Transportation in Brasilia

Brasília's transport is built around the Metrô-DF, a single Y-shaped line that links the central Monumental Axis to the satellite cities of Águas Claras and Samambaia. It's clean, punctual, and cheap, buy the rechargeable Cartão DF at any station and you'll pay a fraction of what a taxi costs. Buses fan out from the main terminals at Rodoviária do Plano Piloto and the metro stations. But routes are numbered rather than named. The DFTrans app shows live maps and is worth downloading before you leave the arrivals hall. For first-timers, remember the metro shuts down around midnight. After that, ride-hailing apps are safer and usually cheaper than hailing a cab on the street. Taxis from the official aeroporto rank are metered. But drivers sometimes quote fixed "tourist" fares, insist on the meter or book through the app. Skip the hotel shuttles unless you're staying in one of the distant wings of the hotel sector. The metro plus a short walk is almost always faster.