Carnival

Still the greatest reason for visiting Rio seems to be the Carnaval. This highly-advertised party lasts for almost two weeks and it is well known for the escolas de samba (samba schools) that parade in Centro, on a gigantic structure called Sambódromo (Sambadrome). During Carnaval, Rio has much more to offer though, with the blocos de rua, that parade on the streets. There are now hundreds of these street "samba blocks", that parade almost in every neighborhood, especially in Centro and the South Zone, gathering thousands of people. Some are very famous, and there are few cariocas that have not heard of "Carmelitas", "Suvaco de Cristo", "Escravos da Mauá" or "Simpatia É Quase Amor".

The rest of the year, samba shows are popular with tourists, and are held at several venues like Plataforma and Scala. These are expensive and not really representative of Brazilian culture, they present a lot of almost naked women and bad musicians, a tourist trap (much like the real thing.) Much more interesting and genuine, though, are the night practice sessions held by the various samba schools in the months leading up to Carnaval. You will find only a small number of tourists here, and you will be served the best caipirinhas of your trip! These go on into the wee hours of the morning, with the fun really only starting at 1-2 A.M. A good cab driver should be able to hook you up, and cabs will be available to take you back when you are samba-ed out. Salgueiro and Mangueira are good choices, as they are two of the larger samba schools, and are located relatively close to the tourist areas in a fairly safe area.

Note that a change is afoot that may make this genuine experience a thing of the past (or more convenient, depending on your viewpoint) for all but the most savvy tourists. The local government built a complex of buildings (Cidade do Samba) where many of the samba schools are moving their practice halls and float-construction facilities from the gritty warehouses typically located in or near their home favelas. One can expect many more tourists, and shows made-up for the tourists as the tourist bureau milks this facility for all it's worth year-round.

Here is a list of some of the samba schools:

• Mangueira, Rua Visconde de Niterói, 1072, Mangueira, ☎ +55(21) 3872-6786 (epm@mangueira.com.br, fax: +55(21) 2567-4637), [20]. Rehearsals every Saturday, 10pm.  edit

• Salgueiro, Rua Silva Teles, 104, Andaraí, ☎ +55(21) 2238-9258 (secretaria@salgueiro.com.br), [21]. Rehearsals every Wednesday, 8pm.  edit

• Acadêmicos da Rocinha [22].
• Beija-Flor [23].

The newest addition for tourists is the Samba City [24].

Music

Rio was the cradle of three of Brazil most important musical genres: samba, choro, and bossa nova. In recent years, there has been a boom of traditional samba and choro venues. A lot of them are in the downtown district of Lapa. There are good and cheap nightlife options, where you will see some of the best musicians of the country. Any of the city newspapers provide pointers to the best shows.

If you're not such an anthropological type of tourist, you can check out the same papers for tips on other kinds of music. Being a big city, Rio has big and small clubs that play almost every kind of music. The major mainstream clubs mostly play whatever's on the Radio - which is usually whatever's on the USA radios and MTV - but the underground scene has a lot to offer on Rock, E-Music, Rap and such. The best way to find out about those are the flyers handed or left at hostels, cinema and theater lobbies, nightclub lines, etc.

The most reliable way to find out what´s on is to check the website Riofesta, it has daily updated information. Only available in Portuguese.

New Year’s Eve celebrations

Rio hosts the country's largest and most popular New Year’s Eve celebrations. The huge fireworks display and music shows attract 2 million people to the sands of Copacabana beach every year. People dress in white for luck and toast the arrival of the new year. It's usual also to have some national and international concerts on the beach for free.

Hang gliding and paragliding

Hang gliding in Rio de Janeiro started in the mid-70’s and quickly proved to be perfectly suited for this town due to its geography with steep mountains encountering the Atlantic ocean which provides excellent take off locations and great landing zones on the beach. Operator included:

• Sky Center [25].

Panoramic flights

If you have the money the following operators give you panoramic flights in helicopters:

• Cruzeiro Taxi Aéreo [26]
• Helisight [27]

Favela (Shantytown) tours

The following operators offer tours of Rocinha (Warning: NEVER go on your own). This is often considered an awkward journey by locals, as you will probably go there in a safari like car:

• Paulo Amendoim, ph: +55 (21) 3322-8498, +55 (21) 9747-6860, (email: pauloamendoim@hotmail.com).
• Marcelo Armstrong ph: +55 (21) 3322-2727, (email: info@favelatour.com.br) [28]
• Be a Local , ph: +55 (21) 9643-0366 [29]. R$65 for a three hour tour on the weekend (Oct. 2007).

Beaches

• Copacabana (oceanic)
• Arpoador (oceanic)
• Ipanema (oceanic)
• Leblon (oceanic)
• São Conrado (oceanic)
• Barra da Tijuca (oceanic)
• Recreio dos Bandeirantes (oceanic)
• Grumari (oceanic)

It is also worth visiting the beaches in Paqueta, particularly:

• Praia da Moreninha (on the Guanabara Bay, but often not proper for swimming)

Cariocas have a unique beach culture, with a code of customs which outlanders (even Brazilians from other cities) can misconstrue easily. Unlike many foreigners might think, there is no topless in the beaches. Girls can wear tiny string bikinis (fio dental), but it doesn't mean they're exhibitionists. For most of them, it's highly offensive to stare. Until the 1990s, men and boys wore speedos, but since then wearing bermudas or boardshorts has become more usual. Jammers are less usual but nothing wrong either.

