Rio de Janerio Travel Guide 

Home to the world’s biggest carnival, its most famous beach, and the birthplace of samba, Rio’s reputation as a good-time town is well-deserved. There is something new for even the most seasoned traveller.  

An edited choice of hotels to stay in Rio de Janerio.

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Start here: a local's pick of the city's must sees and dos.

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When is the best time to visit Rio de Janeiro?

 

In Rio expect high temperatures and high humidity between December and March. This also happens to be peak season, beginning with New Year celebrations and closing out with the famous Carnival. During this time, the atmosphere is electric but the beaches are busy and the prices typically higher. From January to April expect sporadic and intense rainfall, with April being typically the wettest month. If you want to visit Rio at its least crowded then either between April and June or from September to November are your best bet. May to September has the least rainfall and are the coolest months with temperatures typically a steady 20C, although can fall as low as 14C, which for locals means full winter jackets!

 

Travelling to Rio de Janeiro?

 

The main airport for Rio is Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG), popularly known as Galeão, and is serviced by most international airlines. The smaller more central Santos Dumont (SDU) handles domestic flights.  To get from either airport to Rio proper by taxi, it is safe to get the ‘Táxi Comun’ from the taxi ranks outside the terminal. They charge a metered rate while taxis booked inside the terminal charge a higher, flat rate. That flat rate can be between R$70 and R$130 from Galeão and around R$40 from Santos Dumont. There is also an airport shuttle that costs around R$23 from Santos Dumont and R$30 from the Galeão to the Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon areas.  

Getting around Rio de Janeiro

Public Transport in Rio de Janeiro

The metro in Rio de Janeiro is air conditioned and efficient with three main lines. The primary line travels from Ipanema, through Copacabana, Botafogo all the way to Centro. Try to avoid traveling at peak times between 8am and 10am and from 5pm until 8pm. The BRT, or Bus Rapid Transit, with dedicated bus lanes around the tourist hot spots of Barra, Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana, has significantly sped up journey times compared to the old fragmented bus network.

Cycle hire in Rio de Janeiro

 

Cycling in Rio is an easy-going option as the bike lanes are well-paved and the ground mostly flat. Bike Rio is the public bicycle sharing scheme for the city, to register you will need to download the app. 

Cabs in Rio de Janeiro

Taxi apps such as Uber, EasyTaxi and 99Taxis are available. When hailing a taxi on the street, aim to take one from a registered taxi stand as it is not recommended to take unlicensed cabs. 


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