going by car  is fairly complicated,  and navigating through niterói's streets can be quite difficult, even with a gps.

the car ride includes crossing the longest bridge in brazil, the ponte rio - niterói which just like the name implies, connects the two cities. 

the bridge is 13 km (8 miles) long, and there is a toll of few reals which is paid only one way, coming from rio.

to get to niterói from rio's zona sul, the easiest way is via the bus 7003 (also marked 740 d) that leaves from praça general osório in ipanema posto 8, across from the easy to spot zona sul supermarket.