Waves in Rio vary from tiny, calm in Guanabara bay beaches (Paquetá, Ramos, Flamengo, Botafogo, Urca) to high, surf-ideal waves in Recreio. In Leme, Copacabana, Arpoador, Ipanema, and Leblon, there's a popular way of "riding" the waves called pegar jacaré (pe-GAHR zha-kah-REH; literally, "to grab an alligator"). You wait for the wave to come behind you then swim on top of it until it crumbles next to the sand.

Commerce is common in Rio's beaches, with thousands of walking vendors selling everything from sun glasses to fried shrimp to cooling beverages (try mate com limão, a local ice tea mixed with lemonade). For food, there is also empada (baked flour pastry filled with meat or cheese) and sanduíche natural (cool sandwich with vegetables and mayo). Vendors typically shout out loud what they're selling, but they won't usually bother you unless you call them.

Although beaches are often considered a plural, democratic space, there are still some informal (and not too strict) "social area" divisions. In the South Zone, Copacabana attracts mainly tourists (foreign and national) and lower-classes bathers. Prostitution is also widespread there, even in daylight. Ipanema is the major beach for middle-class, and specifically the Posto 9 section (watchtower #9) is preferred by left-wing, intellectuals, artists, journalists and similar beach-goers. You can easily walk into a politician or someone famous there. The area close to the Farme de Amoedo street in Ipanema is known to get all the gay crowd of the city that show off openly their sexuality. The beaches in Barra and Recreio (Quebra-Mar, Pepê, Pontal, Prainha) were favored by surfers and hang-gliders until the 1980s, but now they are outnumbered by the middle-class and nouveau riche from the suburbs and also West Zone favela residents, such as now world-famous Cidade de Deus (City of God, that of the film).

There is also Praia de Ramos in the Guanabara Bay, a popular destination among low-class beach-goers. There the government built an artificial pool on the sand (piscinão). Not recommended for foreigners to visit.

Sights

• Corcovado [17] - The tram up costs R$36 for a round trip up to Cristo Redentor, and it is definitely worth the view.
• Pão de Açúcar - The Sugar Loaf mountains (one taller, the other shorter), Brazil's top landmark, with an aerial tramway to the top; a definite must see. A ticket up is R$ 35. The buses number 511, 512, 591 and 592 and the subway buses bring you to the base station.
• Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas - A large lagoon in the middle of South Zone, with great views to Corcovado and Ipanema and Leblon beaches; there are skating and jogging fields all around it.
• Maracanã - The largest football/soccer stadium in Rio and once the largest on Earth.
• Parque Lage - A small park, once a private mansion, where now a school of fine arts works.
• Jardim Botanico - The Botanical Garden, planted up in the 1800s. It is both a park and a scientific laboratory. If you take the bus note that Jardim Botanico is also the name of a neighborhood so make sure you take the right one to the entrance. The admission is $4. The gardens are well kept and very lush. Not far from the cafe, first you hear swooshing sounds. Look up and you can see small monkeys swinging from tree to tree.

Buildings

• Paço Imperial (1743) - Old Imperial Palace (though impressively modest), colonial architecture (in downtown, next to Praça XV, Fifteen Square).
• Casa França Brasil (1820) - French cultural center, with gallery and video hall (in downtown, next to CCBB).
• CCBB - Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (1906) - a cultural center with gallery, movie theater, video room, library and stages; usually hosts the main exhibitions in town (in downtown).
• Candelária Church - neoclassic cathedral (next to CCBB).
• Mosteiro de São Bento (1663) - Saint Benedict's Monastery, colonial architecture (in downtown).
• Ilha Fiscal Palace (1889) - in the Guanabara Bay, next to the Navy Museum
• Palácio Gustavo Capanema - former ministry of culture, designed by French architect Le Corbusier; though small, it is regarded as an important pioneering in modern architecture (downtown).
• Arcos da Lapa (1750) - Lapa Aqueduct, colonial structure that brought water from springs to downtown; now it has a suspended tramway track (in Lapa)
• Catedral Metropolitana - cone-shaped cathedral, an example of modern architecture (in Lapa).
• São Francisco da Penitência church (1773) - colonial church.
• Teatro Municipal (1909) - City Theater, inspired by the Paris Opéra House (in Cinelândia square).
• Biblioteca Nacional (1910) - National Library (in Cinelândia square)
• Câmara Municipal - the City Hall, hosts the city council (in Cinelândia square).
• Palácio do Catete - the former presidential palace (1893-1960), now hosts a museum of recent history and nice gardens (in Catete).
• Itamaraty - former presidential palace (1889-1893) and foreign office; now hosts a museum of South American diplomacy, a library and the UN information offices in Brazil (in Downtown, next to the Central station).
• Palácio Guanabara - former palace of the Imperial Princess, now governor's office; eclectic architecture; not open to public (in Laranjeiras).

