Rio de Janeiro Travel Forum

After reading all the comments I'm concerned about going to Rio. Is it less safe than other places in Brazil? We have traveled to many places and have never had so many warnings about robbers, muggings etc. WE don't wear jewelry. but we do take a camera and use maps. Also how can you change money if you have to be on guard all the time. We usually take public transport and not taxis. We also have been warned about taxis. Help!

Have you been warned by people who have actually been to Rio? By people who actually had a problem? What kind of people, and what kind of travellers, are they? Or was all this third hand? Or fifth hand? Most tourists wander around, see the sights, spend time at the beach, maybe go out to a samba club, and have no problems. I've spent a lot of time there over the last decade with no problems. You should present a modest appearance in the face of the economic inequities in Rio. (Specifics: Use the ATMs. If you change money, return to your accomodation immediately to put it in the safe. Don't carry a lot and divide it up in several places. Take your photos and put the camera away, unless you're in a closed tourist area like Corcovado. Don't carry a map; plan your route beforehand. Taxis are fine. Use them at night. Check the meter setting.) You do have to find a balance where you remain vigilant, but aren't walking around freaked out. It is easier than it sounds once you get your feet on the ground. Remember most taxi drivers are honest, hard-working folks. Most Cariocas are helpful, friendly and open working people. Relax. You'll have a great trip.

Rio has a high profile in all aspects, including crime, but it is not really more dangerous than other large Brazilian cities. Of course in small touristic towns you will feel safer. No problem changing money - US dollars - in an authorized bank or exchange shop. Yes, be on guard all the time. Avoid the buses, prefer the metro. Cab drivers are the same everywhere: you may pick an honest driver or you may pick a tricky one. Keep the camera in your pocket. I am a 63 year old carioca and I have been living in Rio since I was born. It is really a place to visit.

Overstating the danger of crime in Brazil and Rio in particular is just as dangerous as downplaying the prevalence of crime. The city continues to experience a high incidence of crime. Tourists are particularly vulnerable to street thefts and robberies in areas adjacent to major tourist attractions and on the main beaches in the city. In 2008 there were attacks along trails leading to Corcovado Mountain, on the road linking the airport and the South Zone and on the beaches of Copacabana. In Rio de Janeiro City, motorists are allowed to treat stoplights as stop signs between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to protect against holdups at intersections. This is not 3rd hand but common facts. Crime throughout Brazil has reached very high levels. The Brazilian police and the Brazilian press report that the rate of crime continues to rise, especially in the major urban centers – though it is also spreading in rural areas. In April the Governor asked the Federal government to send in troops to assist in clamping down on the crime wave. One of his body guards was shot in a car jacking attempt on his way to work. According to the local police 52% of the street crimes are committed in the Copacabana.

That is the reality, but many thousands of tourist flock to Rio every year and most (the smart ones) have a great time and never one moment of trouble. Just follow the basic information that people have given you here and you should be fine.

Don't flash cash or jewelry, no socks with sandals (ugh) dress down, only take out your camera when taking a photo and try not to be too obvious, don't take much of anything to the beach, don't walk along the beach at night, or go to the Centro on Sundays or at night. Get some flip flops, and look around and try and blend in with the locals. etc...I had friends that were mugged in the Metro in Paris so no city is immune to crime, but common sense precautions will normally keep you out of trouble even in a city with crime rates such as Rio or Sao Paulo.

Book a decent hotel in a good area, take taxis or the metro, if in doubt ask at your hotel. Don't go out and get drunk, just asking for trouble.

