São Paulo Travel Forum

I'm flying into Sao Paolo for work but would like to go to Rio de Janeiro afterwards. Is it possilbe to drive and if so how far is it. I've read some things that say there is a nice coastal route vs. the inland route. What is the best way to go? Also, what are some nice beaches around Rio to stay at that are not as crowded. Thanks!

It's possible to drive but I don't recommend it, both Sao Paulo and Rio are big cities where it's easy to get lost, even for brazilians. The distance is about 400km by inland road. It's better to take a bus from São Paulo by the coastal road named Rio-Santos or Costa Verde and choose some nice places to stay, for example Ilha Bela( ferry in Sao Sebastiao), Paraty or Ilha Grande ( ferry in Angra dos Reis or
Mangaratiba )

I agree with Heloisa (hmoitta) that both São Paulo and Rio are not too simple to navigate, and you should refrain from renting a car *in* the cities.
Yet, I do think you could get the best of two worlds if you rented a car to drive from São Paulo to Rio via "Rodovia Rio-Santos" (rodovia = highway). This would give you the chance to stop wherever you liked along the way, without having to rely on public transport/taxis to/from the bus depot/beach/hotel. In addition to saving time, might be more cost-effective.

So, ideally, you should rent a car in São Paulo and deliver you car upon arrival in Rio (I really would not recommend you to attempt to find your way around either city). From Rio, either take a bus or fly back to São Paulo (advance tickets on Gol airways start as low as R$ 88 + taxes; www.voegol.com.br).

As for the best route, I do not think you should get on Rio-Santos from Santos itself. I'm sure a lot of people will disagree, but I feel that if your are keen on beaches, the really good stuff starts north of Bertioga. So, from Guarulhos Int'l (and if you will rent a car elsewhere, head towards the Int'l Airport, anytway, it's the best route), you should take "Rodovia Ayrton Senna"(Rodovia = highway) towards "Mogi das Cruzes", and, once you get to Mogi das Cruzes, take "Rodovia Mogi-Bertioga" (easy, signposted from Ayrton Senna's exit). That will drive you through a wonderful park and drop you on Rio-Santos north of Bertioga. From there, you just drive north, and stop wherever you like.

I do not know how long you are planning on sparing for this trip, because it could take a long while.

I think an ideal route would be something like:
Day 1
- from São Paulo to Rio Santos, up to Barra do Sahy (or Saí)/Baleia. You might want to spend the day there or head further north, maybe all the way to Ilhabela
Day 2
- Ilhabela (which deserves at least two full days)
Day 3
- Ubatuba (which deserves at least two full days- not the urban beaches, but Domingas Dias, Vermelha do Sul, Cedro, Fazenda... too many to mention!
Day 4
Parati
- to visit the colonial town (dates from the 16th century, I suggest that, if you have a car, stay at a "pousada" with a parking lot close to the city, such as Varandas de Paraty - http://www.hotelvarandas.com.br - clean, affordable, convenient) and go on a boat tour. The city of Parati does not have great beaches, the surrounding islasnds do. Whatever you do, don't miss out on Praia Vermelha. If you wanted to rent a private boat to take you there, only there, and sail you back to the city it would be worthwhile, and not too expensive. Then make sure either you have someone settle the price for you or bargain as much as you can. They will take you on a full-day "private cruise" for as little as R$ 250 (did it on the Brazilian holiday of November 15th)
Day 5
- Angra dos Reis - make sure you go on a boat tour, otherwise you'll hate the place.
As Heloisa mentioned, Ilha Grande is another sure bet. One more day.
As you can see, there are lots of wonderful things to experience along the coast between São Paulo and Rio.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Cello

http://www.aondefica.com/ Here's a link you may use. There's two roads connecting Sao Paulo to Rio. The inside road is much better. Nevertheless the coast road presents very nice seeings. You may choose one of them. Both are asphalted ways. The BR-116 highway is 402Km long from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro.
Cassiovieggore; Belo Horizonte; Minas Gerais; Brasil

This is very helpful. So, is it easy to get out of the city if I rent a car from the Sao Paulo airport. I will only have 4 days. So, would you suggest taking a flight from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro and then touring around there (maybe north even). Or try to do the drive and stop at the towns in-between, then fly home from Rio? Which one is better? Thanks!

This map link is very helpful, thanks!

I would suggest you stop in-between SP and Rio, otherwise you'll have to cover much longer distances, and 4 days is not too long. Maybe "day 1" from SP to Ubatuba - a four-to-five-hour drive, you could stop somewhere for lunch, "day two" from Ubatuba to Paraty - very leisurely, as it is a very short drive (about 1.5 hour), "day 3" from Paraty to Angra, "day 4" all the way to Rio.
Then, fly back, or you might take an extremely comfortable "sleeping bus" ("Viação 1001" offers the best service, at R$ 92.00 - more info: http://www.autoviacao1001.com.br/en/ in English!), but flying would be more convenient.
If you drove north of Rio, I think the really awesome beaches start at Arraial do Cabo - not far, about 150km, a two-hour drive. But then you could also go to Búzios, etc... Another trip.

