Planning a Trip

359km (223 miles) NE of São Paolo

Riotur (tel. 021/2271-7000; www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br) provides excellent information on the city of Rio de Janeiro and operates a number of offices and kiosks around town. At Rio's international airport booths in the international arrivals halls of both Terminal 1 (tel. 021/3398-4077), and Terminal 2 (tel. 021/3398-2245), plus the domestic arrivals hall (tel. 021/3398-3034) are all open daily 6am to midnight. At Rio's main bus station, Rodoviaria Novo Rio, there's a counter in the arrivals area, open daily 8am to 8pm (tel. 021/2263-4857). The main Riotur Information Center (tel. 021/2541-7522) is on Av. Princesa Isabel 183, Copacabana. Open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, this office has the largest selection of brochures and information. Riotur also operates an information line, Alô Rio (tel. 021/2542-8080), with English-speaking staff, Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.

A must-have is Riotur's Guia do Rio-Rio Guide booklet, published every 3 months. Written in both English and Portuguese, it lists all tourist attractions, events, and festivals, and has many other useful phone numbers. Riotur also publishes a number of brochures specifically on outdoor sports, museums, and Carnaval. The office in Copacabana is most likely to stock all these publications.

The Rio de Janeiro state tourism agency TurisRio (tel. 021/2215-0011; www.turisrio.rj.gov.br) offers information on destinations in both the city and state of Rio de Janeiro. Their office, on the ground floor of Rua Mexico 125, Centro, is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. They also run an information line, Disque Turismo (tel. 0800/282-2007), with English-speaking staff, available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm.

Beware of Dengue Fever in Brazil

Occasionally Brazil experiences outbreaks of dengue fever, a malaria-like illness transmitted by mosquitoes. Most of the cases were reported in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with additional outbreaks in São Paulo as well. For the latest information on the situation in Rio, check the Centers for Disease Control website (www.cdc.gov) before you leave.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.