Rio to Buzios
 

Can someone recommend me a way to get to Buzios without renting a car? Is Shuttles common? I would be carrying luggage so i do not want to do a regular metro bus.

Also estimated cost if you know it.

Bus is the most common way of going there. There are plenty of departures every day from the bus station.

Taxi.

Below is a link with some information for you

http://www.buziosturismo.com/eng/comochegar_index.php

Assuming you are staying at a pousada they can easily arrange transfers.

Certainly not the cheapest option out there. I'm not even sure that most taxi drivers would be up for the trip without a surcharge.

Rio-Buzios RT in May for the day. No surcharge.

If the subject of price is a concern, better then not to go to Brasil. The USD exchange then was roughly equal to the CHF. ( $1.USD = R$1.5, today $1.=R$1.72 ). It is very expensive.

Everywhere the subject of price is a concern, and yet people go to visit anyway.

How much did that taxi fare cost to get from Rio to Buzios each way a few months back?

R$ 150. from Ipanema (Rua Visconde de Piraja).
Return at night was a different driver.

Very little negotiation involved. We speak Portugues which always is helpful, but we are obviously Europeans.

If this is your first time to Brasil, and you are staying at a hotel, it might be wise to let the concierge negotiate and hire the taxi or a driver. There are good limousine services available in Rio, Sampa, and most major cities.

Another option is to fly. TEAM airlines operates flights from SDU to BZC on weekends in Let 410's, 19 passenger planes.

For further information call: (21) 3318-1616
or website www.voeteam.com.br

There are also a number of air taxi options.
Líder Táxi Aéreo - Tel: (21) 2431-5545
Helistar Táxi Aéreo - Tel: (21) 3325-6300
Aeróleo Táxi Aéreo - Tel: (21) 2543-1260
Starjet Tel: (21) 7894-5910 / 3325-5180
KS Táxi Aéreo - Tel: (21) 2431-2305
Team - Tel: (21) 3318-1616
Zeus Taxi Aereo - Tel: (11) 6676-4198 / (11) 9187-8622 (plantão)

For weekend travel one of those can be reasonable, including the helicopter options. The pricing varies greatly with loads, etc, but it is quick and more pleasant than driving IMO.

Most often I do drive myself. As long as you go off hours driving is OK too. renting a car is not difficult and the route is quite well marked and obvious. A GPS might relieve anxiety. Although I know you did not want to rent a car, that is the most convenient way because you'll have a car while you're there.

Lastly several pousadas in Buzios arrange vans/small busses from Rio to Buzios and return. Those have individual pricing, but friends who have used them say they are better than the public busses and they do take you right to your Buzios pousada.

Thanks for the replies. I decided I am just going to rent a car.

Remember that with Hertz Brazil they want you to sign some indemnities, and an international drivers license is needed, not for renting, but in case of police or an accident. They also rent some pretty basic cars so upgrades don't really cut it, you'll need to rent at least middle of the line for such a trip.

For clarification:
1) the basic class does not have a/c and has a 1 liter engine;
2) one class upgrade gets you a/c;
3) two class upgrade gets you power steering and a 1.6 liter engine too.

And so it goes. They do not have a large inventory so make sure you rent the class you want. I am PC and almost never am upgraded without a plea, and sometimes not then.

It is not terrible, but you need to be aware because you'll be driving a long distance.

Have fun!

Hijacking the thread a bit, but what kind of fuel do the rentals take? I'd hate to rent a car in Brazil just because they sold too many types of fuel for me to want to mess with in a rental. I'd be the person putting unleaded gasoline in a natural gas car.

Almost all rentals are flex fuel and accept either ethanol or gasoline. No natural gas cars are in rental fleets here AFAIK. Given current prices I'd use gasoline while driving and refill to return the car with ethanol. They are clearly marked so you'll not have a problem with that.

jbcarioca posted some really good advice.

Rent a car with a GPS ( make sure you´ll get at least a 1.4-1.6L engine ), they´re all flex fuel ( take gas and/or ethanol in whatever combination, rule of thumb if ethanol is below 70% the price of gas go for it, otherwise don´t ) and enjoy the drive.

I forgot other clarifications.

Renting cars for foreigners in Brazil requires a valid driving license and passport, that is all. An international DL is a good idea but is not required for rental.

Almost all traffic violations (speeding, stop light running, stopping too close to a traffic light) are recorded by cameras and are billed to the cars owner. All rental car companies wil then bill you, the renter, when the charges arrive, usually months later. Be careful about those issues, even when every around you seems to ignore the rules. They get caught too, quite often. However, for the renter it can get expensive. A friend(Brazilian) just discovered he's chalked up eleven violations in one day while renting. He will probably lose his license. At least that will not happen to a foreigner!

How much is nowadays price of ethanol and gasoline (regular, premium, etc.)? Do they sell in gallons or liters?

You wouldn't be putting anything in the car, so no worries. There are no self-service gas stations and staff know which cars take what.

What you should be worried about are cars that may not have air bags, agencies that may not respond if you have road trouble, and signing rental contracts in a language that you cannot understand and that may hold you to commitments on your credit card that may not be the norm in your own country. (i.e. I've seen a few that charge for any/all time the car spends in the shop because of an accident.) Also, if any accident happens, the agency can charge you whatever they want for the repair. You will have left the country by the time the repair bill arrives, but they have your credit card info.

Although the road to Buzios from Rio is not the worst one could encounter in Brazil, there are too many crazy drivers, bad signage, regular police stops, and unusual road situations to get into, not to mention the possibility of a carjack. IMO, all that just doesn't balance out any 'freedom' gained and newbies to Brazil who don't speak good Portuguese should really allow themselves the relaxation of taking the bus (The poster above talking about driving seems to be a repeat traveler to Brazil.), IMO, until they know what they are getting themselves into. "I survived" is not the phrase to remember I'd be looking for on a vacation.
You can then rent a buggy to get around once in Buzios.

Accurate and excellent information above.

Again, a helpful suggestion, but if if this is your first time to Brasil, hire a vehicle with a driver, including the dune buggy. Drivers hired are credentialed, know the roads and the temperament of others, and can allow you to look, stop (when safe), and enjoy the scenery, while they navigate through it all.

Unless you are stuck for hours in one of Sampa's (Sao Paulo's) eternal traffic jams, driving conditions in Brasil can be described somewhat to playing dodgeball in vehicles.

Price varies quite a lot with location, and in and around Rio it's more expensive than I am used to, but it can be about R$ 2.8-3 per litre of gasoline and R$ 2 for ethanol.

In all fairness, I would take the bus:

http://www.autoviacao1001.com.br/en/