Rio Novo Bus Terminal Rio de Janeiro
The Rodoviara Rio Novo is the main bus terminal of Rio de Janeiro hosting the majority of Rio’s incoming and outgoing long distance buses. The terminal is located on Av. Francisco Bicalho - Sao Cristovao - which is about 2 km northwest of downtown (Centro). There is no need to know the address of the Novo Rio because everyone just knows it as the ‘rodoviaria’, and every taxi driver knows how to get to the 'rodoviaria'.
Map location of the Rio Bus Terminal
The terminal has restaurants and snack outlets, an information booth, police station, and bathrooms which you will have to pay R$1 to use. The Novo Rio terminal is not in the best area so it is not a good idea to explore the neighborhood around it, just go directly inside once you get there by bus or taxi.
How to Get to the Bus Terminal in Rio de Janeiro
Taxis to the Rio Bus Terminal
Taking a taxi is the quickest and easiest way to get to or from the Novo Rio bus terminal. If you wish to take a taxi from the terminal you can find booths on the bottom floor where you can pre-pay your fare for one of the official terminal taxis. The price to go to the GIG airport will be around R$35 - R$40 Brazilian Reals and to the Southern Zone it will be around R$30 - R$35. You can usually get cheaper fares if you take one of the Yellow local taxis outside of the terminal.
To calculate a local taxi fare from or to the Novo Rio Terminal you can use the following link: http://www.tarifadetaxi.com/rio-de-janeiro. When inputting the terminal into the Origem (origin) or Destino (Destination) section, write it as Rodoviária Novo Rio and then put the address you are going to or coming from. Use the website only as a basic guide because you have to account for traffic and the route the taxi takes, so always count on it being a bit more than stated. As a reference if the fare is indicted by a 1 then it is the day fare which is cheaper. The night and public holiday fare is numbered as 2 and is 20% higher than that of the day fare. Taxis always use fare 2 during the month of December and Carnival.
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Buses From:
How to get from Leblon, Ipanema, or Copacabana to the Rio Bus Terminal by bus
It is best to take the Real Omnibus Company from Leblon, Ipanema, or Copacabana to the Novo Rio terminal. These buses are air conditioned, are quicker because they travel more direct, and are used to passengers with large bags. Take the 2017 – Rodoviaria/Leblon (Via Aterro do Flamengo) which departs from some of the major streets which you can see by clicking on the 2017 bus at the following link: Real Omnibus
You can catch this bus from between 06:10am until 22:30pm and from Monday to Friday they depart every 15 minutes, but on the weekends they depart every 40 minutes and a ticket costs between R$6.00 & R$8.00. You can also catch the airport bus by the same company which stops at the terminal but the fare for this is R$12.00.
There are also many of the cheaper local buses which pass by Leblon, Ipanema, and Copacabana on their way to the Rio Novo terminal. See the bit below about the Vade Omnibus website for more detailed bus route info!
How to get from the Rio Bus Terminal to Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon by bus
The recommended local bus to take to the Southern Zone from the Novo Rio terminal are buses operated by the Real Bus, which although cost a little more, they are air conditioned, can store suitcases, and stop less - mainly letting people off in touristic spots with a higher concentration of hotels. These buses depart from Rua Equador (street), located by crossing the street when taking the terminal’s back entrance.
Take the Real Bus numbered 2017 – Rodoviaria/Leblon (Via Aterro do Flamengo) – which departs every 15 minutes Monday to Friday, and every 40 minutes on the weekends and drop you off across the road from the terminal back entrance. They start operating at 5:50am and run until 21:30pm, the cost of the ticket is from R$6.00 – R$8.00.
To see which streets this bus travels down, click on the 2017 bus at the following link: Real Omnibus
For the cheaper local buses which will pass more frequently, head out the terminal’s front entrance and wait at the bus stops on Av Rodriques Alves. Most of the buses shoud say Copacabana or Ipanema if they go there but if in doubt the bus 123 & 485 will take you via there and terminate in Ipanema at the General Osorio plaza & metro stop. See the bit below about the Vade Omnibus website for more detailed bus route info!
How to get from the Rio Bus Terminal to the airports by bus
If you need to get from the bus terminal in Rio to the airport it is important to remember that there are 2 airports in Rio. All international flights depart from the Galeao (GIG) and domestic flights also depart from GIG, but also the Santos Dumont Airport which is located on the bay downtown. The Rio Novo terminal is actually situated between the Santos Dumont and the GIG airport, and the Real Omnibus Company offers an air-conditioned bus which runs between the two.
To take this bus from the terminal, exit via the terminal’s back entrance and cross the road to the bus stop on Rua Equador (street). You need to take the bus numbered 2018 Aeroporto Internacional do RJ/Alvorad – but before entering the bus ask if it is going the direction of Galeao (15 minutes) or Santos Dumont (20 minutes). The cost of a ticket is R$12 reals and departures start from between 05:30am until Midnight and the frequency is every 20 minutes in either direction every day of the week. If taking the bus in the direction of the Santos Dumont airport, the bus carries on through the Southern Zone (Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon) on its way to the local terminal in Barra da Tijuca called Terminal Alvorada. On Sundays and holidays the bus takes alternative routes through Copacabana because Avenida Atlantica is closed.
The Vade Onibus Website for Checking Rio’s Local
Bus Routes
If you wish to check any bus route and fares of Rio’s local buses then there is a website which allows you to check which bus to take from either the bus terminal or airports to the street you need to get to. Click here to try it: http://www.vadeonibus.com.br
Add your starting point where it says Onde Voce Esta, and then add your destination street where it is written Onde Voce Quer Ir. After clicking on the BUSCAR button you are given options for which bses you can take and if you select one the route will appear on the map and you will be given additional information such as how much the fare costs.
As a quick reference their system recognizes the following places written like this:
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Terminal Rodoviario Novo Rio (Rodoviaria)
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Aeroporto Internacional do Rio de Janeiro/Galeao (GIG)
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Aeroporto Santos Dumont (SDU)
You also have the posibility to take the Rio Subway system to and from the terminal, but this option doesn't take you all the way to the Novo Rio Terminal. The subway system in Rio is called the Metro and there is a shuttel that runs between the terminal and the ESTACIO underground Metro station.
The Metro Rio system is still rather small, with only 2 lines and 35 stations. However, it has a connection to the Terminal Rodoviário Novo Rio. The Metro is best to use when trying to access areas from Copacabana through to Downtown Rio. It is considered the safest way to travel and has very clean and air-conditioned stations and subway cars. There are maps in English in the subway stations to help you navigate the system. In areas where the subway does not run, you can use the buses called “Metronibus” or “Metro na Superficie”. But, before you do so, you need to buy a special subway ticket. If you decide to take the subway, you should obtain a map and familiarize yourself with the different routes. For more information: www.metrorio.com.br
Working hours
Monday to Saturday: 5 am to midnight
Sunday and holidays: 7 am to 11 pm
Using the Rio Subway system to get to the Rio Novo Terminal