By Plane -- Varig (tel. 0800/99-7000); Gol (tel. 0300/789-2121); and TAM (tel. 0800/570-5700 or 071/3203-2000) all fly from Rio, São Paulo, Recife, Brasilia, and other places with connections.
The modern Aeroporto Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhães (tel. 071/3204-1010), Salvador's international airport, is 32km (20 miles) from downtown. The bank machines are all in the arrivals hall area, to the right at the end of the corridor (past the office for Costa do Sauípe). Cambio Gradual offers 24-hour money-changing services.
To reach your hotel, Coometas taxi (tel. 071/3244-4500) offers prepaid fares. The trip to Pelourinho costs R$65 (US$27), to Ondina R$62 (US$26), and to the northern beaches (such as Itapuã), R$30 (US$13). Regular taxis are cheaper; on the meter a taxi from the airport to Pelourinho costs around R$45 (US$19).
If you have very little luggage, an inexpensive airport-to-Pelourinho bus runs along the coast, stopping close to (though not at) most of the hotels located along the beach road. Its final stop is Praça da Sé on the edge of Pelourinho. The bus runs daily from 7am to 8pm; cost is R$6 (US$2.50).
y Bus -- Bus travelers go through the Terminal Rodoviaria de Salvador Armando Viana de Castro, usually simply known as Rodoviaria. It's located at Av. ACM (Antônio Carlos Magalhães) 4362, Iguatemi (tel. 071/3460-8300). For ticket information and schedules, travelers need to contact the specific bus company directly. However, the general bus station number will tell you which company to phone. Itapemirim (tel. 071/3392-3944) travels to Recife and Rio de Janeiro; Real Expresso (tel. 071/3246-8355) has scheduled service to Lençóis for people traveling to the Chapada Diamantina; São Geraldo travels to destinations like Natal and São Paulo (tel. 071/3244-0366).
