Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Female dormitory of an Ipanema hostel
Right
A stall selling cheap tropical fruits
Budget Tips
!
Book in Advance
*
Laundrettes
especially in the beach
neighborhoods. Most
come with a kitchenette
and washing machine.
They are an especially
good deal for families.
Accommodations in
Rio can be cheaper if
you reserve in advance
over the Internet. Many
larger hotels offer as
much as 30 percent off
their rack rate for online
bookings. It is normal to
approach hotels in Rio
directly and there is
usually no need to go
through a tour operator.
@
Travel Off-Season
Laundrettes, or
lavanderias
, in Rio are
open from Monday to
Saturday and are always
at least 50 percent
cheaper than the
services offered by
hotels. All laundrettes
have attendants you can
leave your wash load
with and many will dry,
fold, and even iron your
clothes. Some will also
deliver them to your
hotel if the wash is pre-
paid. Look out for the
lavanderia
street signs.
%
Hostels
Most Rio hostels
attract a young crowd,
and offer private rooms
as well as dormitory-style
accommodations. These
are usually - though not
always - cheaper than
most of the low-budget
hotels. The most
economical options are
com ventilador
(fan-
cooled) only.
Traveling to Brazil
outside the popular
tourist season can save
as much as 50 percent
on the cost of your trip.
As well as this financial
incentive, the beaches
are far less crowded.
The last two weeks of
December through till
Carnaval and June are
busy, while April, May,
August, and September
tend to be much quieter.
£
Discount Plane
(
Sightseeing
for Free
There's plenty to do in
Rio for free. First and
foremost is spending
time on the city's many
beaches. Aside from the
Jardim Botânico
(see
pp18-19)
, all of Rio's
parks are free, including
Tijuca
(see pp10-11)
,
although there is often a
cost in getting there.
Most of the churches
in Rio do not have an
admission charge.
)
Phone Cards
^
Cheap Eats
Prato feito
set meals
are an affordable lunch
option, and are usually
available in the cheaper
Rio restaurants. Per-kilo
restaurants are also
reasonable, and are found
all over the city
(see
p110)
. Many bars offer
petiscos
, or snacks,
which are cheap and
quick, and supermarkets
and street vendors stock
delicious and cheap
tropical fruits.
&
Travel During
Tickets
TAM, GOL, Webjet, and
other Brazilian airlines
offer cheap fights on the
Internet. However, their
websites only accept
Brazilian credit cards,
so book flights through
your hotel if you can.
d
www.tam.com.br;
www.voegol.com.br;
www.webjet.com.br
$
Apartment Rental
Newsstands and
shops in the airports, bus
station, and many Rio
hostels sell discount
cartões telefonicos
internacionais
(interna-
tional phone cards).
Cartões telefonicas
(local
phone cards) can also be
bought at most news-
stands, and are cheaper
than using a cell phone,
even with a Brazilian SIM
card
(see p105)
.
Off-Peak Hours
Try to avoid taking taxis
from 7am to 9am and
from 4pm to 5pm, when
Rio's traffic is very
congested with
commuters. If there is
no metro to your
destination, try to use it
for at least part of your
journey - you will save
on time and money.
If you are thinking of
staying in Rio for more
than a week, consider
renting an apartment.
These can be far cheaper
than hotel rooms,
107
