also the call center also had no one that spoke English. Any Ideas on how I may book a GOL airlines flight in English ?

 

Also in SP wheres the best place (Hotel / area) to stay for Lagoa, I understand from other threads that near the Metro is good, but I don't know which hotels are near the metro. Instead of the metro are cabs OK as well in SP ? - any help guys ? Joe

[trilingual]

There's no way to make a reservation on GOL in English or using an American credit card on the website. Why? Excellent question to which I have no answer at all!

 

I guess I'm not clear why your trying to book a GIG-CGH flight (I thought it would be the other way around) but if you want to fly GOL your best bet is probably to go to the ticket counter when you arrive and buy one. It's a discount airline, and their fares may be the same for walk-ups. Another reader said he was able to get cheap fares just by asking at the different ticket counters; my guess is that if they have empty seats they'll wheel and deal. Better a full seat at a discounted price than an empty seat at no price!

 

Otherwise, you can book and purchase domestic Brazilian flights using Travelocity, but they don't list GOL, the last time I looked. Fares shouldn't be too different, though. Orbitz, the last time I tried, wouldn't sell tickets that don't originate in the U.S. It's also possible to book on Varig's site.

 

SP hotels: This feels like a semi-broken record! In ascending order of price, on Av. Vieira de Carvalho downtown are the Itamarati, Republica Park and Bourbon. The metro station is in Praca da República at the end of the street. Very convenient, and the street is a great gay nightlife way after dark.