How to spend time before flight from Rio

[Pearl64]

We will be getting off the Marina in December. We have flights to Iguazzu Falls later that day. The airline has changed the time of our flight to later around 5:30 ish. We had planned to be last off and head to the airport but now that it is a longer time we are in a quandary. I have read that the airport is not the best place to spend that much time. plus we will need some food. We hope to stow some of our bags at the hotel we are staying after the Falls. But what to do until 4ish when we need to be at the airport. We will try to get by with the least amount of luggage but we will have some. We can't just have carry ons as we are only permitted 11 pounds. We have a tour set up the day before and the day after we get back. Since we will have some luggage, this may restrict where we can go. We are looking for some suggestions. Thank you.

 

Pearl

[VidaNaPraia]

We will be getting off the Marina in December. We have flights to Iguazzu Falls later that day. The airline has changed the time of our flight to later around 5:30 ish. We had planned to be last off and head to the airport but now that it is a longer time we are in a quandary. I have read that the airport is not the best place to spend that much time. plus we will need some food. We hope to stow some of our bags at the hotel we are staying after the Falls. But what to do until 4ish when we need to be at the airport. We will try to get by with the least amount of luggage but we will have some. We can't just have carry ons as we are only permitted 11 pounds. We have a tour set up the day before and the day after we get back. Since we will have some luggage, this may restrict where we can go. We are looking for some suggestions. Thank you.

Pearl

 

1) Realize that there is rush hour traffic in Rio and be sure to leave sufficient time to get to GIG (I'm assuming you're flying out from GIG and not Santos Dumont).

2) Where exactly is your hotel?

3) If you don't want to make a trip to your hotel to store luggage, there is a baggage storage room in the Santos Dumont in-town airport, fairly close to the cruise pier and to the downtown (which is one option for things to see, the historic buildings there. Lots of restaurants for lunch in the busy business district.), and where you could store the bags you are taking to Iguacu as well as those you will pick up and use on your return. Taxis are easy to get from S.D. to GIG and there is also a shuttle bus.

4) The informational site www.ipanema.com has a lot of ideas for things to do in Rio. The area that has most tourist sights is pretty compact. You could go up Sugarloaf, for one example, or tour the historic downtown, or taxi up into charming Santa Teresa for lunch.

[Fattony]

What time do you think you'd be off the ship? It's not clear to me what you want to do, other than kill time. How much time will you have in Rio after Foz de Iguaçu? I'd also want to know where the hotel where you will store your bags is located. Beach area? Centro? Botafogo? Other? That's rather critical. If the hotel is in the beach areas, for example, I'd store the bags and have a long lunch at a restaurant with a view of the beach. If you'll have a few bags with you, I think walking around is out, unless you can store all bags (even those you'll have with you) at the hotel while you walk. There at least used to be a luggage storage facility at GIG, if you don't want to leave bags at your hotel.

 

We assume you're flying out of the international airport (GIG), not the aforementioned downtown airport (SDU). That also makes a difference. I don't know of any airport where it's fun to spend time, but I've spent hours at GIG, usually at the American Express Centurion Club (level 2 of Terminal 1). IMHO, best food at the airport (which isn't saying much) is at the restaurant of the Hotel Luxor, near the Centurion Club. At least it's better than the selections of the food court. I've heard restaurants have opened in Terminal 2.

 

5 kg is the official limit for carry-on bags for strictly domestic flights. Checked bag limit is also low. We had never been asked to weigh out carry-on bags until recently, when we connected from a Delta international flight to a Gol domestic flight, and the Gol attendant insisted that while our checked bag limit was 70 lbs. per bag (we had flown business class), the carry-on bag limit was the 5 kg limit for strictly domestic flights. We argued, but to no avail. Delta later told us, via e-mail, that the Gol agent had been incorrect, but it may indicate that they're starting to enforce the limit. Also on Gol, the only thing you get for free is water from a large bottle. Not sure if TAM has also done away with all free food or even snacks. My wife flew Azul on a domestic flight and said she got free food. No experience with the other "major" domestic carrier, Avianca Brasil.

[Pearl64]

Here are more details. I think we can be off the ship by 9. We will have arrived the day before and have an overnight on the ship. Our flight to GIG-IGU is at 5 pm. It was to have been earlier but the airline changed the time of the flight. We will have seen Christ the Redeemer, the beaches, fort, on the day we arrive. Upon our return to Rio we have a second tour with airport dropoff. That tour should concentrate on the historic downtown, arches, etc. Our hotel upon our return to Rio is the Windsor Copa on Nessa Senhorra Avenue in Copacabana. I am well aware of the baggage restrictions but we are on 5 week vacation so we will have baggage even though we will try to restrict ourselves to two 25" bags plus two carryons of 20". We are hoping to just take one big bag to the Falls as we are allowed up to 50 lbs. Our carryons will basically be medicine and camera.

