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Rio de Janeiro Tourist Traps

The entrance of the Bay by RTL - Rio de Janeiro
The entrance of the Bay by RTL
by RafaelTheSecond
Tips and photos of Rio de Janeiro tourist attractions and tourist traps, posted by real travelers and Rio de Janeiro locals.
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A little homework can save you some money
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  • Updated By jeffjun on January 21, 2006
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by jeffjun
  • Rio de Janeiro Tourist Traps
    by jeffjun
    It's always a good idea to findout, in advance, how much you should expect to pay for your taxi ride from an airport to your hotel. The hotel would be the best place to ask this question if you are not able to get the information through the virtualtourist site.

    It's also a good idea to ask the driver about the cost of the ride before getting into the taxi. Otherwise, you might end up paying for the ride, driver's lunch, and his daughter's new clothes. :)

    On the day of my arrival in Rio, a taxi driver approached to me at the airport and tried to rip me off by offering a price 6 times more than what it normally costs to get to my hotel. He told me R$300 to get to the hotel in Leblon when it should only cost around R$50. That was ridiculous.

    Fotunately, I had done my homework prior to arriving in Rio and knew exactly how much it costs to get to my hotel. I found myself another taxi driver who offered a reasonable fee.

    So it's true. Homework does pay off at the end. Haha.

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    Beware of Vendors at the Corcovado Train Station
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  • glabah
  • Updated By glabah on May 26, 2004
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by glabah
  • The Corcovado Train is a very popular tourist attraction ( I've taken it twice - see my Corcovado Railway travelogue ), and well it should be, because it is a spectacular trip.

    Be very careful of the various vendors that surround the sidewalks and parking areas near the station at the base of the hill as they can be very aggressive in their selling of various things. They are not selling things inside the official station grounds for a reason!

    If you have to go past these people, try to get past them as quickly as possible. It is tempting to want to stay and watch their antics, but be very careful in doing so, as this opens you up for being surrounded on all sides by various street vendors yelling at you. Avoid these street vendors and the Chinese made crap they are selling as Rio de Janeiro memorabilia.

    Be really careful that this distraction does not open you up to robbery or other attack.

    Go around behind the station, and visit the (free!) museum of the Corcovado Train, and a few other areas while you wait for the train to depart.

    If you want to visit street vendors, there are many throughout Rio that have better items and more authentic items - and are less agressive than here.

    The various vendors that are inside the station area, as well as those at the summit at the statue, are more polite, and have true Rio de Janeiro memorabilia for sale.

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    Drinks on the Beach
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  • dargains
  • Updated By dargains on January 31, 2006
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by dargains
  • Cuidado, com os vendedores dos quiosques da praia, sempre pergunte o pre?o antes de comprar algio ou abrir uma conta num quiosque ou barraca, por que se perceberem que voce e turista, eles vao cobrar muito mais caro.

    Be very carefull, with the guys on the beach who sell dirnks an rent chairs, always ask how things costs before buying or opening a tab, be aware that a "Caipirinha" should not cost you more than R$6, and a beer should not cost more than R$ 2,50, an order of fries R$10, or some fried fish, should not cost more than R$ 30. so be aware and carefull.

    Atencion para los precios de las bebidas y comidas en la playa, se saben que sos turista, te cobran mucho mas caro, asi que, los precios medios para 2006 son, para una cerveza en lata, R$2,50, Caipirinha, R$6,00, Papas Fritas R$10,0 y Pescado frito R$30, Si te cobran mas que esses precios va a otro kiosco.

    Fale para o vendedor que voce sabe o valor das coisas, e nunca abra contas.

    Tell the guy who?s selling to you, that on the day before, some other guy sold you the drinks cheaper, and never, never open tabs, always pay for the drinks when you buy it

    Cuente a los vendedores que sabeis los precios de las cosas, le comente que en el dia anterior he pagado los precios justos y siempre abone en el momento de la compra, nunca tenga cuentas.

    A unica alternativa ? comprar um isopor e levar a cerveja pra praia.

    The only alternative is to buy a cooler, and take your own beer to beach. But don?t forget to pick up you garbage afterwards

    Compre un cooler y cervezas y en el supermercado, y las lleve para la playa, mucho mas economico, pero nunca se olviden de llevra su basura

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    Use the meter!
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  • JCtheEE
  • By JCtheEE on November 15, 2005
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by JCtheEE
  • Nearly every taxi that I got into tried to negotiate a flat rate to my destination. At home in the US I couldn't come up with a reasonable estimate of cab fare, so how could anyone do so on vacation? At first I would try to negotiate a lower price, but after insisting on the use of the meter, I found that even what I thought were bargains, were ripoffs. Use the meter. If the driver claims it's "quebrado" or broken, take another taxi.

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    Everybody's at the beach!
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  • jgacis
  • By jgacis on January 2, 2004
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by jgacis
  • Rio beach during Carnival - Rio de Janeiro
    Rio beach during Carnival
    by jgacis
    The beach can get very crowded, especially during Carnival season. But hey, this is Brazil, there is always room!!! :)

    Don't forget to bring your sandals, the sand is too hot to walk barefoot on (and don't wear shoes, unless you want to be stared at).