Museums

Downtown

• Museu Histórico Nacional (National Museum of History) - a museum of Brazilian history stretching from colonial to imperial times; big collection of paintings, but poor in artifacts (downtown).
• Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) - includes large paintings from Academicist and Neoclassical Brazilian artists, as well as many copies of European sculptures (downtown, Cinelândia square).
• MAM - Museu de Arte Moderna (Museum of Modern Art) - the second most important contemporary art museum in Brazil, after MASP (downtown, next to Santos Dumont airport). Modernist architecture spreading over almost the sea.
• Museu da Imagem e do Som (Image and Sound Museum) - for researchers about Brazilian film, radio, and broadcasting industry (downtown).
• Museu Naval (Navy Museum) - downtown.
• Museu do Carnaval (Museum of Carnival) - history of Brazilian carnival and parades (in downtown, next to the Sambódromo).
• Museu Chácara do Céu - an important collection of South American modern art (in Santa Tereza).

South Zone

• Jardim Botânico (Botanical Garden) - not a museum per se, but a huge collection of plants from all over the world, not only tropical, yet you will find Amazon trees and river flowers as well in the same-named neighborhood.
• Museu da República (Museum of the Republic) - hosted on the former presidential palace, this museum hosts permanent exhibitions about recent Brazilian history (from 1889 on); one of main features is the room where president Getúlio Vargas shot himself in 1954 (in Catete)
• Centro Cultural Telemar (Telemar Cultural Center) - formerly Museum of Telephone, it now hosts a fine gallery with temporary exhibitions of digital art or art with interactive medias; it is sponsored by the local phone company (in Catete)
• Museu Internacional de Arte Naïf (International Naïf Art Museum) - with Naïf painting. In Cosme Velho, next to Corcovado rail station.
• Museu Carmem Miranda (Carmem Miranda Museum) - about this Brazilian actress and singer (the lady with pineapples-and-bananas hat), the national icon in the 1940s and 50s (in Flamengo).
• Museu do Índio [18] (Museum of the Indian) - a small museum with a collection of Brazilian Indian (Povos Indígenas) photographs, paintings, artifacts and other craft (in Botafogo). Very popular with local schoolchildren.
• Museu Villa-Lobos - a modest collection about Brazil's most important composer (in Botafogo).

North Zone

• Museu Nacional (National Museum) - actually, it's the Natural History museum, with dinosaur fossils and lots of mounted tanned animals; go there if you want to see a jaguar without getting into the jungle; it was formerly the Emperor's Palace (in São Cristóvão, just next to the Zoo)
• Museu do Primeiro Reinado (First Reign Museum) - a museum about the reign of Emperor Pedro I (1822-1831), but with a modest collection (in São Cristóvão)
• Museu Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins (Astronomy Museum) - with an observatory (in São Cristóvão)
• Museu do Trem (Train Museum) - a modest collection of 19th century engines, train cars and streetcars (in Engenho de Dentro)
• Museu Aeroespacial (Aerospatial Museum) - in Campo dos Afonsos (in the suburbs)

West Zone

• Museu Casa do Pontal - the most important collection of popular arts and crafts (in Recreio dos Bandeirantes)

Parks

• Jardim Botânico [19]
• Parque Lage
• Parque do Flamengo, also known as Aterro do Flamengo.
• Parque Guinle
• Campo de Santana
• Quinta da Boa Vista
• Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos

Rio is one of the country's major transportation hubs, seconded only by São Paulo.

Distance from some capitals:

• Belo Horizonte - 450 km (280 mi)
• Brasília - 1160 km (725 mi)
• Porto Alegre - 1550 km (970 mi)
• Recife - 2380 km (1480 mi)
• Salvador - 1730 km (1080 mi)
• São Paulo - 430 km (270 mi)

By plane

• International and most domestic flights land at Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport (better known as Galeão International Airport) (IATA: GIG) (ICAO: SBGL), Tel: +55 21 3398-5050 (fax 3393-2288). This airport is 20 km away from the city center and main hotels.

• Santos Dumont Airport (IATA: SDU) (ICAO: SBRJ), Tel. +55-21-3814-7070 (fax. 2533-2218). Gets flights only from São Paulo and a few other domestic destinations. Located right in the city center, by the Guanabara bay. Airlines that service Santos Dumont are: GOL [1], Varig [2], TAM [3], OceanAir [4], and Team [5].

Air-conditioned bus service operated by Real[6] departs every 20-30 minutes from 05h30 to 22h00 and runs between both airports, the main bus terminal and further along the beachfront in Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon, and has its terminus at the Alvorada terminal near Barra Shopping in Barra da Tijuca. The full run takes at least 60 minutes, often double. Single ticket R$ 6.50. Plenty of luggage space, comfy. A smaller bus, also by Real [7], same price, runs directly every 30 minutes from Alvorada to Galeão by Linha Amarela in as little as 35 minutes, traffic allowing.

Taxis, though considerably more expensive (ex: Galeão - Copacabana R$ 70), are also a convenient way to reach the tourist areas.

• Flying to Rio de Janeiro from the USA and in general from anywhere in the world is getting expensive. Airlines charge fuel surcharges between $25 and $85 each way.

From the US, there are non-stop flights to Rio de Janeiro only from Washington, D.C. with United Airlines, Houston with Continental Airlines, Miami with American Airlines, and from Atlanta with Delta Airlines. From New York, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and most of the USA, you have to make a stop in Miami or in São Paulo to get to Rio.

The best seasons to travel to Rio de Janeiro with low airfares are from February (after Carnaval) to May and from August to November. Tickets from New York, for instance, can cost as low as US$699.00 including taxes. Buy your flights far in advance, do not wait until the last minute hoping to get a US$300 round trip ticket.