I think I have gone on long enough but please crime is real and a real danger in Rio. Just be aware, relax and enjoy.

suerte
SAM

crime towards tourists has dropped a lot in in recent years in rio.
wealthy brazilians still get kidnapped fairly often but the tourist attacks that were so common in the 90's are far and few between and mostly confined to the people who hang out at the strip joints late at night.
i was in rio as a tour guide in march with a froup of eldery danes and noone had a problem and i felt a lot safer this time compared to the past trips i have done there with tourist groups.
the group stayed in ipanema which of course helps a lot, but i have really happy to see that the two 83 year old ladies i had in the group were happily walking around on their own without trouble and going for a swim in the ocean every morning at 7am.

i met up with a vt member in rio who works at the municipal court in rio and she confirmed to me that tourists are a lot safer in rio these days compared to let's say 10 years ago.

Hi there…
I went to Rio in Sept 2008..Preparing the trip, safety was my big headache, my wife was pregnant at that time, we do not speak Portuguese…We’ve tried to be decent, to use the common sense…We are not jewelry fans, we did not flashed out our money…do not be naïve…you cannot blend in, the locals will notice you being a tourist….but…they are very very nice, very helpful. There are parts of Rio where you’d better stay off …but the same is NYC or London, England, right?
We didn’t use any taxi, just on arrival. For the rest, we took buses and the metro. We have stayed in Ipanema, we went to the main tourist attractions and the Downtown. You’ll be fine, no worries.

Enjoy the trip and leave the stress behind.

Cheers,
Aloort

I went to Rio in September 2007 not 2008 , my bad.
Cheers

My husband and I were in Brazil earlier this month. On a Costa Verde bus from Rio to Angra we were victims of armed robbery. About forty minutes outside of Rio two passengers pulled out guns and ordered the driver to take a dirt road where all 30 some passengers were robbed. My husband and I were the only foreigners on board and given our limited Portuguese followed the cues of the other passengers; in all were fortunate, we lost about US $400, but were able to keep our documents, cameras and compu. They took the keys and we were stranded for some 2 hours before the police arrived. My advice,distribute money and documents on your person and have some 100 reales handy in case of a robbery.
We continued with our trip to Ilha Grande which was beautiful and returned to Rio via mini van rather than bus.

How about putting equal energy into recounting the good parts of your trip on every Brazil forum on which you've posted the bad?

I've been in Rio de Janeiro nearly a dozen times, since 1998, always as a tourist and alone except for my last visit (with my wife). I've walked all over the southern zone (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Leme) both in daytime and at night. I've taken buses to the feet of Corcovado, Pao do Acucar, and centro. And I've never had any problem, much less a robbery or mugging.

Sensible precautions: I wear an inexpensive watch, dress simply, carry my camera in a plastic bag from a Rio market, and act at all times as if I know exactly where I am or where I'm going (which often I don't).

Rio is too beautiful a city to avoid because of inflated crime warnings.

I think it is ok. Just practice the usual discretions. ie keep valuables out of sight. Travel light and not a huge bag.

I took a public bus during peak hours from Christ the Redeemer back to Leblon and everything was normal. No pickpockets or petty crimes. Walking on the streets during the day and taxis at night. Taxis price are ok. Not too expensive.

In fact the locals were very friendly. Once I forgot to keep my camera into my bag and a lady came up and spoke to me in portrugese to keep my camera in my bag and not hanging it round my neck. And they told me to carry my backpack in front etc... (nothing inside except a water bottle) :)

Overall pretty good...

This is a perennial. Herewith a copy of my answer on one of the last times it was asked: -

I first arrived in Rio in 1970, lived here then for 3 years, and (living subsequently all over the world) returned for an average of a month each year until last year, when I chose it for my retirement post. It has had its ups and downs in terms of security: when I first arrived, very safe, but pretty edgy in the early 90s. Now, I don't feel threatened (though obviously one must behave sensibly: and yes, from time to time we hear gunfire from a nearby favela (= shanty-town), when the police conduct a drugs raid).

You must be careful not to let your credit/debit card out of your sight, for mine was cloned last year, and it was a major hassle to get my stolen money back. But that's the only crime we've ever suffered here. The only place in the world where my Brazilian wife has had her handbag stolen was on the King's Road, Chelsea, London! Come to beautiful Rio without fear, and enjoy it.