Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INFORMATION
Tourist information There are two o cial tourist
agencies in the city. Information about the city of Rio
is from Riotur ( W www.rio.rj.gov.br/riotur), which
distributes maps and brochures and has an English-
speaking telephone information service, Alô Rio (Mon-Fri
9am-6pm; T 21 2271 7000). Riotur's main o ce is on the
tenth floor of Praça Pio X 119 in Centro (Mon-Fri
9am-6pm; T 21 2217 7552), and it has 24hr information
1
booths at Rodoviária Novo Rio ( T 21 2263 4857), Galeão
international airport (see p.89) and Santos Dumont
airport (see p.89), Copacabana, Ipanema, Lapa and dotted
about town. Information about other parts of the state of
Rio is available from TurisRio ( W turisrio.rj.gov.br), located
at Rua Acre 30 in Centro (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; T 21 2334
6153) and at Galeão airport ( T 21 3398 4526; daily
6am-11pm).
TOURS
Carlos Roquette T 21 99911 3829, W www
.culturalrio.com.br. Carlos Roquette has been leading
historical and cultural tours of the city for years, and while
his mainstays are “Colonial Rio”, “Imperial Rio”, “Belle
Époque Rio” and “Art Deco Rio”, he also designs tours to
meet the particular interests of individuals or groups - not
the least of which are explorations of homosexual life, past
and present, in the city's varied bairros .
Favela Tour T 21 3322 2727, W favelatour.com.br.
Marcel Armstrong's walking tours of the Rocinha and Vila
Canoas favelas (see pp.84-85).
Helisight T 21 2511 2141, W helisight.com.br. Panoramic
helicopter rides from Morro da Urca, including a 6-7min
jaunt around Sugar Loaf Mountain and Cristo Redentor for
R$210 per person, or a full hour for R$1205 per person.
Needless to say, the views are absolutely breathtaking.
Rio Hiking T 21 2552 9204, W riohiking.com.br.
Organizes hikes in Parque Nacional da Tijuca (see p.85) and
bar-hopping tours of Lapa (see p.70), as well as out-of-
town excursions.
ACCOMMODATION
Although there's usually no shortage of accommodation in Rio, there are considerable seasonal variations in demand
and prices. High season is from December to February, when advanced reservations are recommended. If you arrive at
this time without a booking, either make one through a tourist o ce or leave your luggage in the guarda volumes (baggage
o ces) at the rodoviária or Santos Dumont airport while you look; there's no point lugging heavy bags around Rio's hot
thoroughfares. During Carnaval , prices soar, accommodation becomes hard to find and most hotels and hostels only
accept bookings for a minimum of four nights' stay. In low season, many hotels lower prices by between thirty and fifty
percent. The highest concentrations of budget places are in Glória, Catete and Flamengo, with numerous good hostels
in Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema. Santa Teresa has an excellent bed-and-breakfast network (see box, p.94). Prices
quoted below include breakfast, unless stated otherwise.
city-centre hotel in a pretty 1930s building has a variety of
simply furnished but impeccably cl ean roo ms at slightly
varying rates, but all are good value. R$130
Hotel Ibis Budget Rua Silva Jardim 32, Centro
T 21 3511 8500, W ibisbudget.com; M Carioca; map
pp.62-63. The rooms here are triples, and the price is the
same for one, two or three people. All are immaculately
spotless, with their own bathrooms, and you can usually
get reduced prices online; even for Carnaval they only go up
to R$299 (though you need to boo k some months ahead).
Breakfast is not included, however. R$205
Hotel Ibis Rio Santos Dumont Av Marechal Câmara
280, Centro T 21 3506 4500, W ibishotel.com;
M Cinelândia; map pp.62-63. Located just 200m from
Santos Dumont airport, and ideal for a late arrival or early
departure. Like most Ibis hotels in Brazil, the 330 rooms
here are compact yet very comfortable, a nd offer excellent
value, although breakfast is not included. R$399
Hotel Windsor Guanabara Av Presidente Vargas 392,
Centro
CENTRO, CINELÂNDIA AND LAPA
Most of the many cheap pensões and hotels in Centro and
Lapa are inhabited by full-time residents, usually single
men in town to work, but if you want to stay near Lapa's
clubs and bars, there are a number of good hotel options.
Behind Lapa is Santa Teresa, which, despite its leafy aspect
and spirited nightlife, has only one hotel - although its
numerous B&Bs (see box, p.94) offer some of the most
pleasant accommodation in Rio.
Hotel Arcos Rio Palace Av Mem de Sá 117, Lapa
T 21 2242 8116, W arcosriopalacehotel.com.br;
M Cinelândia; map pp.62-63. A busy, well-equipped
hotel that's secure, inexpensive and ideally situated for
enjoying Lapa's nightlife, which you can look down on from
the rooftop pool terrace. The street outside can get quite
busy (double glazing keeps most of the noise of ut), and
some of the beds are a bit on the hard side. R$280
Hotel Belas Artes Rua Visconde do Rio Branco 52,
Centro T 21 2252 6336, W hotelbelasartes.com.br;
M Presidente Vargas; map pp.62-63. This small
T 21
2195
6000,
W windsorhoteis.com;
OPPOSITE MUSEU DE ARTE CONTEMPORÂNEA, NITERÓI P.110 >
 
 
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