From the airport
Natal is served by an international airport with a direct flight from Lisbon (via TAP) and all the Brazilian state capitals, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Brasilia, Recife, among other places which are easily accessible directly from other continents and from other countries in the Americas.
The airport is 50 minutes away from the Ponta Negra, where the hotels are. Observe that there is *no* public transportation from the airport to Ponta Negra!
From the airport, it is possible to get a taxi (the fare is around R$100 — US$ 25) or to hire a transfer service. Some such services, such as 24 Horas Turismo and Natal Transfer (R$40 — US$ 10 for the trip to your hotel in a shared van) are available right after leaving the luggage area. They do accept credit cards. Some hotels also offer the pick-up service, so please check that.
Getting around in the city
Taxi: A trip from Ponta Negra to the campus costs between R$16 and R$20, during the day and around R$30 during the night or weekends. Some popular apps for calling taxis in Natal are 99 and UBER .
Renting a car: There are many companies both at the airport and at Ponta Negra.
Bus: The city bus fare is R$3.65. The campus is easily accessible from Ponta Negra, where some buses go directly to campus. Here are some possible routes:
- From Ponta Negra, directly: the bus 66 stops at class sector II; the bus 54A stops at the Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia; the bus “Circular Cidade Verde II” or “Circular Ponta Negra – Abel Cabral” stop also at the Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia (be mindful that not all of them do, check that it has a “UFRN” sign on the front or ask the driver). This stop is at walkable distance to the Amphitheaters and DIMAp.
- From Ponta Negra, taking the university’s “circular” bus: the bus 73 and the bus 26 stop at a mall called Via Direta and the bus 54 and the bus 46 stop a short distance from the mall. Both stops are close to where you get the “circular” bus. This bus is free of charge.
- The “circular” stops at the main points in the campus. If getting the “direto” route, get off at the “Reitoria” (most people will get off here) and walk to the Amphitheaters (walk straight uphill, then turn right when the road turns). If taking the “inverso” route, get off at the Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia.
- From the north part of town, taking the “circular” bus: get off at the mall called Natal Shopping and walk across the overpass, then go to the “circular stop”.