Top Transport Tips: How to get around in Brazil
Intercity Transport in Brazil
Plane or bus?
Transport in Brazil can be expensive. By far the easiest and cheapest way to travel is to book flights in advance (minimum one to two months early). Flying can actually be cheaper than travel by bus, and will save you a significant amount of time. If you know your travel plans in advance – book your flights early!
If you’re making last minute bookings, flights become very expensive. Bus tickets will be cheaper than flying if bought at the last minute, however be prepared for some long rides.
Luckily, all long-distance buses are equipped with a toilet, and most buses will stop every 3-6 hours (on average) to allow you to buy food and use a real bathroom. On longer trips, the bus stops at a self-service restaurant so you can have a proper meal. Find cheap bus tickets for your trip to Brazil.
Read my full guide on how to take the intercity bus in Brazil.
Brazil’s International Airports
While there are numerous international airports in Brazil, it is usually cheapest to fly into major hubs like São Paulo (Guarulhos International Airport) or Rio de Janeiro (Galeão International Airport), which have the most extensive international connections. These cities are serviced by several major airlines, and from there, it is easy to take a domestic flight to reach other parts of Brazil. São Paulo and Rio often offer the best airfare deals due to the volume of traffic, making them the most affordable entry points into the country. Additionally, São Paulo's airport is a key hub for connecting to other South American countries.
There are also direct flights from Europe to several northern Brazilian cities, such as Fortaleza, Recife, and Salvador, catering to travelers looking to explore the northeastern part of the country. These routes are especially convenient for visitors coming from Portugal, Spain, and Italy. The increased availability of international flights into northern Brazil has made the region more accessible, though these flights tend to be more limited than those into São Paulo and Rio.
Search for cheap flights to Brazil
How to buy bus tickets in Brazil
The cheapest way to buy bus tickets is to buy them directly at the bus station. There is no fee for purchasing at the station and you’ll save time as you will receive your printed ticket at the time of purchase. You will need to show a passport or official ID to buy a ticket.
Bus tickets can also be purchased online directly from bus companies websites, as well as third-party websites like BusBud. While the price of the ticket is usually the same as if purchased at the terminal, there can be high services fees for buying online. If you buy your ticket online, you may still have to line up to take a printed ticket from the bus company’s kiosk in the bus station. While some companies are beginning to issue PDF tickets that do not need to be printed, many still have this requirement. Make sure to check before arriving at the station to ensure you have enough time to take a printed ticket if needed, ideally arriving at least 30 minutes early as there can be long lines.
While buying tickets online will incur a fee, you can also use these websites to check the timetables, prices, and availability of seats without making a purchase.
One of the best websites for researching bus prices and timetables, with the most complete list of bus companies and destinations, is Clickbus. If you have a CPF, this is also the cheapest online site with the best selection of bus routes. If you do not have a CPF, see the section below for how to buy a bus ticket online without a CPF. If planning to buy your bus ticket at the time of departure, check Clickbus or BusBud to make sure there are still seats available before you arrive at the station. Some routes will sell out in advance, particularly in the high season.
How to buy a bus ticket in Brazil without a CPF
This is a common problem faced by foreigners travelling in Brazil without a CPF (Brazilian tax number). If you need to buy a bus ticket online without a CPF, there are currently one website that provide this service and allow you to book using your passport details instead: BusBud. BusBud is a user-friendly and reliable booking platform with a wide variety of routes available, though it offers fewer routes than some local competitors. Nevertheless, without a CPF it is your best option for purchasing a bus ticket online.
Find cheap bus tickets on BusBud for your trip to Brazil, or if your desired option is not available, you may need to book at the bus station.
Carpooling Apps in Brazil
Carpooling can be a cheap way to travel between cities. Websites such as BlaBla Car can be a useful place to find a ride. While these rides are typically cheaper than the bus, it's common for drivers to cancel or change the time, so don't use them if you have a tight deadline. You'll likely need to message your driver in Portuguese to arrange a pick-up time and location. You should manage to do this with Google translate but ask a Brazilian for help if needed.
BlaBla Car is especially useful around the Northeast region and the coasts of Alagoas and Pernambuco where buses are less reliable, and there are fairly short distances between destinations.
How to Get Around in Brazilian cities
Public Transport in Brazil
Some of Brazil’s larger cities including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Brasilia have easy to use metro systems. All cities have bus services however the usability, reliability, and cost of these varies significantly. Google Maps gives reasonably accurate public transport directions in most cities, and in some cities actually provides live updates on arrival times.
In some locations you cannot purchase your bus ticket when entering the bus, but require a pre-purchased card to travel. The rules for a number of cities are below:
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Rio de Janeiro: Tickets can be purchased at subway stations however a RioCard is required to use the tram (which goes to Santos Dumont Airport.
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Sao Paulo: Cash and pre-paid card accepted on all buses. The travel card Bilhete Unico can be used on buses and the subway. It offers free transfers if changing busses or subway lines and discounts for travel across a 24 hour period. For more details, see my guide on how to get around Sao Paulo here.
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Salvador: Cash and the pre-paid card accepted on all buses. The travel card SalvadorCard can be used on buses and the train. For more details, see my guide on how to get around Salvador here.
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Fortaleza: Tickets can be purchased in cash on all buses. You do not need to pay again if changing busses inside one of the bus terminals.
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Florianopolis: Tickets can be purchased in cash on all busses. You do not need to pay again if changing buses inside one of the city’s bus terminals: TICEN (Centro), TLAG (Lagoa), TIRIO (Campeche), TITRI (Trinidade).
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Recife: Tickets are only sold on some buses, others require a prepaid card. Buses on some routes are infrequent, check the timetable before you travel.
Ridesharing Apps in Brazil
Ridesharing apps such as Uber and 99, are readily available in most places in Brazil, including smaller cities. They are a cheaper alternative to taxis (especially for airport trips), and are a safe way to travel around at night. It is best to add your credit card to the Uber or 99 app rather than selecting to pay in cash, as drivers usually do not carry change.
Local services such as 99 Pop operate in many locations and can often be cheaper than Uber, depending on the time of day.
Get a cheap ride:
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If you haven't used Uber before, get a R$25 discount (R$5 off each of your first 5 rides) by using my referral link.
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If you haven't used 99 before, get 40% off your first trip (up to R$8) by using my referral link.
Disclaimer: Some of my pages contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a ticket through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the blog and allows me to keep providing helpful content. Thank you for your support!
