Getting Here and Around

It takes about 90 minutes to fly from São Paulo to Porto Alegre. The Aeroporto Internacional Salgado Filho is one of Brazil's most modern air terminals. It's only 8 km (5 miles) northeast of downtown. The cost of a cab ride is around R$30. At a booth near the arrivals gate you can prepay your cab ride. There's also a minibus shuttle into town for about R$5.

Penha bus has service to São Paulo (19 hours); Pluma buses travel to Curitiba (12 hours); Florianópolis (6 hours) is served by Eucatur or Catarinense. To reach Foz do Iguaçu (14 hours), Unesul is the only option. Public bus service to São Miguel das Missões is painfully slow; instead, book a tour from Porto Alegre via a flight or charter bus.

Porto Alegre has an extensive bus system as well as the lotação (express minibuses).

Ask your hotel reception which lines to take. Alternatively, the Linha Turismo bus, a double-decker tour bus, stops at most tourist attractions. It departs from the Cidade Baixa SAT location; one ticket for the 80-minute ride costs R$25 during the week and R$30 on the weekends. Another option is to take a cab downtown, where most sights are within walking distance of each other.