Tips for a safe and enjoyable time in Rio 
Don’t Drive.
Renting a car isn’t the best idea. You will be better served with taxis, Ubers and public transportation.
Location is Key.
Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana are the best neighborhoods to stay. Leblon and Ipanema are currently regarded as the safest and nicest places to stay (a bit more than Copacabana), where you can find the best the city has to offer in terms of restaurants, bars and entertainment. Moreover, you’ll see police day and night, adding to your safety.
Lagoa, Urca, Jardim Botânico, Botafogo, Flamengo, Gávea, Santa Teresa and Barra da Tijuca.
Are also cool neighborhoods where you will find lots to do and have a great, safe and enjoyable time. We recommend approaching downtown (“Centro” in Portuguese) with care. If you wish to visit it, go doing day time and remain aware of your surroundings and belongings (due to pickpocketing).
Barra da Tijuca.
Or simply “Barra” as locals would say, is a safe and upscale neighborhoods with good hotels for a better price than the ones in Zona Sul (South Region), where Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana are located. The catch: it’s far from most tourist attractions, restaurants and entertainment. Especially during the days, you may get stuck in lots of traffic just to get out of there. While that isn’t a problem per se, keep that in mind when making hotel reservations.
Copacabana is still a good location.
This is especially true if you can stay in the amazing Copacabana Palace and/or Emiliano Hotel. The only downside is that you’ll likely be hailing a taxi or uber to Ipanema or Leblon at night (5-10 minutes depending on traffic), and you can do better than Copacabana beach (again, Ipanema and Leblon beaches should be your choice) during the day.
Avoid long walks at night.
Even in Ipanema, Leblon and Copa, if you’re going to walk anywhere where the distance is greater than 1 km, consider hailing a taxi or an Uber instead. Copacabana boardwalks at night are ok if you want to go for a walk near the beach – since it’s busier than the Ipanema beachfront after dark.
Do not go to the beach and tourist attractions after sunset.
Unfortunately it’s not safe, regardless of where you’re staying – and it applies to anyone, foreigners and Brazilians. Exception about the beach: if you’re staying at Sheraton, this shouldn’t be a problem, since they have a private beach and private security on site.
Even during daylight, avoid desert tourist attractions.
Prefer going to busier places and, if going for hike or more adventurous activities (such as Pedra da Gávea Hike), consider going with a group tour.
Avoid displaying wealth day and night, unless you’re being driven to your destination and back door-to- door (no walking required).
Leave expensive watches, flashy jewelry and purses at your hotel. Accept this is a trip to be more informal and relaxed – you’ll will witness people wearing Havaianas any time of the day.
Keep your phone out of sight.
Iphones are luxury items in Brazil (really) and there is no great time to keep them in your hands in public without a reason. If you need to use your map or make a call, for example, consider going into a store, hotel or restaurant. It’s safer that way.
Avoid carrying cash or keep it to a minimum.
Credit and debit cards are accepted almost anywhere (really, a person selling coconut on the beach is very likely to offer you a credit card payment option for no extra charge). Also, you never need to hand your credit card to anyone; in restaurants, for example, servants will bring the credit card terminal to your table so you can rest assured everything is being properly handled. If you have an international credit card, you should be covered. You can also consider getting a prepaid travel debit card, which are accepted anywhere and free of typical credit cards fees.
Public transportation is generally efficient, safe and clean.
During the day, you can get around the city easily by subway, VLT (local light rail transit), regular buses, and BRTs (local bus rapid transit). Like in any other city, you may want to avoid rush hours during the week. We also advise against taking public transportation at night; since you will probably be hanging out in Ipanema, Leblon or Copa, you’ll be better served with a card ride or even walking, depending where you are staying.
You will need a translator app.
With the exception of hotels, where most employees can communicate in English, you’re unlikely to find many people who can assist you in a foreign language. Thus, get your google translator app up and running and you’ll do fine!
Plan ahead.
Even in Rio, there is nothing wrong or dangerous with going for an unpretentious and leisure walk in the streets of Leblon and Ipanema; quite for the contrary, you are likely to be surprised by the dining options, stores and the pleasant environment. However, because we do advise you to keep your phone out of sight even during the day, prefer planning ahead and knowing where you’re going before you leave your hotel. If you find anything that catches your eye along the way, great!
