EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

The nearer of Belo Horizonte's two airports is Pampulha (tel 031/3490-2001), 9km from the centre and connected by bus #1202. All short-haul flights and an increasing number of flights from further afield arrive here. The much newer Aeroporto Tancredo Neves (tel 031/3689-2700), usually refered to as Confins, the name of the nearby town, was designed to take most air traffic away from Pampulha, but its distance from the city (well over 30km, and connected by a bad road) has made it unpopular with passengers and airlines alike. Confins is linked to the centre by airport buses that leave you either at the Rodoviária (the ônibus convencional; $1) or at the tourist centre, Terminal Turístico JK, west along Avenida Amazonas (the faster, air-conditioned ônibus executivo; $5). Both buses have rather erratic timetables (every 20min at best, every 2hr at worst) and take about an hour; if you're departing by plane, phone in advance to check departure times ( convencional tel 031/3271-1335; executivo tel 031/3271-4522). Taxis to the city centre cost around $10 from Pampulha or $25 from Confins; there are desks in the arrivals areas from where you can purchase vouchers at rates fixed according to your destination.

The Rodoviária is on Praça Rio Branco, an easy walk from the commercial centre of the city, and offers direct bus services to most significant destinations in the country. The information desk (tel 031/3201-8933) can provide details of times and fares. Nearby is the Edwardian train station (tel 031/3273-5488) on Praça da Estação (also called Praça Rui Barbosa), a significant sight in its own right. Apart from the local metrô commuter service, only one line out of Belo Horizonte has survived the post-privatization cuts of the 1990s, namely the daily connection with Vitória on the coast, now owned by the giant industrial combine Companhia do Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD). It's an interminably slow but fascinating ride through the industrial heartland of eastern Minas (via Governador Valadares), taking about fourteen hours, much of it following the valley of the Rio Doce (see listings for information on departures from Belo Horizonte and buying tickets).