5 things you need to know before going to Rio de Janeiro
This Brazilian city is considered as one of the most striking destination in the world and as one of the third largest city in Latin America. With its beautiful sparkling beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema and its friendly lovely people. Also, its magnificent historical monuments (who can forget the Christ the Redeemer statue?) and of course the rich sounds of samba that you hear everywhere you go. I’ve realized there are a few things that people need to know before traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. So here are 5 things you need to know before going to Rio de Janeiro.
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5 things you need to know before going to Rio de Janeiro
1.The people of Brazil speak Portuguese.
There is no need to brush up on your Spanish before because no one will understand you. Brazil historically was settled by the French and the Spanish, but it was officially colonized by Portugal and therefore present day residents of the land speak Portuguese. Certain phrases are the same, but by-and-large they are different languages. Even the things that look the same on paper are pronounced totally different. My recommendation for a quick-learn handbook is “Dirty Portuguese“. The title is suggestive, but it actually includes pronunciation for many useful things like ordering in restaurants, booking hotels, etc.
2. DON’T PAY FOR A TAXI – TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Your gut instinct might be to take a taxi. You probably think it’s cleaner, safer, and more reliable than public transportation, but that’s usually not true. The metro and bus systems are actually very tourist-friendly and more affordable than taxis.
The bus systems in Rio are a little different than in America. You often have to call for a bus if you want a ride. Even if you’re standing at the bus stop, the buses might not stop unless you raise your hand or call out. That’s the result of having so many people in one place.
3. Rio de Janeiro can be very dangerous.
The wealth disparity in Rio de Janeiro is huge, meaning the gap between rich and poor is visible. As in most places of extreme poverty, desperate acts of violence frequently occur. Muggings, robberies, kidnappings, shootings, etc. are a daily part of life and they dominate the new cycles. Despite the presence of the military police, no one is immune to these troubles. But there are steps you can take to make your travels there safer. NOTE: The US Dollar is valued higher than the Brazilian Real, so tourists can be targets.
4. SOME AREAS ARE SAFER THAN OTHERS
More than five million people visit Rio every year. Because there are so many tourists, city officials have worked hard to make it a safe, friendly place to visit. Most areas are that way. When traveling to a major tourist spot in the city, you shouldn’t have any problems.
But when traveling to a huge, foreign city, you should always be wary. Some areas of Rio are safer than others, and you don’t want to find yourself in a bad situation.
As a general rule of thumb, stick to areas where there are a lot of people. Watch your stuff, and don’t go out alone at night. Listen to your gut, and you should be fine.
5. THE MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ARE BUSIEST ON WEEKENDS
This probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but weekends are the busiest for tourist attractions like Copacabana, Christ the Redeemer, and Sugarloaf Mountain.
Weekends are busiest no matter where you travel but in Rio, busy means major congestion. These destinations receive hundreds of thousands of visitors over the course of a weekend. You’ll have to fight your way through crowds to get a picture of these attractions, and there will be tons of people surrounding you.
While weekdays are busy too, it’s not quite as overcrowded. You’ll still have random strangers in your photographs, but you’ll be able to walk without bumping into other people.
