Travel from port to Copacabana beach

Looking at getting tickets and shuttle to Christ the redeemer. website says go to "Ave Atlantica outside the ticket office 1 block north Copacabana Palace"

1.What is the best way from port please?

2. ships docks at 8 will there be time to see the statue and spend time on beach. Ship leaves at 7pm.

Thanks

If you intend to get there early, at opening at 8, IMO the train from Cosme Velho is more fun and more scenic than the shuttle. For the shuttle, you can go to Largo de Marchado in Catete, or Praca do Lido, the place you mention in Copacabana. Any taxi driver knows it. Just say the name PRAH-sah doo LEE-doo and the word (Cristo) CREES-too, and they'll know.

There's a map here: http://www.paineirascorcovado.com.br/#

The only way to get anywhere from the cruise port is by taxi (or private car).

That's great, thank you

Looking at getting tickets and shuttle to Christ the redeemer. website says go to "Ave Atlantica outside the ticket office 1 block north Copacabana Palace"

1.What is the best way from port please?

2. ships docks at 8 will there be time to see the statue and spend time on beach. Ship leaves at 7pm.

Thanks

Travel from port to Copacabana or elsewhere by metro is very inconvenient, there's no metro station near the port. I don't know about buses, but I suspect the only convernient transport is by taxi.

Taxis (both plain & liveried) lined-up at the port gate are a cartel, they don't run their meters, the taxi-master will negotiate a fixed rate. A high fixed rate.

If you simply want to get to a destination, such as that shuttle pick-up or the rail station for Corcovado, ignore those taxis. Walk out into the main street and away from the port, and hail a passing liveried taxi. Its metered rate will be significantly lower than those fixed-price offerings. If you have only USD, check that the driver will accept them. Most drivers have nil or limited English.

Those fixed-price taxis at the port are OK, especially for four people, to take you from the port to Corcovado, wait for you (60 minutes? / 90 minutes?), then take you to any location such as Copacabana or Ipenema beaches, or to Sugar Loaf. Negotiate on their price & agree a timescale before you board, pay at the end. We did that on one occasion, the driver had left his meter running and when we alighted at the end (Sugar Loaf), the agreed price almost matched the meter. The taxi-master will speak good English, the drivers may not.

If you go up by taxi, you will be taken to a carpark near the top, you then pay your admission to Christ the Redeemer and are taken the last half-mile or so by included shuttle-van. I don't know if the routine is the same for the shuttle from Rio, or whether the Rio shuttle includes admission. When comparing the cost against the train, bear in mind that the train price includes admission to Christ the Redeemer.

You can't negotiate a one-way taxi up to Corcovado, because there are no taxis available to hire at the top.

The whole thing by taxi from the port is by far both your simplest option and the most economical on your time. But it may not be the cheapest.

The train option, as VNP's post, is more attractive. The train ticket price includes admission. The total cost for two, including taxis to/from the station, is about the same as the taxi "tour" from the port plus admission.

But you need to bear a couple of things in mind:

Like those parked-up at the port, the taxis parked-up at Cosme Velho station prefer to negotiate a price rather than use their meters. So again you might have to walk up the road and hail a passing taxi to take you to Copacabana or wherever.

I don't know whether timed train tickets are available in advance.

To buy on the day, you join a line at the station ticket booth. You'll be given timed tickets for the earliest available train, you can then relax until close to your train time and then join a short & quick line to board the train.When we arrived, we checked with those leaving the ticket booth with their tickets in hand. Their tickets were for an acceptable 30 minutes later, so we joined the ticket line. Some 15 minutes later when we got to the front of the line, our tickets were for over two hours later. :eek:

Tour groups had block-booked the mid-morning trains. :rolleyes:

Apparently this is normal. So get there early, or pre-book timed tickets if possible.

As mentioned, the train ticket includes admission.

There's no timed ticketing for the return, when we used the train there was no line to come back down - we simply caught the next train.

I don't know the Rio shuttle, but to get to the pick-up you'll need a taxi to Copacabana. It's a bit of a dog-leg that'll cost you time although at the end of the tour of course you'll be at Copacabana where you want to be. Even allowing for that taxi fare, its probably the cheapest option - but again, when comparing prices check whether it includes admission.

Finally, if Christ the Redeemer is shrouded in mist the view will be limited or zero. IMHO the view from Sugar Loaf is both more reliable and more dramatic than from Corcovado. You look down on Rio spread around you, rather than seeing from afar.

If you negotiate a taxi from the port to Corcovado, spend 90 minutes there, then get dropped at the cablecar station for Sugarloaf, spend a couple of hours on Sugar Loaf and then hail a taxi back to the ship, you'll have plenty of time for both. Mebbe even time to chill a while on nearby Copacabana beach.

Just my own experience.

JB :)

Hi John Bull

thank you so much for the time and trouble you have taken to reply, it's been printed off and really useful. Sharon