Taxis

The easiest and most efficient way to get around Rio is by Taxi.  Taxis are all over the city and are a fairly good value.  Licensed taxis are yellow with a blue stripe, metered and can generally be hailed in the streets.  Most taxi drivers know enough basic English to get you to your desired location.  However, it is a good idea to have the address written on a small slip of paper to provide to the driver.

There are also a series of special taxis operated by licensed companies which can be found at the airports, hotels or booked by phone. These radio dispatched taxis often have the word "coop" in their name and displayed on their cab. They offer a fixed rate which is available for display so you can know the "point to point" fare in advance.  These special taxis are generally more expensive than a comparable metered fare.