It is safe to take a legal yellow taxi from Rio de Janeiro airport. However, yellow taxis from airport partner companies (cooperatives) are safer than yellow taxis from any driver just outside the airport terminal. Not that all taxi drivers outside the airport are dishonest, but some may be so. To be on the safe side, take a taxi from a taxi company with a booth inside the airport.
Note about safety: Rio de Janeiro in general is way safer than you may imagine. Rio airport, in particular, is very safe — it is guarded, patrolled, and monitored by surveillance cameras. Upon disembarking at Rio airport you will not feel unsafe.
Where to take the safe taxis at Rio de Janeiro Airport?
Since there will be a major renovation at the airport to prepare it for the 2016 Rio Olympics, some of these taxi company booths location may change.
Instead of walking around (after a long-haul flight) looking for the right taxi booth to book a taxi to your hotel, find an updated map of where they are located as well as fare information in My Rio Travel Guide, the most updated travel guide to Rio de Janeiro.
Forms of payment of Rio airport taxis
You can pay Rio airport taxis in ‘real’ (Brazilian currency) in cash, or by major credicards (usually pre-paid). Beware that some taxis at Rio airport are more expensive than others (there are several different companies operating in the area).
To fully understand the differences between taxis at Rio de Janeiro airport… get your copy of My Rio Travel Guide by clicking below!
P.S. You can also read about safety in Rio de Janeiro in Chapter 1 of My Rio Travel Guide.