All U.S. Citizens with a passport will need to get a tourist visa from the local Brazilian Consulate (according to the reciprocity law). This cannot be processed by mail; however, a third party can apply for the visa for an additional fee of US$10. It can take up to 5 business days to process the visa and will cost around US$130. The visa must be used within 90 days and will expire 5 years after it was used.

By train

Rio's glorious Central Station, or Central do Brasil, made famous by a movie of the same name, serves mostly local commuter lines (SuperVia [8]), so it's unlikely that you'll arrive through here. It's worth a visit just to see it, though, you can get there either by bus or subway (subway is better; get off on Central station, line 1).

By bus

The long-distance bus depot, Rodoviária Novo Rio[9], is located in the North Zone's Santo Cristo neighborhood. Taxis and coach buses can get you to the South Zone in about fifteen minutes; local buses take a bit longer. Frescão air-conditioned coaches can be caught just off the bus station. The coaches connect the station to the city center and main hotel areas of Copacabana and Ipanema. Bus companies include :

• Itapemirim [10]
• Penha [11]
• Cometa [12]
• 1001 [13]
• Expresso Brasileiro [14]

By car

Rio is connected by many roads to neighboring cities and states, but access can be confusing as there are insufficient traffic signs or indications of how to get downtown.

The main interstate highways passing through Rio are:

• BR-116, which connects the city to the southern region of Brazil. Also known as Rodovia Presidente Dutra
• BR-101, which leads to the north and northwest, and
• BR-040, which will take you in the central and western areas.

By boat

Ferries (barcas) connect neighboring Niteroi to Rio de Janeiro and arrive at Praça XV, in the city center.

By taxi

A cab is one of the best ways to move around Rio. All legal cabs are yellow with a blue stripe painted on the sides. Taxis not designed like this are special service cars (to the airport or bus stations) or illegal. Rio has some of the cheapest taxi systems in the world, so don't bother spending a little more in exchange of speed and safety. Most of the tours in the South Zone will cost around R$15, and the car can usually hold four people. You can ask a cab for a city tour, and arrange a fixed price (may be around US$20). Major taxi companies include Central de Taxi, Ouro Taxi and Yellow Taxi.

After getting into the taxi, check to see if the taximeter has been started (as of December 2006, it charges R$ 4.30 for the minimum ride, called bandeirada). If not, ask the taxi driver to do so. You may be ripped off by some taxi drivers. Avoid the blue, green, and white taxis as they tend to charge considerably more for the same ride.

Prior to arriving at the airport, it may also be useful to pre-book your airport to hotel transfers. Although there are not many reputable companies offering this service online, some, such as Rio Airport Transfer [15], allow you to book and pay before you leave home. Alternatively (and even easier) you can buy fixed price tickets for the blue and red taxis from a booth in the arrival hall. Fares vary depending your destination (for Copacabana and Ipanema BRL 72 one-way [October 2007]). Taxi services such as this do cost a little extra but are well worth it for the additional security and peace of mind.

By car

Traffic within some parts of Rio can be daunting, but a car may be the best way to reach distant beaches like Grumari, and that can be an extra adventure. Avoid rush-hour traffic jams in neighborhoods such as Copacabana, Botafogo, Laranjeiras, and Tijuca, where moms line up their cars to pick up their children after school. In Rio, most road signals are placed after the curve you were supposed to take, and do not help unless you already know how to go there. Buy a map, and have fun.

By bus

Buses are a cheap and nice way to get around by day, while not exactly safe. By night they are more scarce but you can ride them anyway. Buses usually cost R$ 2.10 (as of December 2007), but some buses with air conditioning charge higher fares. The fare is paid in cash to a controller or the driver inside the bus, by passing through a roulette. There are no tickets. Some residents and students have a digital card for free pass. Keep an eye out for pickpockets when the bus is crowded, and don't be surprised if your driver goes a little faster than you'd like. Except for minibuses, all buses have two doors: passengers get in through the front door and get off through the back (it was otherwise until 2001-2002).

Bus stops in the South Zone are often equipped with a shelter and a bench, but sometimes, far from tourist areas, they are less obvious and have no signs at all - you might have to ask. Buses stop only when you hail them, by extending the arm. If you don't hail and there are no passengers waiting to get off, the bus simply won't stop. Actually, sometimes even if you waive your arms desperately, the result is the same. Even more absurdly, you could even try to block one of them by standing in the middle of the road; if the driver is not in the right mood, he will dodge you and won't take you. It's a matter of pure luck. There are no schedules nor timetables. Usually buses run no longer than every 15 minutes. However, unless it's daytime and downtown, they may take even an hour or longer. The rule of thumb is: don't schedule your trip based on bus transportation. Prefer the subway lines and subway buses.

There are 831 bus lines in Rio, but while they cover nearly all of the city, they might seem confusing to visitors, especially foreigners. Many lines differ only a few streets from each other in their itineraries, and some even have variants within the same line. Bus lines with a * or a letter means that this bus has a variant. It means that there may be a bus with the same name, same number, same origin, even same destination but with a complete different tour. Lines are numbered accordingly to the general route they serve:

• beginning with 1 - South Zone/Downtown
• beginning with 2 - North Zone/Downtown
• beginning with 3 - West Zone/Downtown
• beginning with 5 - within South Zone
• beginning with 6 - North Zone/West Zone
• beginning with 7 and 9 - from Rio to neighboring cities (Niterói, Nova Iguaçu etc.)
• beginning with 8 - within West Zone

Most popular lines for tourists are 583 and 584 (from Copacabana and Ipanema to Corcovado railway station), as well as 464 and 435 (from Copacabana to Maracanã). Buses 511 (Ataulfo de Paiva) and 512 (Bartholomeu Mitre) are also popular as they take you to Urca for the station to take the cable car up the Sugar Loaf mountain. Typically bus drivers and controllers won't understand any foreign language. If you can't speak Portuguese at all, use a map. Trying to speak Spanish could be useless.