    Umbrellas and chairs can be rented for a cheap price (under $10 US).

    Don't expect to see topless women everywhere.

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    Help
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  • acemj
  • Updated By acemj on November 15, 2003
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by acemj
  • Rio de Janeiro Tourist Traps
    by acemj
    If you're a man traveling alone in Rio and you ask a taxi driver or a hotel employee where to go at night, it's likely he will suggest Help. Well, if you're looking for prostitutes, then this is the place for you, but personally that's not my scene. I never went here, but according to my guidebook, this place used to actually be one of the city's best nightclubs.
    However, nowadays it's full of foreign men looking for a good time (if not a free time).

    It's located on Copacabana on Av. Atlantica.

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    Anywhere in the City
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  • whvcebu
  • By whvcebu on November 26, 2003
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by whvcebu
  • Snatching of jewelry while walking
    Money changers offer good rates

    Don't wear expensive jewelery
    Don't check into a bus alone
    Stay in southern parts of the city
    Make a copy of your passport and leave the passport in the hotel safe
    Take only as much money as you really need

    Keep all in your hotel safe
    Wear a money bag around your neck below your shirt or keep it in front pockets.

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    IF YOU ARE CLEVER DO NOT BUY
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  • RafaelTheSecond
  • By RafaelTheSecond on May 16, 2005
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by RafaelTheSecond
  • Souvenir Shopes in Corcovado by RTL - Rio de Janeiro
    Souvenir Shopes in Corcovado
    by RTL
    by RafaelTheSecond
    Everything is in reais, so it is still not so expensive for you, but it is, the Christ is a very touristic place, and the prices are for tourists, but if you do not want to be treated like a fool when you spend your money.
    I am sorry all the stores in the Christ and also in the Sugar Loaf mountain, but the prices are not honest!

    May 14th, 2005

    Remember that every souvenir can be cheaper in Santa tereza, in the Hippie Fair in Ipanema and in the little fair in front of Help Disco in Copacabana! Even cheaper are the art crafts sold in the Feira do Nordeste.

    You can buy post cards, little pins or very small stuffs, but do not buy overpriced touristic souvenirs.

    In Petropolis you can buy statues of Christ, and they are cheaper than in the Christ Mountain itself!;)

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    DIFICULT TO UNDERSTAND
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  • marcbrazil
  • By marcbrazil on October 22, 2007
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by marcbrazil
  • Morro do Turão in Irajá - Rio de Janeiro
    Morro do Turão in Irajá
    by marcbrazil
    Most of my friends from other countries and also many visitors before coming here that might have heard something about FAVELA TOUR.

    I think when you come to Brazil you first think about having fun in the beach, getting mixed with people doing good things like chill out, go shopping, going to the beach, meeting friends, visiting beautiful nature spots. We actually never travel to see poverty and also to experience daily life with people who live under the fear.

    We all know that 98% of te hills in Rio are Favelas...I mean SLUMS..or poor Barrios as they say in Mexico, they are controlled by drug dealersand in some hills the POLICE never enter.

    Some tour agencies organize excursions to some famous Favela in the city, they pay the Favelas to have safety provided...guess to whom this money is going????

    THAT IS WHY I SEE WITH VERY BAD EYES THIS DAFT IDEA!

    So if you want to see poverty you must be a health volunteer to work with the DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS IN AFRICA..if you want to see poverty in brazil it is better to be at home watching TV...because if you come to see the real favelas in a FAVELA TOUR you will be giving your money to sponsor these GANGSTER to continue giving terror for the poor population who is forced to live under their laws and horror.

    Just to not go to the Favelas...why the risk of getting a bullet in the head..everyday there is always a cross fire, a real war between gangs, and sometimes the Police go to the Favela for the sake to put some order and trying to defeat these drug dealers!

    I do not have anything about drug users but I wonder that the money used to buy drugs is the money which bus a bullet that kills an inocent child who is playing in the Favela.

    Rio is facing a cruel war against violence, and the violence exist most of the time in the suburbs and also in the Favelas, the society is responding these crimes by protesting, using the midia to tell who is who in the Trafico and going to the street to claim for their rights to b protected!

    FAVELA TOURS in a way help the LOCAL MAFIA to survive and impose their LETHAL DICTATORSHIP in many poor zones of the city!

    So instead of going to a Favela, just travel to our countryside and find real needing poor village and buy them food, they will welcome you with a smile in the face and they wil probably invite you to join for lunch, then you will have a genuine brazilian experience!

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    Tourist traps....
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  • eVg
  • By eVg on July 21, 2004
  • Rio de Janeiro Page by eVg
  • Well during Carnival, half of Rio is a tourist trap!
    In general stay away from Copa, the street markets there...sure it might look cheap to a tourist, but the prices there are hiked up atleast 3 times...So if you are like me, have lots of family members to get gifts for, then it would make a difference.
    Instead go to street shops and fairs in Centro...or other market places

    You can always try and bargain....but seeing how poor or misaraable some of the vendors look, it only makes it worse!...You actually end up buying just to help them...as charity so to speak and end up with things you dont actually need, (at least thats what happend to me)

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