JOIN RIO - Advice & Information

The public transport in Rio which consists of buses, trains and subways (metro). The buses are the mass transportation mean with nearly 440 bus lines serving over four million passengers a day. The local transportation policy has increased the metro’s quality and frequency in order to reduce traffic congestion. Driving in Rio de Janeiro might not be the best choice for tourists because traffic jams are very common. Check the transport maps in Rio.

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Rio has two metro lines that go through 42 kilometers (26 mi) and have 32 stations. The first line starts in General Osório in Ipanema and goes to Saens Peña in Tijuca; the second line runs from Botafogo to Pavuna in northern Rio. The metro opens 7 days a week, from 05:00 to 24:00 Mondays to Saturdays, and from 07:00 to 11:00 on Sundays and public holidays. Taking the metro is the safest and fastest way of using public transportation in Rio; locals as well as tourists use it everyday to go from one place to another. A Metro/Bus ticket is available for a single journey.

Travelling in buses to go around the city is a good option during the day but it is not recommended at night because it may be unsafe. There are both non-air conditioned and air-conditioned buses with different ticket prices. A more comfortable and upper scale bus is called the "Frescão". The ticket is a little bit more expensive, it is only available during weekdays and it runs from Centro (Downtown) to Leblon passing through Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema (and vice versa).

The taxis are the safest option of transportation at night. They are yellow colored and can be hailed on the streets. When catching a taxi make sure it has the official identification sticker in the window and check that the meter is reset once you get in. Radio taxis are safe and reliable but 25% more expensive than yellow taxis.

Driving a car in Rio can be awful but it is the best choice to reach distant beaches like Grumari and other distant amazing places. Traffic-jams are very common especially at rush hours in neighborhoods such as Copacabana, Botafogo, Laranjeiras, and Tijuca. A special traffic management program sets that during weekday’s mornings, from 7am to 10am, the beachfront roads of Ipanema and Copacabana run in one way towards the city.

For more information about transport in Rio, contact us and we will gladly send you further material about any subject of your interest. We will e-mail this information at no cost within 72 hours and it will be specific to your requirements

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