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Airport  
Rio International Airport is 15km north of the city centre on an island known as Ilha do Governador. Downtown, Santos Dumont is the domestic airport used for the São Paulo shuttle. Direct flight time from London to Rio is 10 hrs 30 mins. You don’t need to buy your gin before setting off as you can visit the very well-stocked duty-free shop on arrival at Rio’s international airport, a rather unusual feature among the usual American Express and Banco do Brasil facilities. 
Airport to City Centre
The best bet for the arriving business traveller is one of the official pay-before-boarding airport taxis, either Transcoopass or Cootramo. They charge $28 to Centro, $35 to Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, and $40 to São Conrado. There are also normal metered yellow-and-blue taxis outside, but you run the risk of being overcharged if you don’t keep your eye on the meter. Tipping taxi drivers usually just involves rounding up to the nearest dollar. A third option is to take an air-conditioned bus (a ‘Frescão’). These go first to the city centre and then all along the beachfront, stopping, at your request, at the hotels along the way. The Frescão costs $3 and departs from the 2nd floor of Arrivals every 20 mins. Whatever the method of transport, it can take up to an hour to get from the international airport to a beachfront hotel.
Orientation
Long and narrow, hemmed in between mountainous tropical forest and the Atlantic Ocean, Rio is divided into two zones: North (Zona Norte) and South (Zona Sul). The two regions converge at the Centro – the business, financial and historic seat of Rio. Visitors do not tend to go the Zona Norte and with good reason. It is an industrial hub as well as a lower-class residential area, with little of interest except the Maracanã football stadium and the National Museum. The famed Zona Sul, stretching south down the coast from the centre, contains the middle and upper-class residential districts; the Rio featured on postcards. Corcovado, the mountain upon which the statue of Christ stands, is a useful reference point. The statue is looking out over Botafogo to Sugar Loaf across the bay in Urca; to its left is Centro, to its right is the Zona Sul. The Rebouças Tunnel runs directly underneath Corcovado and links Lagoa, Ipanema, and Leblon with Centro. Fashionable Leblon and Ipanema lie between the ocean and the lagoon, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Inland from the lagoon are the residential districts of Lagoa and Jardim Botânico. In Centro, the two main roads, Avenida Presidente Vargas and Avenida Rio Branco run perpendicular to each other. Running south along the coast from the city centre are the neighbourhoods of Gloria, Flamengo, Botafogo, Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, São Conrado and Barra da Tijuca.
Excursions
If your trip includes a weekend then plan a visit to colonial Parati, which lies 3 hrs 30 mins south of Rio by bus. Explore Parati’s delightful old homes and churches and from there the dozens of secluded beaches that can be reached by boat. Or, if you’re feeling the heat, head up to Petrópolis or Teresópolis, a couple of hours out of Rio in the Serra dos Orgãos, for refreshingly cool mountain air and a European ambience. Or do what the Brazilians do and go to Búzios, a chic beach resort about 3 hrs north of Rio. 
For a taste of the bucolic, head out to Vargem Grande for lunch at Quinta, the private house and grounds of Luiz Correa de Araújo. Today his son Luiz Antonio oversees the operation, opening the house for weekend lunches in a delightful rustic setting. Caipirinhas are a specialty. Further still beyond Barra, past the unspoiled beaches of Prainha and Grumari, at the far end of the Bay of Sepetiba, the little fishing hamlet of Pedra de Guaratiba offers rustic fish restaurants  and a picturesque scene of fishing boats and old houses. 
Getting Around
Taxis are the best method of transport for the business traveller – yellow and blue cabs can be found all over the Zona Sul and Centro. Just flag onedown anywhere you see an empty one. An average fare from Centro to Ipanema should be around $15. Make sure your taxi’s meter shows only the base charge when you set off; it should be set to the number 1 position unless it is a Sunday, a holiday, between the hours of 2200 and 0600, or during month of December, when it goes to the number 2 position. Although more expensive, white radio-taxis are very efficient and will pick up anywhere in the city. A second option is the air-conditioned Frescão buses that link Centro with Zona Sul, and can be flagged down anywhere they are able to stop. The two companies operating this service are Real and Breda; the fare is $3. They set out from Castelo station in Centro, and go along the beach road as far as Barra da Tijuca. It can get chilly onboard these buses, so bring your sweater. The metro is a third option, but, while it is safe, air-conditioned and efficient, it doesn’t cover much ground. It is useful for travelling around Centro, or as far as the edge of Copacabana. Tickets are $1 per journey. Local buses should be avoided. Perilously driven and the scene of many hold-ups, their allure is limited to their cheapness.
