The closest airport to Christ the Redeemer is Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) in Rio de Janeiro Downtown (Centro). The point is that SDU is not an international airport, so if you are flying to Brazil directly to Rio de Janeiro you will land on the Rio de Janeiro international airport (GIG – Galeao/Antonio Carlos Jobim).
Even if you are flying to Sao Paulo, and then proceeding to Rio you are likely to land on the Rio de Janeiro international airport (GIG), not on Santos Dummont. However, if you land on Sao Paulo international airport (Guarulhos), and then go to Sao Paulo domestic airport (Cumbica), then you will land on SDU. Only travelers who visit Sao Paulo, and then later travel to Rio use the shuttle airports Cumbica – Santos Dumont.
The bottom line is that the regular tourist will land on Rio de Janeiro international airport (GIG).
From GIG to Corcovado Train Station is about 30 minutes on a taxi without traffic (such as on weekends and holidays). On weekdays mornings count on 40-80 minutes. Then, from the station it takes 20 minutes on train to get to the top of Corcovado Mountain where the statue was built.
There are many variables that may make your trip to Christ the Redeemer statue a success or a failure. Learn how to beat the crowds, check the maps out, and plan a smooth visit to Rio and its attractions by getting a copy of My Rio Travel Guide, the most useful, concise, and practical travel guide to Rio de Janeiro.
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