Rio de Janeiro Travel Tips

Rio de Janeiro is the most beautiful city in Brazil, surrounded by lovely hills and beaches. Many people travel to Rio de Janeiro for its famous beaches like Copacabana and Ipanema. In addition to this, it offers the most stunning views of the city and Guanabara Bay from the top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Along with countless attractions, the city of Rio is also famous its vibrant nightlife that offers a wide range of bars, pubs, nightclubs, lounges and live music events in the night. Overall, the city is a perfect vacation destination full of timeless attractions, long beaches and the craziest nightlife in the world.

Safety

In this beautiful city, one must be concerned about safety, especially while travelling solo or on foot. It is necessary to take precautions while walking in crowded areas, as the crime rate is quite high due to the poverty in the surrounding areas of the city. It is always good to keep valuable items, passports and additional cash in the hotel's safe.

Security Tips

1. Avoid travelling alone and, if possible, take local friends with you while roaming the streets, especially at night.
2. It is advisable to avoid unnecessary flaunting of valuable and expensive items in crowded areas. Don't carry valuable items like cameras, branded watches, or credit cards; try to dress like a local Brazilian.
3. At night, it is not wise to travel by public transportation, a safer option is to call a taxi, and areas like subway stations should be avoided.
4. Do not leave any luggage unattended in crowded areas and famous tourist areas.
5. For security reasons, it is good to withdraw money from ATMs located inside buildings, banks or shopping centres.
6. Try to keep a distance and be aware of gang warfare, favelas, pickpockets and bag snatchers.
7. It is always safer to visit city centres and famous tourist attractions in the daytime, and dangerous areas should be avoided at night.

Tipping

Generally, tipping is not compulsory and also not expected from the local people. Hotel or restaurant bills include service charges (around 10%). Additional tips can be given to appreciate excellent service or to round up the bill to a whole number. Also, it is not obligatory to give tips to taxi drivers. However, taxi drivers round up the fare as a tip for their services. Special or radio taxis do not use typical taximeters and always charge more than the original amount.

When to Travel

Rio falls under a tropical wet and dry climate, which is usually mild in all seasons. The summer season starts in December and lasts until February when temperatures might rise slightly with low humidity. Sometimes, the city experiences rainfall during the summer due to high temperatures. The best time to visit Rio de Janeiro is definitely during the winter, i.e. July to September.

City Transportation

In Rio de Janeiro, buses are the cheap and main form of public transportation. Other ways of transportation include the subway system - MetroRio, street cars, cable cars and Uber. Ride-sharing apps such as Uber are safe and easily available. Also, you can buy a Rio Card ticket which is accepted in every type of public transportation.

Important Phrases

• Hello: Olá
• Good morning: Bom dia
• Good evening: Boa noite
• Good night: Boa noite
• Excuse me: Com licença
• Yes: Sim
• No: Não
• Please: Por Favor
• Sorry: Desculpe
• Thank you: Obrigado
• Welcome: Bem-vindo

Important Numbers

• Calling code: 55
• City code: 21
• Fire: 193
• Ambulance: 192
• Police: 190
• Hospital Federal de Ipanema: +55 21 3111-2300
• Hospital Copa D'Or: +55 21 2545-3600