A charming Rio de Janeiro tour guide and Thomas Dorsey atop Corcovado; (c) Soul Of America
Rio de Janeiro Travel Tips
Rio de Janeiro Facts
Official Language: Portuguese
Currency: Real
Time Zone: UTC-3 (1 hour ahead of EST)
Est. Population: 6 Million
Travel Tips
Passports and visas are necessary for U.S. citizens.
Rio de Janeiro is a wonderful city to visit any time of the year. The tropical climate has an average temperature of 80 degrees. Though humidity and thunderstorms are common during the summer, Rio is NOT in a Hurricane Zone.
Currency is the “Real” with major credit cards accepted by most establishments.
Portuguese is the official language and some English is spoken by locals. Bring a Portuguese phrase book with you.
Banks are open from 10am-4pm (Monday-Friday). ATMs are plentiful and the most convenient way to get Reals. Some ATMs may only accept PIN numbers with 4 digits.
Most malls are open 10am-10pm (Monday-Saturday). Most non-mall stores are open 9am-6:30pm (Monday-Friday) and 9am-1pm (Saturday).
Electricity is different than in the U.S. so bring an adapter. Bring an extra battery or battery charger.
The major holidays in Rio de Janeiro are New Year’s Eve, Carnaval, Good Friday, Easter, Tiradentes, Labor Day, Corpus Christi, Independence Day, Holy Mary’s Day, All Soul’s Day, Proclamation of the Republic Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. For specific dates, go to the Brazil Tourism Office.
Brazilian Portuguese Language
• Bring a Brazilian Portuguese Phrasebook with you.
• You will use the Brazilian Portuguese equivalent for the following English words/phrases often so memorize their Portuguese pronunciation before your trip: Sir, Madame, Hello, Please, Thank You, Excuse Me, Goodbye, I don’t understand, Where is?, How much?, Do you speak English?
• Charm, good manners, and a thumbs up are appreciated by Brazilians. You are expected to greet small shop owners and elderly people. The more you use (Sir, Madame, Hello, Please, Thank You, and Excuse Me), the more help you’ll receive.
Flight To Rio
• Confirm your flight at least 48 hours in advance.
• Make a copy of your passport/flight itinerary/hotel reservations and leave it with someone at home. Carry an extra copy with you.
• Request an exit row seat for more legroom.
• Pack headache, airborne and other medicines in your hand luggage.
• If you have a cold or have problems with air pressure, purchase the special ear plugs for air pressure available at most airports or large pharmacies.
• Bring an eye patch for sleeping.
• Most flights leave from Miami, New York, Atlanta, and Houston. Allow plenty of time for your transfer, in case of delay.
• Bring plenty of anti-bacterial wipes to help prevent illness.
• Find out if your health insurance covers an unexpected visit to the doctor in Rio and the locations of the hospitals covered by your health insurance.
• Have at least a general understanding of the metric system, as it is used for everything.
• If you are a shopper, $600 is the per person limit before you pay duty on purchase.
Rio Hotel Rooms, Money & Valuables
• Most hotel rooms are small compared to the U.S., so pack accordingly.
• Air conditioning is not available in many older hotels away from the beaches.
• Confirm that the breakfast buffet is included in your room price before going to the breakfast room.
• If you need to cancel a hotel room, confirm the hotel’s cancellation policy and get the cancellation in writing in order to avoid cancellation fees later.
• By American standards, downgrade hotel listings of 5, 4, and 3 stars by one star.
• Bring at least one ATM card and credit card. Use the ATM card to get Reals, since they usually have a better rate than many currency exchange offices. Your ATM card should have a code of only 4 digits.
• Exchange dollars into small bills (5 Reals, 10 Reals, etc.)
• Locals don’t wear money belts. If you choose to wear a money belt, you stand out as a tourist.
• Place your money in hidden pockets or deep inside your bag, so that it’s hard for pickpockets.
• Put only things that you are willing to lose in your visible pockets.
• Store your passport, extra money, plane ticket, list of credit card/ATM card customer service phone numbers and other valuables in the locked hotel safe.
• When dining with a mixed party of men and women, the men are usually addressed and served first.
• Tipping in restaurants is typically 10-15%, but gratuity is often included. Ask your waiter beforehand if paying by credit card.
Safety for Women
Compared to major U.S. cities, Rio is most similar to Miami. Women should use common sense when walking around. Sisters traveling alone should assume they are traveling in a major U.S. city and take the necessary precautions. Pickpockets don’t fit a profile. So use care when in tourist attraction areas and using public transportation. Seek help from official-looking people only (train station agents, tourist office, tour bus drivers, airport information desk, hotel desk clerks).
Although it’s okay for men, visiting women should not walk or jog Avenida Atlantica in Copacabana alone at night.