Do not visit a favela, even if with a group tour.
It is a somewhat common tourist activity. While all favela tours are done in the so-called “pacified” favelas, we strongly advise against it.
Have you heard that hangovers are optional in Brazil?
That’s because we got Engov (pronounced en-GOV-ee), an over-the-counter medication recommended for headache and allergy relief, but widely used to prevent headaches and other hangover symptoms. While not sold in the United States as its own thing, its ingredients — aluminum hydroxide, caffeine, acetylsalicylic acid and pyrilamine maleate — can be found individually in some common products: antacids, coffee, aspirin and antihistamines. Thus, it’s safe and effective. You take one before start drinking and one after you’re done. It really does work (or at least helps tremendously).
Other Cultural Tips 
Dates and Time.
Different from the U.S., dates are always in the format Day/Month/Year. It’s also very common to use military time, also known as the 24-hour clock, for time-keeping.
Units of Measurement.
Like almost anywhere else outside the U.S., units of measurement in Brazil are: Kilogram/Gram/Milligram (mass); Liter/Milliliter (capacity); Celsius (temperature); Kilometers/Meters (distance).
Addresses.
You will notice that addresses start either with a “R” for Rua (Street) or “Av.” for Avenida (Avenue). Differently from the U.S., numbers of places follow (rather than coming in front of) the name of the Rua (Street) or Avenida (Avenue).
Use WhatsApp.
WhatsApp (the messaging app) is widely used in Brazil by individuals and businesses alike. There is a 98% chance that the business you wish to contact, be it a restaurant, a transportation service, a hair salon, a travel agency or else, will have a WhatsApp channel to assist you. You may prefer using WhatsApp to contact businesses not only because of how efficient they usually are with the communication through app, but also because typing allows for businesses to translate your questions easily, so they may be able to better assist you that way than through a phone call.
Tipping for services.
Except for restaurants, tipping is not a norm. You are not expected to tip taxi drivers, nails and hair salons etc. In restaurants, a tip is not mandatory, but as in America, it is expected if your service was good. A 10% to 13% tip is almost always included in your check, so need not tip extra. The full amount will be charged at the moment you pay (different from the U.S., they will not hand you a piece of paper to add your tip). Tips in cash are not common, but you can ask the establishment if they are accepted.
You should not be required to hand your credit card over to anyone.
The waiter will bring the credit/debit card terminal to your table and you handle the payment yourself.
Many restaurants usually have menus in English available upon request.
Some also have a few employees who are able to communicate in English. Always inquire. If they don’t, you will need to resort to your translator apps.
In Rio, dressing casually and informally is ok almost anywhere.
Except for upscale or religious places, you can wear short pants, sleeveless shirts and Havaianas almost anywhere, seriously. It’s not only ok as it’s the Carioca’s favorite style.
Greetings and personal space.
Brazilians are known for being welcoming and social, so expect to be greeted with handshakes (if you don’t know the person) and hugs (for men) and cheek kisses (among women and men and women) . If you prefer refraining from anybody contact, simply signal that by initiating the interaction with a wave and a smile. People usually get the message and don’t take offense.
As in Europe, water is not usually served in restaurants.
You must request it and there are no free options usually available.
Upgrade your Uber.
Uber and other rides apps are usually less expensive in Brazil. On the other hand, cars are very expensive. Consider always choosing the option “comfort” or up to make sure your Uber will be a good (AC, well-kept) car.
Artistic couvert.
If you are going somewhere where live music is playing, a fee locally known as artistic couvert (couvert artístico) may be levied by the establishment (restaurants, bars), per person. The amount charged is usually not relevant (usually up to US$3 per person) and, if the place warns you in advance (usually they put up signs informing the customer of such fee), then paying it isn’t optional and the fee will be added to your check.
Use bugs repellants and lots of sunscreen.
Depending on the time of the year (and often times, on the year itself), Rio’s sun is not for the faint of heart. Bugs are generally not a problem in Rio, but we advise using bugs repellants whenever you are close to nature (which is almost everywhere there). If taking a trip to places where nature is abundant around Brazil, then a repellant is mandatory. A repellant with the component known as “Icaradina” is the most efficient and safest option. You will find this excellent, certified non-toxic and well-performing product in major pharmacies.