With so many activities and things to do around the city every day, you will definitely want to know which are the best ways for remote workers to get around Rio de Janeiro. This huge city has a lot to offer and there will be a new place to explore or thing to do pretty much every day here.
Indeed, as Brazil’s second biggest city and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the continent, Rio also has an established public transportation system made up of a number of transit forms including underground rail, BRT, a local bus network and boats across the city’s bays. To use the city’s transport system you will want to get yourself a RioCard for less than 5BRL at metro station around the city - this card is rechargeable and allows you to board any of the city’s transit methods. Below, we highlight some of the most popular ways for remote workers to get around Rio de Janeiro.
The city’s MetroRio subway system is Latin America’s fifth oldest network and boasts three lines connecting neighborhoods across the city. Without a doubt, the subway’s ease-of-use and its ability to avoid the road congestion above makes it one of the best ways for remote workers to get around Rio de Janeiro. Visitors to the city will use mostly the Yellow and Orange Lines which connect the city from Rio’s Centro through to Botafogo and Ipanema, finally ending in Barra da Tijuca. The Green Line serves the iconic Maracanã Stadium, as well as less visitor-friendly neighborhoods in the north of the city. The subway in Rio is open from 5am until midnight on weekdays and 7am until 11pm on weekends.
The city’s new integrated bus network was built to alleviate pressure on the metro system during the 2016 Olympics and continues to provide a useful way for remote workers to get around Rio de Janeiro. These buses operate on designated lanes and avoid much of the congestion that often plagues Rio de Janeiro. The BRT serves mostly the northern and western zones of Rio, connecting the populous northern neighborhoods and favelas with stations all the way west through to Barra da Tijuca. You can ride the BRT in Rio for 3.6BRL each way using your RioCard, and the system is open every day with some routes operating 24-hour services.
There is an extensive local bus network in the city offering another useful way for remote workers to get around Rio de Janeiro. The Troncal 1 line (this is usually noted on the front of buses) serves the Copacabana-Ipanema-Centro area, whereas the Trocal 3 route serves Leblon and Centro. Most visitors will probably not take buses regularly since the system can be difficult to navigate and dangerous at time, but it can be a useful and affordable way to go for a few stops during the day. Route 581 goes from Copacabana to Sugarloaf and is popular among visitors and tourists.
Taxis are common across Rio de Janeiro, but you will want to make sure these are licensed and metered before boarding. Indeed, remote workers have reported being overcharged by local taxi mafias here. In general, expect Uber to be the safest and easiest way for remote workers to get around Rio de Janeiro, particularly during the night. If you are waiting in traffic inside a car in Rio, always keep your belongings about your person and close your windows.
For more information about living in Rio de Janeiro as a remote worker, check out our complete Rio de Janeiro guide.