 

We are looking for something to do for about 5 hours and possibly having lunch. Or would it be better to just go to the airport? I just thought we could see something that wouldn't take too long and have lunch.

 

If we are at the airport at 3 is that early enough? Is this flight a domestic or international flight? I was thinking the former.

 

Thank you for the information about the restaurants at the airport as our flight back to the states is not until 11 pm. We have a tour this day so I am not worried about what to do so much then. I know we will still be waiting quite a while before our flight.

 

Thank you so much for your responses. I just like to have some sort of a plan rather than just winging it.

 

Pearl

[VidaNaPraia]

Copacabana is not too far from the cruise pier. It might take about a half hour max to get over there with the baggage, and then deal with the front desk person about storage there.

 

Given what you have mentioned about the tours you have already arranged for, one idea might be to take a ferry ride (12 minutes, departs every 15) from the ferry building on Praca XV near the centro (near Santos Dumont domestic in-town airport) across the bay over to Niteroi. The views back to Rio are great for photos. There you could take more photos from the city park, go to see the Niemeyer-designed modern art museum, and eat lunch at the fish market. There's a small tourist info booth just as you exit the ferry building on the Niteroi side that may be able to advise on getting around on that side. I like getting out on the water, so I've done this ride with a short time to spend. Getting back to GIG from Praca XV shouldn't take a long time, and you could also think of leaving the bags going with you to Iguacu at the nearby Santos Dumont airport baggage storage, where getting a taxi or shuttle bus to GIG would be easy.

You don't mention going up Sugarloaf, so that could be another possible destination.

Will you have covered all of the vista points in Tijuca forest (Vista Chines, etc) ? Will you have arranged to go to the waterfall and koi pond there?

Do you like museums? Take a look at the list and descriptions on www.ipanema.com and maybe choose one of those. Or one of the shopping malls (Shopping Leblon, Rio Sul, etc)? Which city parks will you have arranged to see on your tours?

[kb4683]

We will be staying at the Novotel Santos Dumont in January and then flying out of GIG to Manaus on TAM. The flight leaves GIG at 12:45 pm, what time should we leave for the airport and what would you suggest for transportation from hotel to GIG?

 

Thanks!

[Pearl64]

Thank you, Vida, for your reply. We are hopefully going to Sugar Loaf on our first tour day as well as the Tijuca Forest. I am not sure what all we will be seeing that day but if we do not see all, that might be a possibility.

 

When you say Copacabana is not far from the pier, are you saying that is via taxi? I did not presume you meant walking in the heat! It will be a Sunday. Will that make a difference?

 

I like some of your suggestions. We will have to figure on how to get from one to the other. What time do you suggest we leave to get to GIG for a 5 pm flight?

 

Thank you again.

 

Pearl

[VidaNaPraia]

Thank you, Vida, for your reply. We are hopefully going to Sugar Loaf on our first tour day as well as the Tijuca Forest. I am not sure what all we will be seeing that day but if we do not see all, that might be a possibility.

 

When you say Copacabana is not far from the pier, are you saying that is via taxi? I did not presume you meant walking in the heat! It will be a Sunday. Will that make a difference?

 

No, no, I meant by taxi. The pier area is not safe to walk anyway; it is industrial and undergoing major renovations. There may be slightly less traffic on a Sunday than on a weekday work day with a rush hour.

 

 

I like some of your suggestions. We will have to figure on how to get from one to the other. What time do you suggest we leave to get to GIG for a 5 pm flight?

 

You need to be there at least 1.5 hours before the flight takes off. Leave about an hour to get out to the airport (depending on what you decide to do and exactly where you end up).

 

Thank you again.

 

Pearl

 

Have a great trip.

[Fattony]

We will be staying at the Novotel Santos Dumont in January and then flying out of GIG to Manaus on TAM. The flight leaves GIG at 12:45 pm, what time should we leave for the airport and what would you suggest for transportation from hotel to GIG?

 

Thanks!

 

You should start your own thread, really. Makes it complicated to have questions from, and answers to, multiple people on one thread. You don't say what day of the week, but I think you'd likely get to GIG in 30 mins. by taxi. I'd leave 2 hours before your flight.

[kb4683]

You should start your own thread, really. Makes it complicated to have questions from, and answers to, multiple people on one thread. You don't say what day of the week, but I think you'd likely get to GIG in 30 mins. by taxi. I'd leave 2 hours before your flight.

 

Sorry, you're right, should have started a new thread :o. Thanks for the info. BTW, it's a Sunday (Jan 5)