Hi, I have one more question. Is it safe to rent a car and drive? Thx.

Another helpful map at a good on-line guide, Guia4Rodas - unfortunately, no English version available. http://viajeaqui.abril.com.br/g4r/roteiros/riosantossp.shtml
Click on "Mapa Interativo" (Interactive map), you'll see São Paulo, Guarulhos, the highways, etc. You could also check hotels and "pousadas" (inns) on this guide, by typing in the name of the city in the "busca por cidades no guia" field, on top (search cities in the guide). It offers star-rated lists of accommodation and restaurants, with links to their websites. Rather intuitive to use.

Yes, I would not worry about that. I just would not venture trying to drive in the big cities, Rio-Santos is a pretty road, not in its best shape, I think, but you'll only drive past small towns. No major complications. And I am sure you will get around more easily with a nice map and your own car than trying to buy bus tickets and riding cabs - and making sense of everything. Remember that, you will not meet to many people who speak English out there, save staff at hotels/pousadas and finer restaurants...

This is very helpful also. Thanks for all your help!

Okay, great. Yes, I prefer to have my own car vs. a bus so I can stop at places and be on my own time schedule. Unfortunetly, my Spanish is ok but not my Portuguese.

What about in Rio. If we fly out of Rio but want to tour around the city or the nearby beaches beforehand would we be able to park the car, etc.?

Oh, yes, but, as I mentioned, I feel the really nice beaches start way up north of the city, would be a bit tiring. Rio itself is a fan-tas-tic city - well, I love Rio - and the city beaches, although crowded and, well.. urban (it says it all), are pretty. You'll probably stay in the so-called "south side" (Zona Sul), from Copacabana to Barra da Tijuca. Within the city, the furthest you travel South, the nicer the beaches. You wouldn't really need a car in the city, but you could park it wherever you go (you'll often need to tip someone who will want to watch your car). But it is important to remember that traffic in Rio is chaotic, cariocas drive fast, and, if you miss your exit, you might end up in a place you would not expect. It *is* easy to get lost. If I were you, I would settle for experiencing Rio on foot, staying in Leblon or Ipanema - preferably Leblon - and riding a cab whenever I wanted to go somewhere further, like Praia do Pepino, São Conrado, Barra. That's my honest opinion. You will have had a good taste of "more natural beaches" on the way to Rio, once there enjoy the restaurants, the bars, walking along the beaches, etc. It is well worth it.

Still, if you want to travel further North of Rio, Itacoatiara is the first beach worth spending some time (in Niterói).

my 2 cents:

I hate driving IN São Paulo (I live in Rio). In SP you´ll surely get lost. If you rent the car at the airport, DON´T enter the city, you´ll surely get lost.

Driving in Rio is not much of a problem, as long as you stay mostly in Zona Sul and the city center. From almost anywhere a turn left or right gets you to water which makes it easy to navigate.

Personally I don´t like to take the Rio Santos. It´s some 12 to 14 hours while the Dutra gets you to rio in 5 or 6 hours. In the dark it´s dangerous (no street lights). Gas stations are far apart. I don´t really like most of the beaches (except paraty).

Hi again. I just found out I actually have to go to Salvador, not Sao Paulo, which is probably better. I really wanted to see Rio so I think I'm going to take a flight to Rio after. If I wanted to spend a couple days in Rio and a couple in Paraty, how long is the drive from the Leblon area to Paraty? Also, can you rent cars in Leblon or do you have to go all the way to the airport?

One more thing, if I wanted to see a soccer game in Rio is there a way to get schedules ahead of time. I'm going in April. Thx.

Well, I love Bahia - although I don't care much for Salvador per se - so I think you are lucky! You will probably have more freetime fun in Salvador than you would in São Paulo. If you have the time, I would really recommend you go to Ilha de Boipeba (Boipeba Island - I think I posted something on my travel pages, but it is quite hard to get to). Otherwise, and far easier - just a two-hour drive north - is Praia do Forte. Although I feel for years now it has been too much of a "tourism mecca", crowded, etc, the beach is beau-ti-ful. Or Imbassaí, a little further north, and less crowded, particularly the stretch between Imbassaí and Praia do Forte.
You'd have no trouble renting a car wherever you stay in Rio. Several rentals offer delivery/pick-up services (at a small charge), and it would make things easier.
You can find some postings of some already-scheduled soccer games at http://globoesporte.globo.com/ESP/Futebol/TabelaJogos/0,,EEJ0-4284,00.html, but there should be more info available in March.
Cheers!