November 28th, 2009 | 
Author:
Get the most out of your exciting holiday in this fabulous city, pay attention to some sound travel tips from those in the know.
Arriving in Rio at Christmas time may sound like the holiday you have always longed for, but only adequate planning and some key bookings made really early on in the year will ensure you get to truly enjoy those main festive days, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Whatever your budget, your age or the number in your travel group, your time, money and opportunity will be wasted if you have to spend hours in travel agents or tourism offices once you are in Rio, trying to get from A to B.
If this is your first time in Rio city and you want to spend only 2 or 3 days taking in the “must see” tourists sights before heading off to famed festive resorts outside the city such as Búzios, Petrópolis or south along the Costa Verde to Paraty, then forward booked accommodation in all resorts and pre arranged transport to and from is vital. Pressure is always on accommodation in resort towns at this time of year, some bookings are made a year in advance, for peace of mind; don’t even think about chancing it once you get there. Unless you have driven the motorways in Rio or Sao Paulo like a local, hiring a rental car and driving to your out-of-Rio destination any time from mid December to late January is a crazy idea. Traffic gridlock (for hours, really) in unaccustomed Rio summer heat, getting lost because you can’t read those vital road signs is just so easy to do. Depending on your budget, a tour package with transfers included, with English speaking driver, or a taxi and bus ride with dictionary in hand, will get you there safer and faster.
Dress for the heat, the sun and the crowds appropriately. Carry at least a litre of bottled water with you when out walking locally and when travelling to and from your resort destination in buses or tourist vans. Keep your carry on bags, backpacks and last minute souvenirs to a minimum size and weight. There is never enough space for both you and your bags to be comfortable on board.
Finally, a word to the wise on the state of your stomach. With all that rich festive food and the heat, now is not the time to test the spicy street stalls, those glorious snacks from Bahia or the exotic fish dishes (moquecas) from Espírito Santo. Go easy on those caipirinhas!
Help answer the question about traveling tips
Can someone give good traveling tips, for Disney California and Universal Studios Hollywood?I`m from other country and will e my first time to California. Thanx.
Posted in 
Tags:
Yay! You'll have fun! I miss it there. Even though I live in Sunny california now, I think that the great attitude of people in Chicago make up for the lack of warm weather anyday. First, take the 94 all the way there. From Detroit without traffic and without speeding you'll have a 5 hour trip. From Kalamazoo, maybe two and a half hours…max. Make sure to fill up on gas in, or before Kalamazoo…..there's not alot of choices for an hour or so. Take about five dollars in cash to pay for the toll roads. Also make sure you bring a warm jacket and comfy shoes to walk around in.
Some places I enjoyed when I used to live there six months ago were…. Giordanos Pizza (A little touristy, but the pizza is amazing, and very filling! about 12-14 bucks for a medium will fill up four people…… trust me) Of course again Michigan Avenue has all the upscale shops like we would'nt get back home in Michigan.
Division st. for the college age bars. Rush street, for fun little shops and nice resturants. Nooky's in Old town area was an amazing little place for brakefast. North beach was a nice spot whn the weather was warmer. The Merchandise Mart was an interesting building. It is mainly a place that you can see designer showrooms for kitchens, and bathrooms…..stuff like the Kohler showrooms.
Get a day, or week metro pass at any Jewel grocery store or under the subways. The pass works for both subways and busses. Please note that at 8am and 5pm you may have to wait for a bus longer….Sometimes two or three busses would pass me by before one stopped. At these busy times of the day, there is a good chance you will be standing on the bus.
Please be a little more cautious when you are on the red line subway. I've never had a problem ever, but sometimes it gave me the heebie jeebies! haha Have fun!!!!!!!
I expect that you live in the USA.
Maybe you already know this, but, I suggest you bring things, not so much for yourself, as for your relatives. American made things are highly appreciated. Goods such as chocolate, bars of soap, and even toothpaste will make them very happy. Buy bulk items in individual portions as much as possible because your gifts will be shared by many. <– end of my own two cents.
