Read about the best cost-benefit of renting a car or going to Búzios by transfer.

Once you land at the Rio de Janeiro airport, the magical time comes to start your journey to the long-awaited Buzios! For that, we have different options. One of them is to rent a car and the other is to go by private transfer or regular transfer, which is what they call shared, as if it were a combi or van. Many times doubts arise when deciding, since we do not know what suits us best and which is more worthwhile in terms of time, money and comfort.
Let’s see the main differences between one and the other.
As a first option, we have renting a car to move around with total freedom. For this, it is necessary to have your driver’s license, an essential requirement. The main advantage is that freedom with which you will be able to drive. Having your own car will allow you to travel around Buzios from one end to the other and to go to see, for example, Arraial do Cabo or Cabo Frio, which many travelers love. It is ideal if you plan to change destinations or take long trips during your stay. Regarding money, it can be economical if you go in a group and divide the costs.
On the other hand, it is very necessary to talk about the disadvantages of renting a car, such as, for example, the heavy traffic on the route to Buzios (BR-101 and RJ-124) that is usually very busy, especially on weekends or holidays. In addition, there are several tolls that increase the cost of the trip. Another point is that it is quite difficult to find parking in Buzios and expensive, in fact the distances between one beach and the other are so short that you don’t have to go around having headaches trying to figure out where to park.
As an important final point, we must remember that having a car is a responsibility and we must take care to see how we drive on a road that we are not used to or that is totally new, to avoid possible fines, accidents and see how and where to fill up with fuel. We recommend that when choosing this option, you leave well in advance for your flights and have your GPS with batteries, as it is almost always necessary! Do not trust the routes and times indicated in the apps, you can miss your flights and it depends purely on you.
If we talk about hiring a private transfer service, we are talking about hiring comfort and relaxation to begin your trip to Buzios. When you arrive at the airport, the driver will be waiting for you and you can contact him if he is not there, without problems since there is free Wi-Fi for everyone. It is very practical if you do not want to drive on unknown routes and really relax from the beginning. Also, depending on the number of passengers, you can choose the type of vehicle. Of course, you have the possibility of stopping at a bathroom, or having them recommend good places and help you with the language at check-in at your hotel. This option is very good, since you are fully accompanied by someone who is already local and can guide you, both in recommendations and with the language. All of this means that it is generally a slightly more expensive option, but it is worth it to feel safe and worry-free.
Lastly, we must mention the regular transfer, as they call it, which is a combi or shared van. You don’t have to worry about where to park or the route, but the trip does take longer, because it has different stops, which takes away time to enjoy your stay in Buzios. The advantage is that the cost is divided among the passengers and ends up being much cheaper, but it works with fixed schedules, pre-established routes, perhaps more convenient if you are in no hurry and with less money. It doesn’t have stops in case you need to go to the bathroom or buy something. They have stations already scheduled where you can stop.
Let’s talk about the approximate values ​​so that you have an idea of ​​comparison:

• The value of renting a car per day is around R$ 160.00. Considering that a regular car can accommodate up to 5 people, a 5-day stay in Búzios can be the sum of the rental prices (800), tolls (180), fuel (400) = R$ 1,400, which, divided by 5 people = R$ 280 for each one. The trip to Búzios takes about 3 hours, depending on traffic.

• The private transfer is a transportation service with capacity for up to 4 people, with free schedules to coordinate and takes about 3 hours to reach the destination. The value of the service is R$ 700.00 to go and the same value to return, totaling a value of R$ 1,400.00

• The regular transfer to Búzios is a shared transportation service and has defined schedules, but takes about 5 hours to reach the destination. The total value of the service is R$ 140.00. Calculating per person, the price is R$ 280, which includes the trip to Búzios and the return to Rio. Considering 5 people, the trip