By subway

The Metrô Rio [16] subway system is very useful for reaching areas from Copacabana to Downtown, although the rest of Zona Sul is not particularly well-served and it closes after midnight (it opens 24x7 during Carnival). It is the only totally safe transport in Rio. The air-conditioned subway is clean, comfortable, and quick, and in 2006 it received bilingual Portuguese-English signs, maps, and a loudspeaker system to make the life of millions of foreign tourists easier (sometimes in a low volume and difficult to understand or they just forget to announce, so pay attention as if you rely only on the speaker you can miss your station). There are two main lines: Line 1 (Orange) has service to Copacabana, the Saara district, and much of Downtown, as well as Tijuca. Line 2 (Green) stops at the zoo, Maracanã stadium, and Rio State University. The two lines intersect at Estácio station.

Since 2003, the Metrô company operates bus lines from some stations to nearby neighborhoods which are not served by the subway system. This is particularly helpful for places uphill such as Gávea, Laranjeiras, Grajaú and Usina. Since the city grew around the Tijuca Range mountains, these neighborhoods will never be served by the subway, but you now can take the integração (connection) minibuses. The company calls it Metrônibus and Metrô na Superfície (literally, Subway on Ground), but actually they are ordinary buses in special routes for subway commuters. You can buy tickets for these - just ask for expresso (pronounced "eysh-PRAH-sso", not "express-o") when buying a ticket (price is R$ 3.00 as of June 2007), then keep it after crossing the roulette. When you leave the subway, give the ticket to the bus driver (who shall be waiting in the bus stop just outside of the station). If you buy an ordinary ticket, you won't be able to get this bus for free - then it will cost a regular fee.

Recently the last wagon of each train has been marked women-only with a pink window sticker, in order to avoid potential harassment in crowded trains. Some men, however, are still to get used to this separation (since it is very recent) and many women, who are accustomed to hassle-free everyday travel in Rio's subway, also think the measure is unnecessary. Anyway, if you're a man, avoid getting into trouble with local security staff and stay off the pink-marked wagons. Note that the women only policy for the wagon is valid only in the rush hour.

Rio subway stations

Line 1 (Orange)

• Cantagalo (in Copacabana) - to Arpoador and the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon ("Lagoa")
• Siqueira Campos (in Copacabana) - to Copacabana beach, and coaches to Ipanema, Leblon, and Gávea
• Cardeal Arcoverde (in Copacabana) - to Copacabana and Leme beach and Rio Sul mall
• Botafogo (in Botafogo) - to Botafogo beach, Botafogo Praia Shopping mall, and indie/art movie theaters; connection (integração) bus to Urca/Sugar Loaf and Jardim Botânico.
• Flamengo (in Flamengo) - to Flamengo beach, Guanabara Palace (governor's)
• Largo do Machado (in Laranjeiras) - connection (integração) bus to Corcovado, where is the Christ, the redeemer statue
• Catete (in Catete) - to Catete palace (former presidential building, now Museum of the Republic)
• Glória (in Glória) - to Our Lady of Glory cathedral * Cinelândia (in downtown) - to main square downtown, with National Library, City Hall, Municipal Theater (Rio's Opera house), Museum of Modern Art and Odeon movie theater. To Lapa (Bohemian district
• Carioca (in downtown) - Santa Teresa tram station, downtown offices
• Uruguaiana (in downtown) - to popular market
• Presidente Vargas (in downtown) - to downtown offices
• Central (in downtown) - to Central do Brasil rail station, Itamaraty Palace (foreign ministry)
• Praça Onze (in downtown) - to Sambódromo, the samba parade venue during Carnival
• Estácio (in downtown) - to Line 2
• Afonso Pena (in Tijuca)
• São Francisco Xavier (in Tijuca)
• Saens Peña (in Tijuca) - to Tijuca forest trail (way up!)

Line 2 (Green)

• Estácio (in downtown) - to Line 1
• São Cristóvão (in São Cristóvão) - to the Rio Zoo and Feira de São Cristóvão, typical market and fair with food, drinks and craft from Brazilian Northeastern culture
• Maracanã (in Maracanã) - to Maracanã football stadium
• Triagem (in Mangueira, the most famous favela and samba school
• Maria da Graça (in Maria da Graça)
• Del Castilho (in Del Castilho) - to outlet clothes mall Nova América
• Inhaúma (in Inhaúma)
• Engenho da Rainha (in Engenho da Rainha)
• Thomaz Coelho (in Thomaz Coelho)
• Vicente de Carvalho (in Vicente de Carvalho)
• Irajá (in Irajá)
• Colégio (in Colégio)
• Coelho Neto (in Coelho Neto)
• Acari/Fazenda Botafogo (in Acari)
• Engenheiro Rubens Paiva (in Engenheiro Rubens Paiva)
• Pavuna (in Pavuna)

Money

Banks do Money Exchange but only the bigger branches and major currencies. There might be a commission.

