Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhaes International Airport is a short drive from Salvador and one of Brazil’s main air hubs, with flights coming in from all over Brazil as well as from European and US cities. Facilities at the airport are good and include ATMs in Arrivals and Cambio Gradual 24-hour currency exchange.

Transfer options from Deputado Luis Eduardo Airport include taxis and buses. Executive taxis (coometas and comtas) are prepaid and more comfortable, while normal taxis are metered. Minibuses also serve the airport, departing every 20 minutes to downtown Salvador. In addition, public buses run to destinations all over the city, while cars can be booked online and the journey to town goes along the Paralela expressway.

You can get about the old town city centre easy enough on foot and between the upper and lower towns by the cheap Elevador Lacerda. For travel farther afield, city buses run between neighbourhoods and past landmarks and shopping malls, yet their routings can be confusing for tourists. There are standard and air-conditioned buses, the latter of which you get on at the back.

Comercio and Praca da Se have the best bus options. Buses are safe and night buses are available when the majority stop running at midnight. Taxis (taxistas) are more convenient but drivers will often refuse to use the meter. Blue-and-white coloured executive taxis are more reliable and have set fares, and are available from the airport, bus stations, shopping malls, and big hotels. Driving is tough in Salvador with virtually no parking therefore visitors are not advised to rent a car and self-drive.

Brazil Air Pass: these are available for foreigners visiting Brazil via Tam and Varig airlines. Flights operate countrywide and serve a number of destinations including Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasilia over a set time period.