Hotels near Santos Dumont Airport - SDU, Rio de Janeiro

The city is dirty, and little scary in places, but at the same time there is a charm to it's grittiness. It feels very like a city that is being it's most authentic self. The life along the multiple beaches are such a cool fun atmosphere. Spent a lot of time going back to Copacabana Beach. The travel up to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue was also amazing. Not just for the statue, but to be able to view the entire city from above. The view was something special. The botanical gardens also was something so cool too. If you travel to Rio though it's good to speak Portuguese or at least Spanish. English is not too common. Thankfully I had a very wise travel partner that was able to use her Spanish speaking skills to be able to make sense out of the Portuguese. This is also a very cheap city to visit too. The cost of everything was very low compare to other cities. The subway system became I main source of travel. Get yourself a good offline map app, and you'll do fine. While the visible poverty may scare some people off, my experience with Rio de Janeiro was a amazing experience. My travel partner called it one of the best cities she ever visited, and she's been to 40 countries, so that says a lot. If a city that is rough around the edges doesn't scare you off, and if you or your travel partner is comfortable enough to handle the Portuguese language I say the trip is beyond worth the visit.

Niteroi is about the same distance from the International Airport as the more famous South Zone (Copacabana. Ipanema). The Niteroi Palace Hotel is in town, walking distance from Shopping Centre and the 30 min relaxing ferry boats to Rio City Centre. Very Good nearby "home cooking by weight" lunch only restaurant - ask Desk for simple direction. Few central night-time restaurants, but there are some within (secure) taxi distance. Avoid sitting street side for snacks/coffee and not to attract attention to multiple hand/carry bags.

Rio is an iconic city, with so much to see and do, whatever the weather, and we had 2 days of rain during our trip! As first time visitors, we were nervous due to the UK media, and safety concerns. We were absolutely blown away by the city, the people, had an amazing time. Yes, you need to be careful, but just like visiting any big city across the world, including the Uk.

Niteroi is different from Rio. Is not as touristy or big as Rio de Janeiro, but it preserves much of the good things Rio has. For instance, food can be very cheap or expensive and still you can be surprised with great flavours. The park of the city is a must to visit and see the landscape from the hill, the fortaleza is also worth visiting. From Niteroi you can go to Rio by boat in a one day or two-day trip. But also you can visit other beaches towards the ocean not as populated or touristy as copacabana or Ipanema. If you are looking for a place more quiet and less touristy than Rio de Janeiro, then Niteroi and San Francisco are going to be good choices. No metro or stadiums in Niteroi

I might have had a different opinion if I was 20 years-old with no kids, but this time I just think Rio is very overrated. I should have stayed in Buzios much longer. The traffic was crazy, motorcycles honked all the time, and I felt like 20 seconds away from a car crash all the time. They are charging 25 reais for juice, people are always hustling and trying to rob you blind, I fell for the tourist trap of taxi at the airport and paid 180 for a trip that would cost 40 by Uber. It is really not worth it. The best thing was a day trip to Jardim Botanico, that is it.

Rio is like nowhere else on earth. It is a stunningly beautiful city, set between the mountains and the sea, with Atlantic rainforest spilling down into historic 'bairros' of Portuguese-influenced streets and through new suburbs. The cariocas - natives of Rio - are among the friendliest and most charming people in the world. The food is fantastic, with a strong influence from other states such as Minas Gerais, Bahia and those in the south of the country. With the metro and bus extensions, transport around the city is good - and there is music on almost every street corner. Go up Corcovado to Cristo Redentor in the morning, and up Pão de Açucar in the afternoon, for the best light - and if the weather is good, you will never forget those views.