By Plane -- The major international gateway to Brazil is São Paulo's Guarulhos international airport (GRU). Most international airways have flights to Guarulhos, and it is possible to connect to all other cities in Brazil. The other major gateway is Rio de Janeiro's Galeão International airport (GIG). Though a modern international airport, Galeão has fewer direct flights to other Brazilian cities; you may have to connect through São Paulo or Brasilia.
The two big Brazilian airlines -- Gol/Varig and TAM -- also operate a number of international flights. TAM (tel. 888/2FLY-TAM [235-9826] in the U.S. and Canada, 020/8897-0005 in the U.K., or 0800/570-5700 in Brazil; www.tam.com.br) has the most international connections to North America, Europe, Asia, and the rest of South America. Relative newcomer, low-budget carrier Gol (tel. 0300/115-2121 in Brazil; www.voegol.com.br) now offers service to a number of South American destinations (Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia), a good alternative for those traveling within South America.