• Moedas Moedas, 7 Setembro 88 (A numismatic shop in a little shopping mall downtown). Changes almost any type of currency. Even unexchangeable Paraguaian Guaranis. The rate can be quite bad for less common currencies. No commission. edit

Shopping

When shopping in street commerce, always bargain; this can lower prices considerably. Bargaining in stores and malls, though, is usually impolite. But naturally merchants won't bargain unless you ask, especially if you are clearly a tourist. To tourists, items can easily be overpriced by a factor of 20% especially in highly informal markets such as Saara or on the beach.

• A typical Brazilian hammock shouldn't be more than R$20-30 but they can sell for up to US$150.
• A beer on the beach should cost around R$3.00
• A caipirinha can be had for the same price (around R$3.00-R$4.00) and you get a great show as the ingredients are produced from a cooler and lime slices muddled before your eyes
• You can get coconut water for R$2.00-$2.50
• For trinkets, your best bet is the "hippie fair" in Praça General Osório in Ipanema every Sunday.
• For a sterile norte-americano-style shopping experience, head to the malls in Barra da Tijuca.
• For a cheap price, head to Norte Shopping in Del Castilho (the 456 or the 457 bus can leave you in front of it. Take them at Praça General Osório in Ipanema) or to the Nova América Outlet Shopping in Del Castilho too (take the subway and leave it on Del Castilho Station. It has a passage to the shopping mall).

Great bargains can be had on Brazilian-made clothing, as well as some European imports. Imported electronics are insanely expensive due to protective import duties. For example, you will find digital cameras sell for about twice what they sell for in the U.S.

Store managers in Rio often speak some English, as this gains employees an almost-automatic promotion. But "some" can be very little, so it is useful to learn at least some very basic Portuguese. Just knowing basic greetings, numbers, and how to ask directions and prices will get you at least a "B" for effort, and despite finding that store clerks may know more English than you Portuguese, it can still come in handy to know a bit of the language. Don't be afraid to resort to writing numbers, pictures, or resorting to pantomime. Clerks will often tap out prices for you on a calculator.

A great choice of gift, since it does not take much space in the suitcase back home, are bikinis, a trademark from Rio for its quality and fashion style.

For local crafts store, a great choice is PÉ DE BOI, [[40]] in Laranjeiras neighborhood. A lovely store with many great gift ideas. There are two floors, the first one composed of items that are for sale, such as pieces made from wood, ceramic and fiber fit to decorate any living room space. The second floor is where they sometimes have art exhibits, usually related to Brazilian history, culture or customs from various regions that are distinctly scattered throughout the country. If you're looking for a souvenir to take back home, this is the place to go. Another lovely choice of handcraft is BRASIL & CIA, www.brasilecia.com.br/, a store which the biggest concern is to keep the Brazilian identity in all that its sold. They privilege artists who didn’t become any kind of art education and have difficulties to sell their art.

Rio has several malls (shopping centers, just like this, in English), most of them in the South and West Zones. Everything there is normally more expensive than in street shops, but safety and comfort might worth if you don't feel like walking too much.

• Rio Sul - the biggest mall in the South Zone, located just between Copacabana and the Sugar Loaf
• Botafogo Praia Shopping - in the Botafogo beach facing the Sugar Loaf and Guanabara Bay; has a nice view and a belvedere on the rooftops; it is sometimes called just "Shopping Botafogo", but don't take it for Rio Sul, which is also located in Botafogo neighborhood
• Barra Shopping - the biggest mall in the city and arguably the largest in Latin America
• New York City Center - next to Barra Shopping, has multiplex movie theaters, American-like restaurants including Outback Steakhouse and TGIF.
• Norte Shopping - the biggest in the North Zone
• Nova América Outlet Shopping - find cheapest stores for clothing and typical Brazilian wear; can be easily reached through Del Castilho subway station (Line 2)

A good shopping guide to Rio you have on Gringo-Rio.com [41], there you will find tips on anything from buying trainers to finding farmers markets.

In Rio de Janeiro you can probably find something to fit any craving. A good approach to local food is "comida a kilo" - buffet style restaurants where you pay by the weight of the food on your plate. An excellent place to go with your friend or even with your partner is Fellini restaurant. Located in Leblon, the place has a "pay for what you eat" buffet, with really good and beautiful food. Great for all tastes, it has even Asian food on the menu. More information available online [42].

Don't miss Brazil's national dish, feijoada (fay-zho-AH-da), made with black beans and pork. It is typically served city-wide on Saturdays. An specialized restaurant that serves nothing but the traditional an authentic Brazilian feijoada, is CASA DA FEIJOADA, In Ipanema. Definitely a must try for any tourist in the wonderful city.

A very interesting review from a tourist who just loved the Brazilian "feijoada":

In Rio, they have one of the most typical dishes known as the "feijoada", which will invoke curiosity to anyone coming from anywhere outside Brazil. It´s a black bean stew filled with big chunks of meat, like sausages, pork and beef. And what better place to try it than a local restaurant called "Casa de Feijoada"? This place will fix you up with some of Brazil´s culinary goods. Along with the "feijoada", you will also get some colorful side dishes that come with it, such as rice, cassava (which is roasted manioc, quite popular down here), collard greens, fried pork rinds (trust me, this is very good!), and some orange slices, to sweeten things up a bit. This is bonafide, authentic "Carioca (term used for anything deriving from Rio)" culinary excellence, almost worth the trip alone! Best while sipping down "caipirinia", a drink made from lime juice and alcohol ("cachassa"), good stuff.

