Car Hire Porto Alegre Airport

Porto Alegre Airport Mini Guide

What Can you Tell me About Porto Alegre?
Porto Alegre is the southernmost capital in Brazil and home to the fiercely proud ‘gaucho’. During the history of Brazil, the gauchos declared their intention to become independent from Brazil several times and each time they suffered bloody losses. Today’s city is one of the richest in the country with a high level of literacy and thriving industries as well as many things to see and do. Male visitors will be interested to find that the women of the city are considered to be the most beautiful in Brazil. Lovers of nature will be excited that the Guaiba Lake, which the city has a waterfront on, has dozens of small islands that have been left as eco reserves, home to nearly 30% of the flora and fauna of the state.

How do I Get to Porto Alegre?
You can catch a bus, taxi, or hire a car from Salgado Filho Airport which is only four miles from the city centre. There’s also a subway stop at Terminal 2 directly into the city whilst Azul Brazilian Airlines offer free shuttles to all its passengers. The airport has dozens of daily flights all over South America as well as a TAP flight daily to Lisbon so that European travellers can access the city easily.

What is the Airport Like?
Nearly seven million passengers used Salgado Filho Airport last year and it’s a very busy airport. It has two terminals, Terminal 1 was built in 2001 and is state of the art having the first shopping mall of any South American airport. Terminal 2, which it replaced was renovated and upgraded last year in response to increased passenger numbers and, despite having fewer shops, is the equal of its sister terminal in quality and facilities.

What can I Expect When I Arrive at Porto Alegre?
You’ll be stunned by the scale and modern design of the airport as well as the sheer size of the multi-level shopping area. You’ll have the luxury in South America of disembarking via jet bridges into the terminal and may well have to go through passport control if you are not a domestic traveller. The terminals are self-contained, each having an information desk and car hire outlets. There are banks, including Banco do Brasil and currency exchange facilities in each too.

Tell me More About the Airport’s Facilities for Departing Passengers?
The shopping mall, situated in Terminal 1, has over forty shops and restaurants, many of which are mirrored in Terminal 2. You can buy just about anything you could on a high street there and many of the items for sale are at reduced prices. The range of restaurants and cafes is good too with Casa do Pao and Botequim Brasil offering superb meals at a good value price. If you prefer plainer fare, there’s also a McDonalds restaurant! Finally when you’re done looking around the shops, you can use the airport’s internet facilities to check what’s happening in the world.

Porto Alegre is an unusual city in Brazil having a very European feel to it. It’s a very successful commercial city and has one of the highest standards of living in the country. The city is built along the eastern bank of the Guaiba River where many people gather to see the spectacular sunsets over the river.

There’s a tourist bus that travels right across the city showing you the pretty and interesting bits called the Linha Turismo, tickets are very reasonable and the trip will save you getting lost and you can return later in your hire car.