An insiders guide to Rio ahead of World Cup

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• published: 31 Jul 2015
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LEAD IN : Less than four months until the FIFA World Cup kicks off. Soccer fans are busy booking tickets and choosing flights to Brazil. But what can they expect when they arrive ? Here's an insiders guide to Rio... STORYLINE : Boasting rainforest covered mountains, sandy beaches and party reputation, Rio is a holiday makers paradise. If you are lucky you will get a glimpse from the air the gigantic statue of Christ, arms outstretched as if ready to give a welcoming embrace. The larger airport Antonio Carlos Jobim receives direct international flights. Once landed, how do you make your way into the city ? Airport "official" yellow taxis can be paid for in advance. The fare to Copacabana is R$62 ($26 US DOLLARS) plus charges for pieces of luggage. A less expensive option is the blue airport bus which costs R$13 and R$ 11 ($5 US DOLLARS approx) and goes in opposite directions to either to Alvorada and Barra or Copacabana and Ipanema. Cabs are the faster option as the bus can take upwards of two hours due to stops at the local bus station and at the Santos Dumont airport. Some money can be exchanged at the airport, however with a fee and a less favourable rate. The best option is to use ATM machines and withdraw directly from foreign accounts or use travel agencies for cash. ATM machines can be found near hotels, even inside drugstores and supermarkets. Next question - where to stay ? There are many options for lodging during the World Cup. Cristiano Nogueira wrote the "Rio for Partiers" guide to the city and thinks that renting a room in someone's apartment is a good budget option. "There's always hotels and hostels, which are great options, but recently there's been a boom in people renting out rooms, so now you can go to a site like "Airbnb" which is the main site for renting out rooms and you can get a whole apartment or a room but at a very good price, a lot less than you'd be spending at a comparable hotel in a similar location and what's cool is that it's all over the city. " Hotels in Rio's beachfront can cost over 500 US dollars per night, especially during the World Cup. Travellers are looking for less expensive options which although less comfortable can cost a fraction such as hostels, ranging from high end to the ones in the city's slums. Once checked in, the first place to visit is the beach. Local advice - don't bring much. Chairs can be rented for R$5 ($2 US DOLLARS) for the day. The use of towels is uncommon as the sun dries the body very fast. However many women wear the "canga" or sarong, that can be purchased for R$20 ($8 US DOLLARS) doubles as beach wear and can be used for lying or sitting on the sand. Beer cans are sold on the sand. No bottles are allowed on the beach. But tourists beware as vendors may over charge unsuspecting foreigners. Flip-flops are the preferred beach footwear and can be purchased in local stores for under R$20. ($8 US DOLLARS) Although Brazilian beach wear is famously skimpy nudity is forbidden and breasts must be covered. Juice bars display rows of juicy fruit on the streets of Copacabana and Ipanema. The tropical mixes are made on the spot from Brazilian ingredients, a�a�, avocado with milk, mango, passion fruit (maracuj�) and guava all feature in the blended drinks which range in price from R6$ to R$10 a glass. ($ 2.5 - 4 US DOLLARS) For a heartier meal on a budget try one of the dozens of "by the kilo" restaurants available in Rio. Prices can range between 30 to 70R$ ($ 12.5 - 29 US DOLLARS) per kilo of food. These restaurants offer the freedom to choose all vegetarian meals or any combination. Maracana stadium has been practically torn down and rebuilt to FIFA standards. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/152eef8a3e770493e8d1ec539944770a Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork