Brazil - What To do with A 10hr Layover in Rio?

Planning a trip to Argentina for November flying from London. One of the best flights involves a TAM flight with a 10 hour layover in Rio arriving at 2pm local time. Assuming my bags will be checked all the way through to EZE. How easy is it for me to leave the airport and get into town? I'll be traveling on a British passport.

If I can head into town. What should I see or do. Corcovado etc? How much time should I leave for getting back to the airport? Are there organised tours similar to the ones offered to people connecting in Singapore? Where they collect you from the airport give you a tour of the city and then take you back to the airport.

Also is there a place I can grab a shower?

First of all, verify that your bags will be checked through (and that you'll have the boarding pass for your flight to B.A. in advance, else you'll have to get in line for that). I belive there is a max time for layovers with automatic bag transfers, and TAM can verify this. I thought the max amount of time was about 12 hours but I'm not sure. Assuming you don't need a visa, you'll still have to allow time to go through Immigration and Customs in order to go into town and whether you can do this while having your bags transferred automatically (without them going through Customs), I honestly don't know.

If you could go into town but TAM for some reason wouldn't transfer your bags, there is a place to check your bags, for a fee. You'd have to get back to the airport in time to check your bags (and, as I said, you may still have to get back in line to get your boarding pass).

I know of no tours from the airport. You could take a taxi to Pao de Açucar and take the cable car up on your own (no problem; be sure to ask for discount if you're over 60). Maybe R$40 taxi fare and about 30 mins. max unless traffic is bad? Corcovado is a bit further but not a big deal; take a taxi to the train station and then the vernicular train to the summit. I'd do one of the other, not both. Both are popular for sunset-viewing. You may need to find someone to write down the destination in Portuguese for a taxi driver. For the return, it's just "aeroporto internacional" (there's also a downtown commuter airport, Santos Dumont). If you're leaving from Ipanema or Copacabana, you could take the "Real" bus for about R$10. Be sure to allow plenty of time to get back to the airport. You arrive at 2 p.m., go through Customs and Immigration, maybe store your bags, go into town for late afternoon and early evening, then head back to the airport for a midnight flight to B.A.? Remember, if you're traveling around town during the evening rush hour, allow extras time. I think Corcovado closes shortly after sunset (and you probably wouldn't be on top after that, anyway, due to security), but Pao de Açucar is open until late (maybe midnight). You could also see Copacabana/Ipanema, maybe eat dinner there.

SoCal gave you a pretty good assessment of the possibilities; I would only suggest that you go to Pão de Açúcar over Corcovado.

Both will give you magnificent views of the city and its environments, but both routes of access to Corcovado (by car or rail) are a mess now.

Pão de Açúcar is easier and faster to go to/from the airport. Everything works much better there; the trip by "bondinho" is an event by itself and you will be near better options to eat (there is a restaurant - fair - and a good ice cream parlour where you take the "bondinho", and Fogo de Chão, probably the best barbecue here, is a very short ride from it).

Stockycub;

First, you do not need a visa for that short a visit. You are a British subject, no visa required.

If you then meet the woman of your dreams in Copacabana, or Ipanema, and decide to linger on for 6 months, or a lifetime, as many certainly have, that is a different story.

Second, and perhaps most importantly, the shower question. Yes, there are showers there at the airport. In fact, I recall when they were first installed a few years ago. The question will be more likely if they are working the day of your arrival, and if you are allowed to then access them. If not, the back-up plan that works is to take a cab to the beach, and stroll into a hotel. If that doesn't appeal to you, the lifeguard (Salvavida) station at Posto 6 has showers you can use. You do have options after your long flight.

There are good suggestions above for sights and restaurants to see. Everything is expensive these days starting with a Cafe Nacional or a single Caipirinha. My only caution would be to watch your time, and figure on extra traffic each way from the airport.

But I would go for it, if my bags were checked through. Rio is memorable. Absolutely !

Planning a trip to Argentina for November flying from London. One of the best flights involves a TAM flight with a 10 hour layover in Rio arriving at 2pm local time. Assuming my bags will be checked all the way through to EZE. How easy is it for me to leave the airport and get into town? I'll be traveling on a British passport.

If I can head into town. What should I see or do. Corcovado etc? How much time should I leave for getting back to the airport? Are there organised tours similar to the ones offered to people connecting in Singapore? Where they collect you from the airport give you a tour of the city and then take you back to the airport.

Also is there a place I can grab a shower?

I would suggest the following:
- Drop all hand luggage off at left luggage in GIG. Preferably don shorts/t shirt. Not sure about showers on arrival at GIG.
- Cab to Fogo de Chao for a late lunch bbq/caipirinhas (skip or directly to next step, if not hungry)
- From there, cab to Sugar Loaf
- Cab to Arpoador in Ipanema, have a beer on one of the beach kiosks, then watch sunset from Arpoador rocks.
- Wander around Ipanema and grab a bite to eat
- Head back to airport

- Cab to Fogo de Chao for a late lunch bbq/caipirinhas (skip or directly to next step, if not hungry)


If you'd like to go to a steakhouse, prefer Porcão. The view is better; there are more food choices, more meat choices; the food is more adapted to the local taste; the restaurant in general is not stuck-up like Fogo de Chão.

I might also suggest MARIU'S, a steak and seafood restaurant I have been dining in since 1971. Not inexpensive these days, but not much is in Brasil at the moment. But a great, once in a lifetime experience. Bring your appetite and your camera.

290 Avenida Atlantica, as I recall, specifically in Leme-Copacabana, across the street from the beach. In this way you can compare Brasilian to Argentine steaks, if you like, before you climb back onboard for the remainder of your flight ( and skip the cold airline sandwich ).

A helpful link (in English ) for MARIU'S and other good Churrasco-style restaurants.
http://www.rio-de-janeiro-travel-information.com/churrascaria-restaurants.html

If you then meet the woman of your dreams in Copacabana, or Ipanema, and decide to linger on for 6 months, or a lifetime, as many certainly have, that is a different story.
Unlikely, I'm guessing the OP will be looking at the Brazilians in sungas. ;)

I would suggest the following:
- Drop all hand luggage off at left luggage in GIG. Preferably don shorts/t shirt. Not sure about showers on arrival at GIG.
- Cab to Fogo de Chao for a late lunch bbq/caipirinhas (skip or directly to next step, if not hungry)
- From there, cab to Sugar Loaf
- Cab to Arpoador in Ipanema, have a beer on one of the beach kiosks, then watch sunset from Arpoador rocks.
- Wander around Ipanema and grab a bite to eat
- Head back to airport
Good advice, I'd also recommend Sugar Loaf over Corcovado.

I'd skip the steakhouse (better in Bs As IMO) and have something lighter for lunch like a bowl of açai at a lanchonete.

For really good caipirinhas he might want to try Phalaphita in Lagoa or Academia da Cachaça in Leblon.

For really good caipirinhas he might want to try Phalaphita in Lagoa or Academia da Cachaça in Leblon.

I agree. Both good.

But then he might ot make his flight until he recovers, say a day or two..

Whatever you do, leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport. I found a lot of the city under construction in preparation for the Olympics and World Cup. My hosts at the time told me to leave lots of time in case the traffic was bad (from Copacabana area to GIG), but actually traffic was NOT bad that day. I am going to take the advice posted by others though on things to do! I always stay at the Marriott on Copacabana, and could hit some of those restaurants. Never done Sugarloaf. Am currently planning a trip in June and am SHOCKED (!) by current prices ($350/night at Marriott) and I believe that is down from $500 in November.