There is no direct bus from Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) to Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Santos Dumont Airport is located in Centro (Downtown Rio) and the Corcovado Train Station (from where you take the train to visit Christ the Redeemer statue) is in Cosme Velho District. However, both Santos Dumont Airport and Corcovado Train Station are actually very close to each other — only 6.7 kilometers (4.1 miles) separate the airport from the train station.
In a nutshell, you need to go from the airport to the train station, and from there on train up to the summit of Corcovado Mountain where the statue is placed.
Santos Dumont Airport to Christ the Redeemer by bus
Not only there is no direct bus from the Santos Dumont Airport to the statue or to the train station, but it is a bit complicated for a tourist to find his way by bus (you would need to take two). Beware that bus stops in Rio de Janeiro have minimum information (if any) or itinerary, and nothing is written in English (neither there is information or an itinerary map inside the buses). The bottom line is skip the bus to get from the SDU airport to the statue.
Santos Dumont Airport to Christ the Redeemer by subway
Cinelândia Subway Station is about 20 minutes on foot from Santos Dumont Airport. Upon disembarking at the airport, it is not easy to figure out in which direction the Cinelândia Subway Station is. Besides, that walk is not recommended early morning, at night or on weekends since the area is deserted, and in Rio de Janeiro the rule of thumb is to stay away from deserted areas.
Largo do Machado Subway Station is the closest station to Corcovado Train Station. However, you either need to take a 5-7 minute taxi (R$10; US$5; €4), or to take a 15-minute bus (#422 or 498 direction “Cosme Velho”, R$2.75; US$1.35; €1.20), or walk about 30-40 minutes.
Briefly, you would need to walk up to Cinelândia Subway Station, and after disembarking 7 minutes later at Largo do Machado Subway Station, you would need to walk, to take a bus, or to take a taxi. The bottom line is skip the subway to get from Santos Dumont Airport to Corcovado Train Station.
Santos Dumont Airport to Christ the Redeemer by taxi
Taking a taxi at Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) to Corcovado Train Station is the best, quickest and safest choice to get to the Corcovado Train Station in Cosme Velho Neighborhood. The yellow taxi ride costs approximately R$18; US$9; €7 (roughly 70-80% more if you take the special taxi) and the ride takes 15-20 minutes. Assuming that you have a layover in Rio de Janeiro, you will want to use your time wisely. So, skip the bus and the subway and take the yellow taxi.
Do you want to beat the crowds at Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf as well as see as much as possible in your short visit to Rio de Janeiro? Follow the detailed, tried-and-tested self-guide itinerary in My Rio Travel Guide – The Essential How-To Visitor’s Guide to Rio de Janeiro.
Read related articles on Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro:
► Hours of Corcovado Train Station
► Advantages of taking the train up to Christ statue on Corcovado Mountain
► How long can you stay on summit of Corcovado Mountain?
