Rio De Janeiro - Post Report Question and Answers
Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes, safe and affordable. - Oct 2019
Metro is safe and reliable. Buses are driven like bumper cars; be wary. Buses have been known to run red lights. - Sep 2019
Metro worked fine for me and I took the buses only occasionally. Taxis and Uber (more affordable, tho some taxi apps matched uber) were safe for me. - Apr 2019
Uber is pretty reasonable and the metro is great. Buses work pretty well, too, but are occasionally subject to robberies and few expats use them. - Jun 2017
Taxis are safe and affordable but we are still glad to have a car. We use our car for weekend trips outside of the city. I also take buses and subway, which are pretty safe. - May 2016
Metro is currently under construction so more or less useless right now, but when it was working it was clean, air conditioned and relatively efficient. When it reopens it should be a lifesaver. As it is, you have to take taxis, or risk your life on the public buses. Taxis are safe and reliable but pricey. Buses are cheap and dangerous. Between January and April of 2013, 87 passengers were killed in bus accidents, and 23 pedestrians killed after being run over by buses. They are your only option for daily commuting, and they are a menace to society. - Aug 2013
Not so much safe, but yes, very affordable. - Jun 2011
Affordable - yes. Safe? Watch the Brazilian movie called "Bus 174" about the hijacking of a bus in Rio. Not that it happens all the time, but it's not a safe city for taking public transportation. That being said, there are consulate employees who take buses all the time and have not had any problems. Taxis are more or less equivalent in price to D.C. - Jul 2010
Buses, taxis, metro all safe and affordable. I commuted by public bus for USD 0.80 each way until my schedule changed. - Jun 2010
Taxis are generally safe and cheaper than in the U.S. But they still cost more than in almost any other developing country at the current exchange rate. - Nov 2009
Trains and taxis are pretty safe, although there are often incidents of taxis coming or going to the airport with foreigners being stopped in the middle of the highway by heavily armed men who then rob the occupants. Buses and the subway are supposedly not safe but I personally never had a problem. - Jan 2009
