Airport Transport in Rio
 

What is the best way from the Rio International (not sure of name)Airport to hotel in Copacabana? Any advice on options, prices and relative convenience is appreciated.

The best way I have found is right where you step out of customs and immigration there are booths for taxi companies. You can pay with a credit card in advance a fixed rate (I am sure it is less than $US 20) and travel in a nice cab. You take the receipt with a number on it and walk out toward the sidewalk. There are "information helpers" who will help you find your taxi by number. Note that it is not likely the taxi driver speaks English. It will help if you have the name and address of the hotel printed to give to the driver. The international airport is pretty far to Copacabana so I thought the taxi was comfortable and yet a reasonable price. Another way have used is to arrange with the hotel -- you can email the concierge in advance usually -- and request they arrange a transfer, although I found that while you got a nicer car, and if you asked in advance an English speaking driver, the at the cost more like $US 50 it wasn't worth it.

Pls only take taxis that have the booths placed when you step out customs and immigration, as Laurie_Ann explained. They are like 20% more expensive than regular cabs, but are pretty safe.

The taxis from the booths described by laurie_ann are more expensive now, due to changes on the exchange rate. It is R$ 76 (about US$ 35 on today´s exchange rate). There are many other options.
The best inexpensive way is the air conditioned bus from Real Auto Onibus. You can take it outside any of the airport terminals, or from their office on Terminal 1, 2nd floor, and there are bus lines from this company to Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra and to the domestic airport (SDU) near the business district. The problem with these buses is that you will probably have to carry your luggage on the streets - something not always safe - but you can also easily get a taxi as soon as you leave the bus.
About taxis: most of the taxis in Rio are yellow, with a blue stripe. I mean, there are many other colours, but it will be always more expensive. 95% of the taxis are yellow with the blue stripe, and 35% of the yellow taxis are part of a cooperative - these are the safest in Rio. It is possible to recognize the taxis from cooperatives for the name of the cooperative, number of the car and telephone number INSIDE THE BLUE STRIPE. This is my second option for leaving the airport to the south side of Rio.
The taxis previously mentioned by laurie_ann are good, but about 30% more expensive than the others.
The best option, in my opinion, is to hire a tour guide like myself to drive you from the airport to your hotel. We don´t provide only transportation, but also very relevant information about the city, including safety tips and basics about the city geography and best attractions. And the quality of the information you have will be the key for the quality of your trip, specially in places like Rio, where the culture can be very different from the European/North American cultures.

PS - at the airport take only yellow taxis if they are from the authorized yellow taxis. You will recognize them when you see a big line of yellow taxis outside the Arrivals Sector.