For connoisseurs of meat, nothing beats a good rodízio (all-you-can-eat steak houses). Southern churrasco has also claimed its stake (and steak) in Rio. Marius [43] has arguably the best rodizio in town. Porcão [44] has 5 restaurants around Rio, whereas Carretão [45] has a good and cheap(er) rodizio.

If you like meat but want an alternative to the rodizios, a good place to eat at is FILÉ DE OURO (Rua Jardim Botânico,731, Jardim Botânico; phone: 55 (21) 2259-2396; see Google Maps for directions). The place is simple and cozy. During the weekends there are usually big lines, but the steak is delicious, having been elected one of the best in Rio many times. Try "Filé à Oswaldo Aranha", with toasted garlic.

Brazil has the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan, and sushi has become widely popular in Rio too. If you are a sashimi and sushi lover, you will find a great deal of options in Rio de Janeiro. If you are in Ipanema or nearby, a great tip is BENKEI [46], that has an "all you can eat" buffet, with high quality products, great environment and staff for nice prices.

As a former ex Portugal colony, Brasil has maintained many influences of this country on its culinary. Therefore you will find great authentic Portuguese restaurants in Rio. A good option, from the localization to the ambiance, and naturally the food, is the CBF RESTAURANT, in the Tiradentes Square, a lovely area full of antique architecture.

Just for a change, the desire for a sophisticated food in a nice environment can wake up. For those moments, many are the options in Rio. In Jardim Botanico, the cute LULU [47] offers a modern and delicious Italian food. In Leblon, the best choice is the hip and contemporaneous ZUKA, [48] where chef Ludmila creates many original recipes. In Ipanema, ZAZÁ BISTRÔ [49] is a trendy, sexy and exotic place with great South Asian dishes. Good to go as a couple.

Because its huge coast, many Brazilian specialties are in the Seafood area. They are very rich in shrimps, lobster, calamaris, shellfish, clams, mollusks and many other tasty fishes. So, once in this land, don't miss the opportunity to order those lovely dishes. An option of restaurant very well known is AZUL MARINHO [50], in Arpoador, very close to Ipanema.

Travellers with fatter pockets may also splash out a bit at the Dias Ferreira street in Leblon, Rio's up-and-coming restaurants row.

Rio is also famous for its pastries and street food, heritage from Portuguese and old European culture. In most cafeterias (lanchonete; lun-sho-NETCH) you can have a pastel (pahs-TELL) or salgado (saw-GAH-do; local pastry) for less than R$2. Typical pastries are coxinha (ko-SHEEN-ya; chicken nugget shaped like a chicken leg), and unique Rio's joelho (zho-EH-lyo; rolled dough filled with ham and cheese). Also try pão de queijo (pawn-deh-KAY-zho; cheese baked dough), typical from Minas Gerais but very common in Rio as well, and tapioca (typical from Bahia), a kind of crepe made out of manioca flour.

For drinking, ask for guaraná (gwa-ra-NAH; soda made of an Amazon seed), mate (MAHTCH; sweet ice tea; not like Rio Grande do Sul or Argentina's hot and sour mate), água de coco (ah-gwa-djee-KOH-ku; natural coconut water) or caldo de cana (caw-do-djee-KAH-na; sugarcane juice). There is also a common fruit called açaí (ah-sah-EEH), with a dark-purple pulp out of which are made juices, and ice-creams. Typical cariocas eat it like cream in cups or glasses, mixed with granola, oats or other flakes.

There are many specialized juice shops that sell açaí, fruit juices (they make it as you ask, they don't store it ready, so you can ask them which fruit they have and may create a mix if you like) and some make sandwiches and other simple things to eat. These shops usually are cheap and hang fruits and the entrance or somewhere visible.

Warning: look for clean places, as hygiene can be poor in many street shops.

If your palate is homesick for more familiar tastes, Rio has most of world-class fast food chains (McDonald's, KFC, Outback, and a few Subway and Pizza Hut shops) except for Burger King and International House of Pancakes. Bob's and Habib's are the biggest national fast food chains.

What

• Botequim (pronounced 'boo-chi-KEEM') also well known as boteco - These quite unpretentious bars with simple appetizers and lots of ice-cold chope (draft beer) are everywhere and are almost inseparable from the carioca lifestyle. Try Bracarense (85, José Linhares street, Leblon), one of the most traditional.
• Juice bars - Of particular note for an often hot and muggy city are the refreshing juice bars, found on nearly every corner in the city. Choose from dozens of freshly squeezed fruit juices - mix two or three fruits together or simply try the freshly squeezed orange juice. For a delicious Brazilian special try the açaí, a smoothie made from a deep purple fruit from the Amazon.
• Caipirinha, a drink made of cachaça (a Brazilian liquor made of sugarcane juice), lime, sugar and ice cubes.

Where

• Kiosks along the boardwalk at Copacabana and Ipanema beach stay open all night.

• The Irish Pub - Ipanema, Rua Jangadeiros 14A, Praça General Osório - Best on Monday nights.

