Travel

Rio de Janeiro International Airport

Named after musician Antonio Carlos Jobim, it is one of the most important international hubs in South America and receives over 20 milliion passengers per annum. Currently, the airport is directly linked with over 40 international destinations in Europe, Africa, North America and Asia.

The management was recently privatized and the airport will be renovated for the Summer Olympic Games in August 2016. The airport is located about 20 km from the southern districts of Rio, which includes Ipanema, Leblon and Gávea.

The trip duration is about 25 minutes by standard taxi, which costs around US$ 20, whereas it takes about 45 minutes by bus at the cost of US$ 5. These estimates are for light traffic. Heavy traffic is experienced from 7am to 10:30am and from 5pm to 7pm.

Hotels

It is highly recommended that attendees of SAM 2016 stay close to the conference venue in neighbourhoods such as Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana. These areas offer plenty of options for accommodation, dining and leisure.

We have reserved some rooms in selected hotels for SAM 2016 attendees and you can book them using the following link:

Reserved rooms

Some alternative suggestions for accommodation include:

Ipanema:

Ipanema Everest Hotel
Ipanema Inn
San Marco Hotel
Ipanema Beach Hostel

Leblon:

Marina Palace
Mercure Leblon
Leblon All Suites Deluxe Hostel
Lemon Spirit

Copacabana:

Rio Othon Palace
Windsor Copa
Savoy
CabanaCopa Hostel

Getting around

Rio is a city to be enjoyed by the day and walking around the southern districts is an excellent way to get to know how cariocas live. The easiest way to get around is using taxis which are inexpensive. There are taxi apps which allow you to call drivers who speak English. The taxi apps can be downloaded from:

The underground is particularly useful to get to PUC-Rio and to the city centre. There are underground stations spread across the southern districts and a map can be obtained from the Metro Rio website.

Another inexpensive alternative is to use buses. Buses 432 and 435 can be taken from Copacabana (Rua Tonelero), Ipanema (Rua Prudente de Morais) and Leblon (Avenida General S. Martin) to PUC-Rio (final stop).

Visa

Holders of passports issued by countries which have an exemption agreement with Brazil do not need a visa and can stay up to 90 days in the country. These include EU, Israel, most American countries except USA, Canada and Cuba.

Attention: The Brazilian government has decided to waive visas for all visitors to Brazil from USA, Canada, Australia and Japan who arrive after 1st June and before 18th September 2016 for tourism. The idea is to facilitate the visits related to the Olympic Games but also to encourage tourism. If you are planning to participate in SAM 2016 and you hold a passport from USA, Canada, Australia and Japan then you will no longer need a visa for tourism.

Travel and Safety Information : The safety and well-being of all conference attendees is of most concern. We will continue to monitor any official travel advisories related to the Zika Virus and update the event website to keep you informed. For specific information about the Zika Virus please access the following:

- World Health Organization

- Centers for Disease Control