What to see
Cidade Maravilhosa (‘Marvellous City’) has a lot more on offer than beaches and caipirinhas. It’s advisable to check the latest opening times before setting out as things change without warning here. 
Carnival: Business travellers don’t go to Rio at carnival time because no work gets done. A different set of rules applies to Rio in the throes of this most spectacular of parties, and you must be well-informed before arriving in the midst of the mayhem. 
Corcovado: Cristo Redentor, the 30m statue which stands in perpetual welcome some 710m above the city, is one of the unmissable sights of Rio. From here you have a majestic view of the city and of Sugar Loaf. 
Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf): The climb up to this most famous of sights is done in two stages. First, the cable car ride connects Praia Vermelha in Urca (a short taxi ride from Copacabana) with the Morro da Urca, the first plateau. Here you’ll find a restaurant, amphitheatre, heliport and plenty of souvenir shops. A second cable car journey brings you to the summit, at 396m. Behold spectacular views from any of the walkways that wind all around the summit. 
Parque Nacional da Tijuca: 120 sq km of lush, luxurious tropical forest, full of monkeys and exotic birds, Tijuca Forest is open from 0700 to 2100. A car or taxi is necessary to take in all the sights. Follow signs for the Alto da Boavista, the core of the park, featuring waterfalls, scenery, and restaurants. On your way up, stop at the Vista Chinesa, an oriental pavilion at 380m. Descending again, on the Estrada do Açude, take in the Museu do Açude (stop number 764), with its Portuguese tiles and lovely gardens.
Santa Teresa: The Montparnasse of Rio, perched high on a hill above Gloria and Centro, is well worth a meandering tour. Spend an hour or two soaking up the bohemian flavour, but don’t take the ‘bonde’, as foreigners are routinely robbed on these. Be sure to stop at the Museu da Chácara do Céu, at Rua Murtinho Nobre 93, once the home of Brazilian industrialist and art collector Castro Maya. Today it houses a small but worthy collection of modern art and Braziliana, and affords a panoramic view of Guanabara Bay.
Jardim Botânico: With its tranquil gardens of exotic plants and wildlife, avenues of stately palms and meandering nature paths, the Botanical Garden is a delightful place to spend a few hours. 
Jockey Club: Rio’s racecourse is one of the most beautiful in the world, situated next to the Lagoa with views of Corcovado from the stands. Races take place on weekend afternoons and in the evening Mon and Fri. Entry is free, but you’ll need to sit at a table and order something to eat or drink.
Museu Nacional: The palatial former home of the Brazilian monarchy has been a museum since 1892 and features a variety of fascinating scientific exhibits. Next-door is the city zoo, featuring some remarkable species of exotic birds. The museum and zoo are in the Quinta da Boa Vista, in São Cristóvão. 
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes: Rio’s fine art museum houses a permanent display of Brazilian and foreign art, as well as visiting exhibitions.
Shopping           Boka flygstol - Biljett - Resebyrå             Queensway Travel
Brazilians love to shop, and in the last 15 years or so Rio has built itself a host of giant American-style shopping malls. The oldest, Rio Sul, dates back to 1980-81 and it is almost shabby in comparison with Barra Shopping, São Conrado Fashion Mall, Gavea Shopping and the others. Many of the malls are out in Barra da Tijuca. Then there’s the Hippie Fair, every Sunday at Praça General Osório in Ipanema. Although the hippies left 25 years ago, you’ll still find their loving legacy among the assortment of paintings, jewellery, musical instruments and leather goods. For some fine examples of Brazilian gemstones and jewellery visit H Stern, Amsterdam Sauer and Roditi, all of which are on Visconde de Pirajá, at the corner of Garcia d’Avila, in Ipanema. From there, in either direction, Visconde de Pirajá is the place for fashion shopping in Rio – have a gawp at world-renowned ‘bum-bum’ bikinis in the Forum gallery at number 351. Pé de Boi, in Laranjeiras, is a gallery and shop selling handicrafts from the North-East and inland Brazil, and a good place to find original presents. 