• Devassa

• Leblon: In Rio, when you think Devassa, the first thing that comes to mind (if you´ve ever been) is their amazing micro-brewed beer. Their beer is, seriously, like nothing you´ve ever tasted. It’s really that good. But if you´re in it for the food, I suppose that´s also quite good. Let´s just say the place could probably maintain business solely for the beer, and the food menu is simply there for those who don´t want to drink on an empty stomach. Now that I´ve made myself clear, do yourself a favor and try this if you´re ever in sunny Rio, Brazil.

• Ipanema: Don´t know how these guys do it, but they brew their beer to absolute perfection! I saw a bunch of these pubs spread all over town when I was down in Brazil, and they all seemed to have a pretty faithful clientele. We ended up hitting the Ipanema spot most the time, and two of those times we closed the place down! That good!

• Jardim Botanico: I like it very much when I went to Rio de Janeiro in the last year and I will be going again this year. The weather is most of the time great, the people are very friendly and the women are beautiful like in Italy. But also one of the reasons is the place I went with some people I met down there, a bar located near the Botanical Gardens called "Devassa". It is the best beer I have ever tried and I don´t even drink that much, but this tastes very good! The place is good to sit and talk with friends, maybe eat something too, and have a nice time. I will come back to Rio and when I do I will go again to Devassa.

• Shenanigans Irish Pub & Sports Bar - Ipanema, Rua Visconde de Piraja 112A, on the Praça General Osório - Great any day but best on Wednesdays, this second-story Irish bar shows only a green awning at street level. Has imported beer(bottles and draught), American pool and a variety of sports on the big screen (NFL, NCAA, NHL, MLB, Football(soccer), Rugby and all local Brazilian sports.
• Lapa - A good bet for Thursdays, several bars and clubs, but the party is in the street. There you will find people dancing and playing Samba, Choro (soft rhythm with flutes and mandolin), Reggae and Hip Hop, as well as ballroom dancing (gafieira), but no Rock (except for some underground, which doesn't happen often or in the same place, but usually in some less known places of lapa) or Pop music. It can also be a very exciting and packed place on weekend nights. Be sure not to bring valuables, as there are a lot of pick-pockets operating in the area. Don't take it for the neighborhood with the same name in São Paulo, which is totally different.

Clubbing

For those who like to go clubbing, Rio has some good options to offers. You'll be seeing lots of flyers and talk about "raves", but those aren't the same as European ones. Usually Rio's raves are devoted to trance, which is pretty popular, especially with the upper-class youngsters, though some electronic parties do have good djs and live acts from around the world. The night in Rio is pretty much divided between mainstream and underground.

Mainstream would be such "raves" and big electronic festivals, as well a nightclubs like Bombar (Leblon and Barra da Tijuca), Baronetti (Ipanema) and Melt (Leblon) that are devoted to pop, dance and variations of house and trance. Those are not, however, places you go for the music. They are usually packed with "patricinhas" (tanned, long soft-haired girls with gym-built bodies) and specially "pitboys" (upper/middle-class boys, known for having various degrees of martial arts training and a certain tendency for violence). Yes, fights are one of the major problems with the mainstream clubbing scene in Rio. It's also fairly expensive. You'd be expecting to pay between R$30 and R$50 to get in a club (girls pay less, but all those clubs will have an f/m proportion around 1/3) and between R$50 and R$100 for a "rave" or electronic music party being held at spots like the Marina.

• Melt (pronounced meelch by locals) - Leblon, Rua Rita Ludolf 47A - Thursdays - this 2-story club sports an upscale bar downstairs and a dance club upstairs.
• Bombar Leblon, good club.

Though with far less options, the underground clubbing scene is more available and interesting than the mainstream. Most of the underground clubs are on Zona Sul and offer different parties for each day of the week. The underground club scene has a more diverse public, from goths to punks also with strong hedonistic tints. It's very gay-friendly and most of the parties and clubs have almost the same m/f proportion. It is also far cheaper than the mainstream clubs, with tickets starting as low as R$5 and not going further up than R$25.

• Fosfobox [51] Copacabana - Rua Siqueira Campos, 143. "Fosfo" as it's nicknamed by the goers has a strong Saturday rock-oriented party. Young, trendy crowd with djs playing mostly indie rock, discopunk and electro-rock. After 4 am it has a more electronic after-party. Different parties happen on Fridays, but it's usually electronic, with favorite genres being electro, house and minimal. Other nights are usually more electronic also, but has had Rock parties also on Thursdays. On Tuesdays there's a dub/reggaeton party.
• Casa da Matriz [52] Botafogo - Rua Henrique Novaes, 126. An 18th century house turned into a two-floor nightclub. Because the walls of the original structure are all there, it is regarded as small. It has a weekly schedule that never changes. On Fridays there's a Brazilian music party (Brazooka) which is must-go in town. On Saturdays, there's rock on the first floor, with occasional appearances by local and even foreign bands (Paradiso). On Mondays has a very indie and prestigious rock party (Maldita), though never a really crowded one (except on Holidays).
• Dama de Ferro [53] Ipanema - Rua Vinicius de Moraes, 288. Electronic-only club, with two floors. Mostly has electro, minimal and house parties, with well-known DJs from Rio, Brazil and foreigners. A "must" with the electronic-loving gay community. (00), located in Gávea.