Transportation In Salvador

Salvador has an assortment of transportation services. Such as its hillside elevators, and one-way streets. The Lacerda Elevator runs daily from 5 am to midnight, linking the low and high cities. The PIano Inclinado Gonçalves, near the Praça da Sé, behind the cathedral, makes the same link and is more enjoyable, but only operates Monday to Saturday from 5 am to 10 pm. There is also the Plano Inclinado Liberdade/Calçada, which links two neighborhoods north of the city center.

Bus

There are three municipal bus stops, and the bus system is efficient and easy to use. The two most useful municipal bus stops in the city center are Praça da Sé and Avenida da França. Buses from Praça da Sé go to Campo Grande, Vitória and all the Atlantic coast beaches as far as Praia Flamengo, just past Praia Itapoã. Executivo buses marked Praça da Sé / Aeroporto also leave from here, and go along the beaches from Barra to Itapoã (US$2.80).

The Avenida da França stop is in Cidade Baixa beside the Lacerda Elevator. From here, take either the Ribeira or the Bonfim bus to the Itaparica ferry (get off after a couple of kilometres, when you see the Pirelli Pneus store on your left); the Mercado São Joaquim (get off at the stop after Pirelli Pneus); or continue to Igreja NS do Bonfim and Ribeira.

The third municipal bus stop is Estação da Lapa, in Barris, which has connections to everywhere in the city; it's well laid out, with destinations clearly labeled. To reach the center, any bus with "Sé", "C. Grande" or "Lapa" on the route card will do.

Airport Transportation

Dois de Julho airport is over 30km from the city center, inland from Itapoã. The two taxi companies represented at the airport share a bilheteria (ticket office) and have the same prices. The table displayed in the office shows prices to several destinations in the city. A taxi ride from the airport to Praça da Sé costs US$30 - 40. The best way to reach the city center is to take the green and white Ondina executivo bus marked Praça da Sé / Aeroporto. The fare is US$2.80.

Air Services

Varig Brazilian Airlines is the largest airline offering direct flights from New York, Miami and Los Angeles directly into Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. From there you can board connecting flights. There are also other international carriers with flights in Salvador. Additionally there are a variety of national airlines servicing Salvador from other Brazilian cities.

Rodoviária

The rodoviária is 5km from the city center, but it can be a bit messy taking a bus there - many buses marked rodoviária drive all over the city - and can take up to an hour during rush hour. For a quicker trip, it's advisable to take a taxi, which costs US$6 from Praça da Sé. At the rodoviária, there's a bilheteria that sells fixed-price taxi coupons, but these prices are 30% higher than regular taxis. The most convenient way to go by bus to the rodoviária is to take the Iguatemi bus from Praça da Sé. From here, use the pedestrian footbridge to cross the highway to the rodoviária. The bus goes via Barra and Ondina and takes about 45 minutes. The fare is US$0.70. Alternatively, you can use the bus service between the rodoviária and Campo Grande and change there to a bus for the city center. The rodoviária is a self-contained complex with a Bahiatursa office, Telebahia office, supermarket, left-luggage service, and a couple of inexpensive eateries. For more complex requirements, you can pop across the pedestrian footbridge and visit Salvador's largest shopping complex - Shopping Iguatemi.

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