GIG - RIO DE JANEIRO AIRPORT

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Rio de Janeiro Airport by ScoGreg Szczotka

26 November 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Flew out of GIG on BA flight to London: depressing, grey concrete bunker. Very poor shopping and nowhere to eat. Staff let us through the security with a 1.5L bottle of water in our hand luggage, though at check-in all restrictions on liquids and safety info is clearly displayed. One proper duty-free shop with overpriced goods - one of the worst airports I have ever been to.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Peter Johns

5 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Drab grey, concrete buildings with not a lot of amenities in regards to shopping or entertainment. But, for those of you fortunate enough to visit the newer terminals, although you probably won't be doing this with Varig given their current predicament, you will find a refreshing change. The newer terminal is much better and offers far better services and amenities. When leaving the airport taxi desks are available on the right hand side, although personally I prefer to pre- book with Rio Airport Transfer as I then have someone to meet me on the concourse and assist me with my luggage.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Simon Smith

29 January 2007

I flew out of the international airport GIG (terminal 2) on a TAM flight to Buenos Aires. It's almost completely empty, probably due to the Varig collapse, and feels very strange - a big terminal with about ten departure gates for a handful of flights per day. The facilities are really poor - there's not even a cafe airside, and prices in the "duty free" shop are much higher than in the city. There is also no information desk and almost no announcements made, so when our plane didn't turn up there was no way to find out what was going on.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Andre Boulos

29 January 2007

Terminal 1 is really old-fashionable, where most of the international flights are concentrated, making the queues for the check-in counters huge and a big mess, as the terminal is not wide enough between the check ins and the outside doors. It is the second time in 4 months I depart from the international lounge in the terminal 2 to Sao Paulo, as the flight continues to Buenos Aires and I have to say that around 6 PM, the line to the passport control and X rays is really huge, with many foreigners completely astonished with such delay. There are about 2 cabins for the passport control and 2 X-rays and both foreigners and the Brazilians have to stay in the same line, completely nonsense. I use international departures and arrival lounges in Sao Paulo and, despite having four times the number of international passengers than Rio, it works better, even in the peak hours, as there are around 12 and more than 20 passport cabins in the departure and arrival lounges for the passport control respectively. There are separate lines for Brazilian and foreigners helping to make this procedure more efficient and faster. Surprisingly, the bags arrive quicker in Sao Paulo than in Rio, even considering the huge traffic in SP. The airport really has a great potential to grow, but for such a reduced international traffic it seems very inefficient.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Andre Fernandes

22 January 2007

LHR-GRU-GIG and GIG-GRU-JFK, and GIG TPS2 is for sure the best terminal for international flights nowadays in Brazil. Easy to access the gates, lots of space, lots of sunlight, place for smokers (not my case), but need more flights and options. Very good to connect to domestic flights as well as to CGH Sao Paulo Downtown Airport. Baggage returned very quickly and there are no huge lines for Check Points like GRU.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Michael Elkington

10 June 2006

After a long overland transfer to GIG for a homeward bound flight (Iberia) I was amazed at how poor the old Terminal was. Nowhere you might want to spend your last holiday money (the bookshop sold calendars that were literally a year out of date). There was nowhere to get even a reasonable sandwich (still less a meal) though you could get a beer or coffee from the most sullen bar staff in Brazil. After a great holiday I left Rio, the city that gave us carnival, in a thoroughly bad temper.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Martin Evrard

15 February 2006

I just flew from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. I was not impressed at all by GIG airport terminal 1. It is very dark and once you went threw the passport control, there is really little to do. Two places for a drink, and a couple of shops. To those who consider buying cigarettes from the duty shop, you must know that they only accept US dollars or Euros. Don't expect to spend you last brazilian riais over there.On the top of that, cigarettes at the duty free shop are more expensive than if you buy them in the tobacco store that is right accross the hallway. A carton of Marlboro Light was 17 US$ at the duty free shop, only 11US$ at the tobacco store. Still can not figure out why !

