Gringo mananagment wants to charge 60R for private driver. Is that comparible to reg taxi fare. $30 US for taxi in Brasil, in my opinion is that it might be overpriced. Any other suggestions. i know i can negotiate outside,not sure what prices run these days

with the new rates in cabs starting a week ago or so you are looking at 35 +-7 to the airport one way (in reais). that being said, the 20 reais extra might be worth it to you for piece of mind and knowing someone is there waiting for you who knows where to take you.

(Message edited by gr8ter on March 27, 2006)

Personally I would never pay it whether its to Gringo, Bobby or Thompson. I step outside the terminal and take a yellow metered cab. Usually the fare ends up being around BR$30.

No gurantee that the cabbies will turn on the meter when you try to head to Copa. On my last trip, I went up stairs and tried to catch a cab that had just dropped someone off. He told me he wanted 50R to take me to Copa. After switching cabs three times, I finally just said fuck it and payed the money.

Wiseone
How about asking for R$50, i think that's fair for a pickup. Why accept quoted price?
Even with taxi at rate 2, I was paying about R$40 from ipanema to gig.

I am a cheapskate. But I never skimp on airport taxis.

Reason: If I were a mugger, I would prey on gringos at the airport. These guys arrive with 2000 dollars worth of electronics plus 2500 dollars of cash. Perfect robbing victims.


I take a special airport taxi at an official booth at the airport. Probably costs even more then R$ 60, in spite of any discount.

Good point.

I've always been picked up by the woman who rents me apartments for free--she or her assistant takes me to the apartment, makes sure everything is OK. When I'm leaving, she arranges a limo back to the airport for R$50 (not a regular cab, but a nice van or large car).

If you speak no portuguese maybe but I'd just get a radio cab which I usually take. I agree with BS on this one, you are at your most vulnerable (and lucrative) to/from the airport with passport/cards/cash/watch.

I had a problem one of the few times I took a yellow cab a few years back. I even selected an Aerocoop cab which is the company AA uses but he still tried to charge me R$45 instead of R$25. I threw him R$30 and he fucked off.

IME David at GM is a good guy to deal and wouldn't rip someone off. These private drivers command a premium over yellow/radio cabs even if you organise them yourself.

What Aedgneas said.

Two trips to Rio here. First time I booked a car in advance. I figure it cost me about twice what I paid for the return to the airport in a Yellow cab but was a very nice, low stress way to arrive at a new destination worry free, and felt it was a good value for that reason. Second trip I just went upstairs to departures. There was a shady looking younger driver sitting there but I just stood around and smoked a cigarette and before long a friendly looking older guy yellow cab driver dropped someone off, I clarified he would run the meter befor I got in and was whisk away to where I wanted to go trouble free and the meter came out about 5 reais less than what I expected it to come out.

So from my point of view 60R is not a bad investment for a first trip or if you like peace of mind, but neither does it seem really hard to used the yellow cab option.

BTW, the "yellow cab" guys (well, they had cabs and they were yellow, don't know if that makes them a yellow cab) on the sidewalk downstairs all struck me as crooks and I wouldn't wan't to ride with any one of them.