Santos - Brazil

[Binger]

I have read about Ilabella and wonder is I could take a sailboat/boat from Santos to Ilabella.

[Kempa]

I have read about Ilabella and wonder is I could take a sailboat/boat from Santos to Ilabella.

 

Probably not. Ilhabela is about 60 miles away to the nearest point. Unless you want to hire a fast boat to take you there for the day, the only way would be to go by car (and ferry to the island).

[aceatch]

If anybody needs any information on this specific South America port just ask as I know it quite well. Thanks

we are planning to join a cruise next march starting from Santos and would like some of your advice. We also plan to stay a couple of days in santos before joining the cruise. My questions are:

1. What is the is the best and safest way to get from San Paulo international airport to santos and what is the cost?

 

2. Where abouts in santos is the cruise terminal - where is it in relation to the beach hotels?

 

3. could you recommend a beach hotel not too far from the cruise terminal?

 

4. how much would it cost by taxi from the hotel to the cruise terminal?

 

5. any other useful tips.

 

Thanks for your kind advice.

[Luigia]

Lirio, Thanks for that info! Being totally unfamiliar w/ Santos (I DO know that was the home of PELE) and the harbor area, here are two more questions...

- From where RCCL bus from the ship to the Cruise Terminal drops us off, how do I get from the dropoff point to where the bus to Congonhas airport would pick us up? Easy walk? Taxi?

 

- Also, what would you think a taxi from the Cruise Terminal to Congonhas airport would cost?

 

Thanks, again!

 

Wondering if you found out any information yet about the bus to Guarulhas airport. Need to get from Santos to airport on morning of Feb.15,2011.

thanks

[cruiseteachers]

If anybody needs any information on this specific South America port just ask as I know it quite well. Thanks

 

We arrive Santos on 12/29/11 and will be in port from 8 am to 8pm. Our ship offers one excursion in Santos and one to Sao Paulo. I would like to explore other options. Please contact me privately at cruiseteachers@comcast.net

[NoCaNiNaCast]

Cavaco - we will be taking a cruise in February and I understand that the port is in Santos. Do you suggest that we use the transfers through the cruise line (preferably not because it's usually more expensive)? Any suggestions for other contacts that will safely take us to the port?

 

Thanks.

[argentinita]

I will be taking a cruise from Santos in January.

This is what I find out, I hope something will help.

Transfer from Guarulhos Airport to Santos http://www.guarucoop.com.br is a taxi firm inside the airport with default rates. No reservations are necessary. They have a counter where a request. Approximate cost: $ 190

I know it can go from Guarulhos in metro to a bus station and from there by bus to Santos.

Hotel pre cruise booked in Guaruja (nearby city), because I was told that the beach is most beautiful. Dont know about hotel in Santos. Find in Google Hotels in Santos.

Hotel-Port Taxi: Approximately $ 48

The cruise port has a website with lots of information: http://www.concais.com

 

Have a great cruise !!

[NoCaNiNaCast]

Thanks.

[NoCaNiNaCast]

Lirio - any suggestions on airport transfers from Rio to hotel and then from hotel to port? We will be staying in Rio for a couple of days next February for the pre-Carnival then boarding the cruise ship on February 18th. We will actually then need transfers from the port back to the airport.

 

Thanks.

[Menininha82]

@NoCaNiNaCast

 

From the airport in Rio to the hotel, you have 3 main choices: Real bus, regular taxi and pre-paid taxi.

You will be solicited for the pre-paid (can be by credit card, but is about double the price of the regular taxis) taxis as you exit the international area of the terminal by a horde of young women. Some new travelers feel comfortable paying for a 'perceived' sense of extra security with these.

Regular taxis are found outside the terminal. The drivers are by and large family men trying to make an honest living, but do check that the meter is on (1 for day, 2 for night/weekend/holiday). Depending on which part of the beach to which you are going, Copacabana should be about R$40 and Ipanema about $60. You can also try to go to the Departures area where taxis may be letting off their passengers and try to bargain for a flat rate ride back into the city.

If you wish to save money or be a bit adventurous, the a/c Real bus (about R$9) passes along the street next to the beach in Copacabana and Ipanema, so you need to know the cross street to tell the driver where you wish to get off. There is designated space for luggage on this bus.

 

From the hotel to the port, just have the hotel call you a taxi or get one from the nearest taxi stand.

 

For the trip from the port back to the airport, there will be many taxis waiting at the port when you come off the ship.

 

Have a great trip.

[stephp6]

Hi - any advice on english only speakers cruising out of Santos? We fly into Sao Paulo from NY and have heard that no one speaks English in the airport. We are very concerned about finding our RCI transfer. We were not aware that the entire cruise with be in Portuguese (annoucements, shows, etc)

[Menininha82]

Take a phrase book and/or dictionary.