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Doug Stookey

17 November 2005

I just returned from my second trip to Rio in as many years. Both times, I flew in and out of the (older) Terminal 1. Having not done much foreign travel, I found even the older Terminal 1 fairly easy to manoeuver around in. We had a long line for immigration, but 3 operators for foreigners had us all through in 20 minutes. Customs had long line as well. Again, we were through in 10 minutes. One through, there were plenty of friendly Terminal Porters giving information and assistance in their dark blue uniforms, one exchanged currency for me, even on Sunday. I checked in Rio and the porters were giving the same rate as the banks in Rio. You do get constantly hassled by taxi drivers trying to take you to Rio. We followed other comments (above) and went upstairs to departures and hooked a taxi into Rio. It was only R$ 67.00. Getting out of the country was easy as well. I did have my luggage searched once. It only took 10 minutes and I was immediately placed to the front of check in and actually got through check in before my companions who were not searched. OK shopping upstairs. There is an old, 70s-ish restaurant and buffet, which was actually kinda fun if you want to see what interiors were in the 70s. Terminal 1 is kinda old and dingy - maybe could use a sprucing. I didn't mind, though. It was cool stepping back into the 70s.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Mike Gallegos

18 May 2004

Rio's airport is a breeze compared to Sao Paulo's Guarulhos Airport, which is newer, but overcrowded, dirtier, and very cramped. If you don't travel on Star Alliance, you will go through Terminal 1 which is older, but not crowded, and dedicated really to just Continental and American when going to the US. Terminal 2 is not even fully utilized by the Star Alliance and half of it is shut down. Flying into and out of Rio is really easy and quick. A smart hint upon arrival: go upstairs one level to departures and find the taxi stand to get transport into the city. There you will get the same taxis but will be on the taxi meter, which is at least half of the cost offered in the arrivals area. Also, the food courts in BOTH terminals offer the SAME assortment of quick eats. The shopping is also basically the same. Better to go to the huge malls in the city to get a great assortment of shopping.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Hardi W Vieira

28 April 2004

I also agree with the last two writers. The new terminal where VARIG (and Star Alliance) and TAM operate is new, modern, clean and efficient. It has some nice shopping and restaurants. VARIG's business lounge in the new terminal is really good, with all amenities you can expect. I also experienced the old terminal with Continental, and indeed there is a big difference if you compare to the new terminal. If possible, try to avoid airlines which operate in the old terminal. The new terminal is so good that I prefer to do my domestic connection in Brazil via Rio, GIG airport rather than Sao Paulo, GRU. If the connection time is long I can even manage to catch a beach before boarding my next flight!

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Lloyd Coleman

06 September 2002

In May of 2002, I chose RIO as a vacation destination, and couldn't have been more pleased. I arrived in the early AM from Newark, and all passport control booths were open. As an American national, I found no delays or setbacks at customs & immigration, and immediately after retrieving luggage I found no trouble in getting not only a Taxi, but a hotel reservation as well at a popular low budget Copacabana hotel. I found the travel out of Rio as pleasant an experience as the arrival - despite the horror stories of other writers here in this column, We arrived at the old Airport terminal approx. 2 hrs prior to a 9pm departure and found all stores and restaurants open - in fact the dinner my travel partner and I had was one of the best served to us in Rio...it was a fancy 4-star type restaurant operated by one of the major hotels in Rio. There were no delays processing passports either way - so to all considering Rio,consider that you get what you give in terms of contact with the Brazilians.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Erez Hartal

26 August 2002

I've been in Rio De Janeiro airport 2 years ago. And the new terminal for Varig and Star alliances is new and modern, but the other terminal from my impression is older. So I guess the writer of the comment did not fly Varig, or Lufthansa or united etc. However I did find security and passport control queues to be rather long and non efficient. When coming from a long flight, that could be annoying. I almost missed my flight because passport control was so inefficient in Rio.

Rio de Janeiro Airport by Martin Peters

20 August 2002

On two visits in July this year, I found that this airport is really showing its age. On arrival only one immigration desk was open at 2pm for non-Brazilians, causing long delays. I eventually found one (only one) place open to change foreign currency - a bank, hidden away in the departure zone on the third floor, with very slow service. Transport into the city is awkward - even getting a taxi is not easy for non-Brazilians. Shops and similar facilities were also poor. Check in and immigration were also slow and outdated. It's time for a serious upgrading for this airport.

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