Where to walk
It’s important to plan your walk for a weekday, when Centro is busy. At the weekend it becomes deserted and is not really safe for wandering. Begin at Praça Quinze de Novembro, best reached by taxi or on foot from Carioca metro station, where you’ll see Paço Imperial. This landmark palace was constructed in 1743 and was later converted in the 80s into an exhibition and concert venue. Something is always going on here, so go inside for a roam around. 
Cross Praça Quinze and pass beneath the historic stone archway known as Arco do Telles, proceeding into the Travessa do Comércio, a quiet pedestrian street featuring Rio’s best-preserved old houses. Restaurants line the way, in case you’re feeling peckish. When you reach Rua Ouvidor, turn left and then right onto Rua Primeiro de Março. Just before reaching Avenida Presidente Vargas on your right, you will see the imposing Banco do Brasil building and the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB), deservedly recognised as the country’s best cultural centre. Be sure to make a stop here and see what the fuss is about. Behind the CCBB is the Casa Franca-Brasil, which is also worth visiting. Continue across Avenida Presidente Vargas and have a look in the church of Nossa Senhora da Candelaria, which is situated on an island in the middle of the avenue. 
Back on Rua Primeiro de Março, turn left and walk to the end of the road, then bear left again on to Rua Dom Gerardo. At number 40, take the elevator to the top floor and spend some time in the Monastery of São Bento – a richly historic site and a peaceful retreat from the hue and cry of Centro. 
On your way back down to Praça Quinze, go along Rua Primeiro de Março to return to the starting point. Wind up the walk with a visit to the Museu Histórico Nacional, one of Brazil’s most important museums, filled with artefacts spanning the country’s history, from its discovery in 1500 to its birth as a republic in 1889.
Other points of interest in historic downtown Rio, for longer or different walks perhaps, are the Confeitaria Colombo, a turn-of-the-century teahouse; the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, a colonial library; and the classical Teatro Municipal, at the top of Praça Floriano, which is unfortunately only open during performances.
Weather and Climate
In a word, tropical. It rains a lot in Rio, particularly during spring and summer, and the humidity is always high. In July (the dead of winter), the temperature drops as low as 20º C, while from December to March, it rises to above 40º C.
Local Issues
During 1999, Rio telephone numbers will gain an extra digit. At the time of publication it is not yet known how this will be accomplished, so do verify numbers listed herein. Don’t be surprised if your phone call doesn’t go through on the first try. Rio’s telephone service is notoriously fraught with difficulties, so patience is called for. Traffic along the beach road from Barra da Tijuca all the way into Centro is one-way in during morning rush hour, and one-way out during evening rush hour. If you need to go against the rush-hour flow, you will be forced to take an inside route of tunnels. Rio’s favelas, or hillside slums, are by now so famous that there are actually organized tours taking tourists up for a safe look at them. Do not, under any circumstances, consider going into one without a guide. 
At a glance
Flamengo Park, following the coast from Botafogo Beach all the way to Santos Dumont Airport, is the largest urban park in the world. Within it you will find the Museum of Modern Art and the modernistic monument to the World War II dead. Similarly, Tijuca Forest is the largest urban forest in the world. Pão de Açúcar was first scaled in 1817 by Englishwoman Henrietta Carstairs, who caused consternation by planting a British flag when she arrived on the summit. A caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil, and it is made by mashing together lime wedges, sugar, ice and cachaça. It can also be made with vodka or rum. Rio tap water is fine for brushing your teeth with, but it’s best not to drink it. Order fizzy water and you can be sure you’re really getting bottled water. Coffee is served at all times of the day and night in Rio, in cups too small for milk. Black, sweet and strong, that’s how it’s drunk. Suco bars are on almost every corner, and you will regret not trying some of these delicious, freshly squeezed fruit concoctions. When it rains in Rio, everything, especially traffic, goes at half its normal speed.