Rio de Janeiro Car Rental

What about Rio de Janeiro car rental? Well it’s not difficult at all, and having a car opens a wide array of opportunities. The state of Rio has so much to offer and to get to most of these places you need a car. Renting is quite cheap, prices are seasonal.

Renting a Car

Rio de Janeiro car rental is easiest at either one of the airports or at Av. Princesa Isabel in Copacabana. You’ll need a driver’s license and to be at least 25 years of age. When it comes to insurance you get an insurance from VISA or Mastercard if you use their cards for payment.

Renting a Scooter

Go to a collection of links to rent scooters in Rio by clicking this link. Please let me know if you have any persona experiences of these services.

How To Drive in Rio – Not Like in Sweden

I’m a Swede, where I’m from we have rules and most drivers obey them; here it’s different. I really thought it would be impossible for me to drive here but once I tried I realized it’s not. You have to be on your toes the whole time and you can expect anything to happen. Forget most rules, follow the flow and take it easy. Your biggest problem is to find your way, the road signs, if any, are many times after the actual junction (yes it’s true!). I don’t recommend driving inside the city of Rio just because of that, make the wrong turn and you can easily end up in a bad area. It’s a lot easier once you get out of the city, buy a good map in a newsstand and you’re fine.
There’s so much to see, go to the mountains inland, the Green Coast (Portuguese: Costa Verde) southeast or the beautiful beach towns northeast. It’s all great!

Driver’s License

Most foreigners are supposed to have an international driver´s license (you´ll have to check up you country´s specific situation on this). It wouldn’t be a problem for Rio de Janeiro car rental but in case of an accident it could be a potential problem. Since this only can be issued in your country it is something you should sort out before you get here, but there is a way around this: If you get your driver’s licence translated by a approved translator (you’ll find them in the Yellow Pages under tradutores juramentados, observe that there are not approved translators for all languages) you can go to the central for DETRAN-RJ on Av. Presidente Vargas 817 in Centro map, ask for “carteira da motorista de estrangeiro” and you´ll be shown to where you can get a stamp on that translation that gives you the right to drive in Brazil for 180 days. You’ll have to present 1) The translated copy of the Driver’s License 2) The Driver’s License 3) copy of the Driver’s License 4) Copy of your passport (page with data and page with entrance stamp/visa) 5) Passport 6) Comprovante da Residência; This is the tricky one, it’s a bill with your name on it. That you can get if you for instance are renting an apartment and have internet or telephone under your name. Voilá!