Beforehand, you could try one of the online sites that teach a bit of basic Portuguese, some of which have audio so you can hear the accent. Learning a few basic phrases would be helpful to you during your trip.

S.P. is probably one of the places, esp. at the airport, where you might be likely to find an English speaker. Employees there are more used to dealing with foreign tourists.

Be prepared to write things down and show them, such as the information about your transfer.

Many tourists enjoy travelling all over Brazil, even with no Portuguese. State of mind and creativity (charades :-) earn points.

[AmourdeFrance]

We will be in Santos in February, on the Insignia. We would like to rent a car for the day. Does anyone know which car rental agencies are close to the port? Also, are there any reliable local companies that are less expensive than the big name operations (and have English speaking staff)?

[Fattony]

We will be in Santos in February, on the Insignia. We would like to rent a car for the day. Does anyone know which car rental agencies are close to the port? Also, are there any reliable local companies that are less expensive than the big name operations (and have English speaking staff)?

 

Where are you going to go for one day out of Santos? If going to GRU (airport), be prepared for heavy traffic. I don't know Santos well enough to know if there's much worthwhile to see by car that you couldn't see by organized tour or bus. I certainly wouldn't bank on English-speaking staff being present on a regular basis at any car rental agency (maybe at GRU and GIG, but not sure), and, of course, not at gas stations, police stations, etc.

 

Have you driven outside of the U.S. before? We reside in Brazil part of the year, and I've seldom seen such aggressive and just plain careless drivers. Brazilians have a reputation for being laid-back but that changes when they get behind the wheel of a car (years ago, when I worked in Rio, on fellow ex-pat said Brazilian drivers reminded him of Goofy in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZAZ_xu0DCg).

 

Rental rates can be very high. Make sure you have insurance that covers you in Brazil or you buy what the company offers. Make sure your the car you choose has air bags (many smaller cars in Brazil have not had air bags, and the last time we rented a car in Brazil some of the smaller cars had no air bags, though that may have changed). Be prepared for high gas prices (we're in Fortaleza and pay over $5 a gallon). And learn some basic Portuguese words so you can understand signs and be able to communicate if you get lost, or, God forbid, get in an accident. If you've driven in various countries, especially those with lax enforcement of traffic rules, you may find it no big deal. I've been driving here for years and still find it nerve-wracking, but others have no problem. And Brazilians don't seem to get nervous (crazy, yes, but not nervous). In some areas you need to watch out for speed and red light cameras.

[aroundthe world]

I was planning on staying in Santos for the day and was happy to read your comments. We plan on going to the each for a few hours. Is there a recommended area to go to.

Also was wondering if there were any coffee plantations nearby to tour Thank you!

[grmmybtty]

It is not that taxis are not reliable but, on days when cruise ships are in port, they are keen on sometimes putting their prices up a bit but nothing that cannot be decided with a bit of negotiation before boarding the taxi. There is public transport nearby but one needs to know where to go, which bus to take and master a bit of portuguese to pay the fare, etc. I understand that some shopping centres send vans to the cruise terminal and take passengers for free to their shops. Some of these shopping centres are located near the beach and in some one can take a taxi to go further. The shopping centres themselves are quite safe and offer quite afew good options for eating, etc. The decor is of dubious taste but that is another matter altogether :-)

 

Since this post was quite a while ago, I wanted to know if these free shuttles from port to downtown shops are still available. We wanted to walk around town, visit the Coffee Museum, Botanic Gardens, have a nice lunch, etc. and are exploring our transportation options. What is a fair price for a taxi from port to town?

[earn]

We are planning to take MSC Preziosa back from Santos to Venice next year. We will hopfully be flying in to Sao Paulo two days early. our plan is to spend the first night in Sao Paulo unless our flight arrives eary, in which case we plan to head for Santos. WE have two sons ages 15 and 13, and think the beach is probably a good idea.

 

WE would prefer to save some money and take the bus from the airport in Sao Paulo to Santos, but expect we would then need to take a taxi to the hotel. Any ideas on current costy for the bus and taxi or taxi for whole journey?

 

Thanks

[VidaNaPraia]

The ticket counter for the bus is next to the Hertz car rental office at the airport. There are two bus counters. The second one is Viacao Cometa bus to Santos. .Costs R$24 pp. The bus makes about four stops in the Airport area. The trip takes less than 2 hours. You can use this site for schedules:

http://www.buscaonibus.com.br/horario/santos/aeroporto-de-guarulhos

Maybe another R$25 for taxi to hotel in Santos.

[earn]

Fantastic. Thanks for the useful info.