Hotels near Santos Dumont Airport - SDU, Rio de Janeiro

The place I was well located and access to other place was easy by subway, options for eating very easy, was a little dirty street with some garbage and some bad smells, but I felt safely since there are a good movimento of people.

Niteroi is about the same distance from the International Airport as the more famous South Zone (Copacabana. Ipanema). The Niteroi Palace Hotel is in town, walking distance from Shopping Centre and the 30 min relaxing ferry boats to Rio City Centre. Very Good nearby "home cooking by weight" lunch only restaurant - ask Desk for simple direction. Few central night-time restaurants, but there are some within (secure) taxi distance. Avoid sitting street side for snacks/coffee and not to attract attention to multiple hand/carry bags.

Rio is an amazing and beautiful city. No matter what part of Rio you are in, there is always something good to do or a great restaurant to have a meal. What makes Rio special are the people. I have formed many friendships over the years, and my friends are my family here. I recommend stopping in Praia Vermelha and Urca. The beach at Praia Vermelha is small but worth the trip. in Urca, yo can have a beer or a meal and watch the planes take off and land at Santos Dumont AIrport. In Urca, you can take the cable car to Sugarloaf. Don't miss it! Go to Centro and walk around. You will see architecture from the 1800's, and nearby, is the Museum of Tomorrow. Some of the oldest restaurants in Rio are Downtown (think Rio Minho for seafood and Casa Ulrich for German fare) Take a trolley ride from Centro to the Bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa. Have a walk around. See Christ the Redeemer, but don't forget to walk one more block to Largo do Botacario. There you will see a square more than 100 years old an may find an artist painting there. Coming back to Copacabana (my preferred location for hotel stays) take a walk to the end and you will find the Copacabana Fort. There is a museum and restaurants and you will find an absolutely beautiful view of Copacabana from there. Enjoy your stay

Niteroi is different from Rio. Is not as touristy or big as Rio de Janeiro, but it preserves much of the good things Rio has. For instance, food can be very cheap or expensive and still you can be surprised with great flavours. The park of the city is a must to visit and see the landscape from the hill, the fortaleza is also worth visiting. From Niteroi you can go to Rio by boat in a one day or two-day trip. But also you can visit other beaches towards the ocean not as populated or touristy as copacabana or Ipanema. If you are looking for a place more quiet and less touristy than Rio de Janeiro, then Niteroi and San Francisco are going to be good choices. No metro or stadiums in Niteroi

Rio seem to be dangerous before you arrived, but in fact, this is a nice place to be, to enjoy trail into the jungle with incredible view. People are nice and i nerver feel unsafe during my holidays.

The food is great the city not so much. Most streets truly look like a third world with holes and trash everywhere. Some of the beaches are kinda clean the others are dirty. The night life is great but be careful it can be dangerous.