Public transportation in Porto Alegre

Bus - Generally the buses in Porto Alegre are modern and comfortable. Buses come regularly and the different lines cover the entire city. On some streets there's a special bus lane and in peak hours the bus would be faster than a taxi. The lines are named by neighborhoods. In case the bus is going to/from Centro neighborhood, it will also have a number prefix. The prefix "T" means that the bus route is longer and it crosses the city through it's main crossing roads. A ride within Porto Alegre costs 2R$. Payment is done inside the bus as you get in.


Lotaçao - This is a red and blue minibus for up to 20 people. It's is a bit more expensive than a regular bus (3R$) but its advantage is that it stops anywhere along its route, just raise your hand to stop one. Pay the driver as you get off the bus. The lines are named by the neighborhood the bus is passing through.


Taxi - Taxi is safe and inexpensive to ride. You can either call a taxi station or stop one on the street.

Diners Club Card and Airport Lounge

When flying from Porto Alegre inside or outside of Brazil, it is almost always necessary to stop in Sao Paulo, Guarulhos airport. For making long layovers easier, we issued a Diners Club credit card. This way we can enter the Diners airport lounge and enjoy for free, a drink, internet access, massage couch, TV etc. One card per family is enough.

"Area Azul" Tip

Area Azul is the pay parking on the street sides in the designated areas around Porto Alegre. if you park for less than 10 minutes, you don't need to buy a parking ticket. Also, you have an extra 10 parking minutes after your ticket expired. This tip is useful for those times that you park for a short errand. In this case there's no need in a ticket.

Flight Information

Information about departures and arrivals:
INFRAERO - this is the official website of all airports in Brazil. The site is available in English too.
TIMETABLE - this website shows scheduled flights timetable from/to Brazil, by origin and

destination. The site is in Portuguese only.

Flying in South America

There's a lot to see in Brasil and many times you need to fly in order to travel.
Here's a list of air companies in Brasil:
Remember: buying flight tickets on-line, requires a CPF number!
GOL - when buying tickets on-line through Gol's website, it is important to fill the 'date of birth' block with zeroes (00/00/0000). This is true for foreigners only.
TAM - if you have a Banco do Brasil credit card, you can convert bonus points into Tam's miles through the bank website.
VARIG
BRA
WEBJET
OCEANAIR
NHT - a small company with small air crafts (around 20 seats) and they have destinations in RS, Santa Catarina and Parana. They fly to small cities that other companies don't reach.
DECOLAR - on this site it is possible to choose a destination and get prices from several air companies.

BOA VIAGEM!