Travel Tips for Rio Carnival
Good ideas from Tucan Travel clients and staff
- The most important tip! Rio Carnival is the world’s biggest and most popular party. If you wish to experience Rio Carnival it is important to organise your flights well in advance.
- Accommodation for Rio Carnival can be booked independently or booked through Tucan Travel but be aware that if you leave your booking till the last minute you are likely to miss out. Our packages offer great value for money and you'll have accommodation in the same hotel for the whole carnival period. Book early to avoid disappointment!
- The best views at the Sambadrome are from the cadeiras (ground level terrace seats), the arquibancadas (terrace seats) and the camarotes (boxes). If your Sambadrome ticket is in sector 13 you’ll have a great opportunity denied to other festival goers – the chance to rescue and wear the costumes left behind by samba school competitors! Tucan Travel clients have scored giant bird headdresses, glittery feathered outfits and a huge variety of other mad looking gear at past events.
- Get out there and samba with the locals and mix it up. You’ll find no shortage of dance partners out there to shake your booty with.
- Security isn’t too much of an issue if you take some sensible precautions. If you take your camera with you keep it out of sight as much as possible. One idea is to keep it in a plastic grocery bag to make it look ordinary and not expensive. Wear your backpack on your front and keep an arm over it.
- Leave the jewellery at home and get into the festive spirit with cheap beads, flashing lights, short skirts, feathers and sequins. Same goes for the girls!
- This is the world’s biggest party so do as much as you can during Rio Carnival, it’ll be the party of your lifetime and there’ll be plenty of time to sleep afterwards.
- Keep emergency money in your bra or underwear and wear a money belt in case of pickpockets, who tend to be out in force at carnival time.
- When you need a break, head into a por kilo restaurant to fuel up – you weigh your food and pay by the kilo, hence the name. You'll find the food is tasty and great value.
- The banks are closed during carnival and cash machines have been known to run dry, so make sure you get plenty of money out to keep you going before you arrive in Rio de Janeiro.
