2014 World cup host cities - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
About:
Founded in 1565, Rio de Janeiro is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro and former capital of Brazil. More than 6 million people living in Rio making it second most populous metropolis in Brazil. Rio is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the southern hemisphere. Part of the city is a UNESCO world heritage site in the category Cultural Landscape. Rio is well known with its beaches and the world-famous Carnival.
Before start to travel to Brazil check my post - 6 things to know, before you travel to Brazil .
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| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Location
Rio de Janeiro is situated on the Atlantic Ocean at the entrance to the Guanabara Bay (Baía de Guanabara).
The city is divided into four major areas – Centre (Centro), North Zone (Zona Norte), South Zone (Zona Sul) and West Zone (Zona Oeste) and occupies an area of 1,182.3 sq km (456.5 sq mi).
Climate
Rio de Janeiro has a tropical climate and temperatures, which varies according to elevation and distance from the coast. From April to December the temperatures are between 10 °C / 51 °F and 38 °C / 101 °F. During the rest of the time - between 17 °C / 63 °F and 39.8 °C / 103.6 °F.
Travel tips that you’ll find useful when you visit this place:
How to get there
- by air
There are two airports in Rio de Janeiro:
Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (Galeão) / GIG,which is 20 km/12 mi away from the city center.
Airport is served by bus transportation and of course you could take a taxi or use the services of transfers companies providing airport shuttle.
It will cost you about R$ 12 (USD 5.3) to reach the Center by bus operated by Auto-ônibus and R$ 36 - R$ 43 (USD 15.90 – USD 19) to travel by taxi.
Bus lines from and to airport:
- Line 2018 – Rio de Janeiro Airport – Alvorada
- Line 2101 – Rio de Janeiro Airport – Santos Dumont Airport
- Line 2145 – Rio de Janeiro Airport – Santos Dumont Airport
- Line 2918 – Rio de Janeiro Airport – Alvorada
The airport is just 2 kilometers / 1.2 mi from the center and gets only domestic flights from largest Brazilian cities. You can reach very fast city center by bus line 2145 or taxi, which will cost you between R$ 9 - R$ 10 (USD 4 – USD 4.5).
- by bus
If you decide to get to Rio de Janeiro by bus, it’s good to know that the main bus terminal is in Rodoviária Novo Rio (the North Zone) and it takes some 15 minutes to get to downtown.
- by sea
There are Ferries, which connect Niteroi to Rio. For yacht charter and sailing you could use services of International Charter Group, which operates in Rio, too.
How to Get Around
Public transport in Rio is served by buses, metro (subway) and urban trains. To get on a city bus, prepare between R$2.75–R$5.40 (USD 1.21 – 2.40 USD). It is recommended to use buses mostly by day and in the South Zone (Zona Sul) of the City.
There are two subway lines – Orange (General Osório in Ipanema to Saens Peña in Tijuca) and Green (from Botafogo to Pavuna in the northern part of Rio). One way metro ticket is R$3.20 (USD 1.40), but you can buy a rechargeable card, also.
With its 160 km (99 mi) of cycle paths, Rio offers not bad opportunities for bikers, also.
Taking a taxi is one of the good options to get around the City, because the price per km is not too high, but distances of the city are quite big, so it’s up to you to decide if you are going to use it.
World cup 2014 Stadium location
The venue for 2014 world cup is Estadio do Maracana (Maracana Stadium). The stadium will be second one in the history, which will host two World cup finals, after Azteca stadium in Mexico.
With its capacity is of 78 800 people the stadium will be the stage of six matches:
Group stage:
Match 11
Match 11
15.06.14 – Argentina v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Match 19
18.06.14 – Spain v Chile
Match 31
22.06.14 – Belgium v Russia
Match 42
25.06.14 – Ecuador v France
Round of Sixteen
Match 50
28.06.14 – 1C v 2D
Quarter-final
Match 56
04.07.14 – W53 v W54
Final
Match 64
13.07.14 – W61 v W62
Maracanã is located about 5 km away from city center and 12 km from Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. The easiest way to reach the stadium is by subway - you have to get off on Maracanã station (metro line 2). Another way to go there is taking a commuter train from the Central do Brasil railway station and get off at station Maracanã.
Where to Stay
Recommended places to stay in Rio are located in more touristic areas and close to the beaches. You can book a room in one of the many hotels online .
If you are business traveler , you will find good accommodations in the lower Centro, but if you want to stay closer to Maracanã Stadium, there are a few affordable hotels:
Closest Hotels to Maracana Stadium
Where to Eat
Good choice in Rio, if you want to try local food is "comida a kilo", where you pay the food by its weight. Other similar type of buffet lunch is - rodízio , or all you can eat. You will find also most of the world popular fast-food restaurants. Sushi is very popular food in Rio, because a lot of Japanese lives there. And last but not least, there are many Brazilian seafood specialties in Rio’s restaurants.
A must try:
feijoada - a black bean stew filled with big chunks of meat.
What to see
It is almost impossible to make a list of all places in Rio, that worth seeing, but don’t miss the following:
Rio beaches (especially the famous Copacabana and Ipanema); Corcovado (the funicular train); Corcovado Cristo Redentor (the world famous Statue of Christ); Pão de Açúcar (the Sugar Loaf mountains) ; Monasteiro São Bento (seventeenth century monastery); Pão de Açúcar (a 396 meters rock with a amazing view of the bay); Museu Naval (Navy Museum); Museu do Carnaval (Museum of Carnival); Museu Aeroespacial (Aerospace Museum).
If you want to try something more extreme – you could try Favela (Shantytown) tours, which is a great experience but a little risky.
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