Getting There
Rio has two airports. The Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport of Rio de Janeiro ("Galeão") is the international airport, receiving flights from larger Brazilian and foreign cities. It is 20km from downtown Rio. The Santos Dumont Airport is for domestic flights only and is located near downtown in Guanabara Bay.
Getting Around
Fly
Discount airlines have made their way to Brazil providing another great way to get around the country. GOL is a reliable discount airline that recently translated its site to English, making it much easier for foreigners to book these inexpensive flights. GOL has recently initiated international routes with Buenos Aires as the first destination. Unfortunately you must have the equivalent of a Brazilian social security number to book the flights online, so you will either have to go to a GOL outlet or call them.
Bus Bus drivers are known to be very aggressive in traffic - they'll tailgate any car in sight. The best advice I can give you is to only challenge yourself with a bus ride if you really know where you're going. Carioca buses are numbered rather than named by their itinerary and thus make it difficult to know which bus is the right one. Note that you must actively hail a bus; buses will not stop unless you signal the driver to do so, and even then they may pretend not to see you.
Taxi
You'll notice in Rio that there are more yellow taxis than normal cars, which is arguably true. Try to choose your taxi from a designated location if you can. If you must catch a cab on the street, opt for the ones with numbers on their side near the rear of the car; those are the legal taxis. Still, if you can only find numberless cabs, not to worry. Get in, give the driver your directions, keep an eye on the meter (if it goes wild, you'll notice), and simply ask the driver to stop (think of an excuse), pay him what you owe and catch another one.
Subway
Rio's subway is considered the safest means of transportation in the city. Although it won't take you everywhere, it is the easiest and fastest way to arrive at many popular destinations.
Driving
There is a song that goes "Cariocas don't like red lights" - this couldn't be truer. Cariocas are becoming more traffic educated as a result of heavy ticketing but they still don't like to sit and wait too long in a car and are always in some sort of hurry. Particular attention must be paid at night as it's not unusual to see cars driving through red lights as if they didn't exist at all. A little known fact is that after 10:00 pm, red lights are optional, and drivers are encouraged to honk their horns or flash their lights when crossing through an intersection. And, don't forget, Rio de Janeiro IS NOT a city to rent a car in, unless you're adventurous and have a lot of spare time.
Traffic in the City
Traffic is at its peak around 10:00am, so if you are heading out touring for the day, try to leave either much earlier, or just a little later, around 10:15.
See our
Getting There and Away section for more information.
Safety Tips
1. Don’t carry around more money than you need and don't keep it all in one place. For example, keep some in a deep pocket and some in your wallet.
2. Be aware of your surroundings, don't go down a dark and deserted street at night. If you are in a crowded market or bus, be very aware of your valuables.
3. Keep photocopies of important documents, passports and credit cards-- and leave copies at home with a friend in case you lose yours.
4. See our '
Staying in Touch' section for information on phones and communications in Rio.
