Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
RIO'S USEFUL BUS ROUTES
Between Centro and the Zona Sul, most buses run along the coast as far as
Botafogo
; those
for
Copacabana
continue around the bay, past the Rio Sul shopping centre, and through the
Pasmado Tunnel; those for
Leblon
, via Jóquei (the Jockey Club), turn right at Botafogo and
travel along Avenida São Clemente.
From Rodoviária Novo Rio
: #127 or #128 to Centro; #170 to Lapa and Catete; #126, #127 or
#128 to Copacabana; #474 or #486 to Ipanema.
From Avenida Rio Branco
: #119, #121, #123, #127 to Copacabana; #128 (via Copacabana),
#132 (via Flamengo) and #172 (via the Jockey Club/Jóquei) to Leblon.
From Avenida Beira Mar, Lapa, near the Praça Deodoro
: #158 (via the Jockey Club/
Jóquei), #170, #172 (via Jardim Botânico), #174 (via Praia do Botafogo), #438, #464, #571 and
#572 to Leblon; #472 to Leme; #104 to Jardim Botânico.
From Copacabana
: #123, #124 or #132 to Centro; #464 to Maracanã.
BY TRAM
Rio's last remaining trams, the
bondes
(pronounced
“bonjis”), climb from near Largo da Carioca, across the
eighteenth-century Aqueduto da Carioca (Arcos de Lapa),
to the inner suburb of Santa Teresa and on to Dois Irmãos.
Unfortunately these are not running at present as the
Aqueduto is undergoing restoration. Supposedly this
closure is only for a year, but many suspect that the trams
will not be running again any time soon, and there are
strong local campaigns for their reinstatement.
BY CAR
Rio's road system is characterized by a confusion of one-
way streets, tunnels, access roads and flyovers, and
parking is either difficult or impossible. Lane discipline is
not much adhered to, overtaking on the right appears to
be mandatory and, between 10pm and 6am, to avoid
an armed hold-up, you need only slow down at a red
traffic light. If you rent a car, it's best to only use it for
trips out of town, thus avoiding the worst of Rio driving;
consider collecting it on a Sunday morning when traffic
is at its lightest.
Car rental
Most companies are represented at the
international airport and, in Centro, at Santos Dumont
airport. In Zona Sul, they have offices in the following
locations, all on Avenida Princesa Isabel in Copacabana:
Avis, at no. 350 (
T
0800 725 2847); Hertz, no. 500
(
T
0800 701 7300 or
T
21 4003 7368); Localiza, no. 150
(
T
0800 979 2000 or
T
21 2275 3340); Unidas, no. 166a
(
T
21 2295 3628). With unlimited mileage and
reasonably comprehensive insurance, prices start at
about R$150 per day; you'll need a credit card to rent the
vehicle. It's usually cheaper to reserve and pay in
advance from abroad.
BY FERRY AND HYDROFOIL
From Praça XV de Novembro, ferries transport passengers
across Guanabara Bay to Niterói (4-6 hourly,
6am-11.30pm weekdays, fewer at weekends; 20min;
R$4.50) and Paquetá Island (every 90min,
5.15am-11.45pm weekdays, 5am-1am weekends; last
boat back 11pm weekdays, midnight at weekends;
R$4.50). There's also a hydrofoil service to Eastação Charitas
near Niterói (2-3 hourly 6.50am-9pm; 10min; R$12).
BY TAXI
Taxis in Rio come in two varieties: yellow ones with a blue
stripe that cruise the streets, and the larger, newer, air-
conditioned radio cabs, which are white with a red-and-
yellow stripe and are ordered by phone. Both have meters,
and unless you've pre-paid at the airport, you should insist
that they are activated. The flag, or
bandeira
, over the
meter denotes the tariff.
Prices
Generally speaking, Rio's taxi services are reasonably
priced (Centro to Ipanema costs around R$25, Botafogo to
Copacabana around R$20) and it is not in the cabbies' interest
to alienate tourists by ripping them off; the only time to avoid
ordinary (yellow and blue) taxis is when you're coming into
town from an airport. Late at night, drivers may try to quote a
fixed price that's up to three times the normal fare. Radio cabs
are thirty percent more expensive than the regular taxis, but
they are reliable: companies include Coopertramo (
T
21 2560
2022) and Transcoopass (
T
21 2209 1555).
BY BICYCLE
Rio has a city bike system, with orange bicycles (painted
with the logo of Itaú bank) available at ranks citywide. The
complicated part is that you need a mobile phone to
liberate them, and a daily pass to use them (R$5), and you
need to register online for a monthly pass (R$10) - and all
the instructions are in Portuguese only. If you can handle
that, or if somebody can help you, you will find the
necessary information (in Portuguese) at
W
www
.movesamba.com.br/bikerio, or you can call
T
21 4063
3999. There's no further payment for any journey of less
than an hour, and it's R$5 per hour thereafter. Cycling -
along with skateboarding and rollerblading - is
particularly good on Sundays when the beach roads along
Parque de Flamengo are closed to motorized tra
c.