Did you say rural?? You will certainly miss hot water and bathroom tissue. Bring many shorts and few skirts. Expect that your clothes will be hand washed and hung to dry, by you or someone else.
EXTRA CREDIT: If you can unlock your GSM cell phone, you will want to buy a local SIM card there for text messaging.
I Love Bali Too…;-)
What do you mean 2 weeks later? Later from when? And Absolutely NO NO NO her or her family have ALL been cleared by Aussie Police by any charges by such crimes! What you are reffering to are nasty rumors, that is all that is. By the way, it is now 37 trips cancelled! Say no to corruption and no to human trafficking and slavery!
Two weeks later it would appear that not only was she involved with dealing drugs but her entire family was as well. Boycott Bali? How about boycott dope dealing Australians?
I love Bali xxxxxxxxxxxx: )
I smiled too much all day my face ached… lol
Babies are easier to travel with than toddlers…I went from the U.K. to Australia with our 2 month old and it was fine…she was totally unaware!
As long as she has her basic needs met there's no need to worry…just take rest stops when you need to change the baby.
Use bottled water. The water in Italy and Greece is safe to drink but always play it safe.
Diet Coke is called Coke Light in Europe.
Italians like to drink Pepsi but it tastes different that in the USA.
When in Greece, see all the museums but reserve some time for clubbing at night.
Do not have sex with anyone unless you plan on bringing home some VD's.
Don't get drunk. Europeans admire folks who are reserved when it comes to drinking.
I Cr 13;8a
I traveled from florida to california when my baby girl was 8 months…
they are at the age where they sleep soo much… what we did is we left super early i mean we left our house at 2am… we didnt let her sleep for a while so she was so tired… she woke up to eat so we stop… we made stops every so ofter to check on diapers… toys are really pointless because they drop them and hell breaks lose when that happens.. if she has a pacifier make sure you have more than one incase she loses one… keep the snacks simple… stuff that she cant choke… and really she will sleep most of the time because car rides are sooooooo relaxing for babies… she will probably only wake to eat and fuss a bit for a diaper check… good luck with the drive…
oh and when we drove… we drove non stop… i mean my husband and i just took turns and we drove… if you are driving 12 hours in 2 days you should not worry to much.. make sure you check her diaper often… and put diaper cream to prevent rashes…
BOYCOTT BALI! See the Schapelle Corby story and cancel your trip today! SO far 35 trips cancelled! Let Bali know we do not accept innocent people in prison for life! NO TO CORRUPTION! God bless!
Wirklich gut gemachtes Video
Head to nearby Cerro Aconcagua, it is the highest mountain in the Americas.
mbok,,,,nice adverstiment..so cool and explaination so clear as well,,,
look forward visit ur hotel…
but tell me which restaurants in intercont mostly u prefer for me,,,which delicius cousine with low price
thanks
Be prepared to remove your shoes upon entering a house. To keep apartments clean, most hosts will provide you with a pair of slippers.
Be ready to give toasts at dinner, for guests are often asked to do so.
Offer to share your snacks and cigarettes with those around you.
Be prepared to accept all food and drinks offered to you when visiting friends. Ukrainians are known for their generosity when it comes to feeding others. Turning down food may be considered rude.
Do not put your thumb between your first two fingers – this is a very rude gesture.
This last one was apperantly written by a genious
Enjoy your stay!
I love to just cruise the country with no set destination. It's what I did for many years on my Harley. Other than the safety concerns, make sure you take in everything possible, eat at local eateries and get to know the people. It's much better to see the real country if you take the old highways, back roads and scenic routes. Never get in a hurry. the more you see, taste and hear, the more you will enjoy the trip, and the more memories you'll have to enjoy. This country is an amazing place.
Unless you have a car, you have either the bus or a boat from Positano since the train doesn't go there. Timetables for the buses and ferries are here: http://www.amalficoastweb.com/positano/english/bus_ferries.html
From Sorrento, you can take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii or Naples. There are links here that you might find useful. http://www.sorrento-online.com/english/orari.htm
From Naples you could connect to anywhere else in Italy via the train system here. The English version of the website is here: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=3fdbe14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD