Traveling to Rio de Janeiro for the first time this summer? Or perhaps you’re already familiar with the city? Either way, tens of thousands of people are currently flocking to Rio – so you’d better be prepared. Here are our top 10 travel tips for the Olympics:
1. Arrive early and leave late: The busiest travel days are the days leading up to the Opening Ceremony and the days immediately following the Closing Ceremony.
2. Make smart choices about your money: Most ATMs in Brazil limit daily withdrawals to R$1,000 per day, with some as low as R$300. Some banks close down their ATMs during the evening hours so be sure to withdraw your cash during daylight hours.
3. Know exactly where you are headed before going there: Unless you speak Portuguese, be sure to have your destination written down on paper or take a snapshot with your smartphone so you can solicit assistance readily when using public transportation.
4. Give yourself extra time to get to the venues: The city will be overflowing during the games. Allow 30-45 minutes of extra travel time so you arrive on time and in a calm, peaceful frame of mind.
5. Watch the games from public parks: If you cannot get tickets for your favorite events, don’t lose heart. There will be several viewing areas set up in wide open parks and beaches for viewing events on large outdoor screens.
6. Get out and see the nearby sights: If you have a free day or two between events, book a day trip for a fun-filled excursion so you can sample as many sights and sounds as possible while in Brazil. The Olympic Village will be there when you get back!
7. Seek out free activities to fill short snippets of spare time: There will be an abundance of free things to do and see around Rio, get creative.
8. Be prepared for all types of weather: August in Brazil is winter so you should be prepared for up to 90-degree F (32-degree C) temperatures and sudden, unexpected downpours of rain. Thin layers may be a smart approach to your wardrobe while in Rio.
9. Tip wisely: Tipping is strictly optional in many situations in Rio. Hotels and restaurants generally may add a 10-percent service charge to your bill. Taxi drivers don’t expect tips but will round up the fare to ensure they get a little bit extra for their trouble. Plus, you can still tip for excellent service if you want to.
10. Come back home with a keepsake: Olympic events are a very big deal. You should make a point of buying some special trinket or a piece of memorabilia that you can take home with you and keep forever. Besides, the locals in Rio will truly appreciate your patronage!
For more detailed information on the ins and outs, comings and goings, and dos and don’ts for the Summer Games, check out our handy companion: UAS Travel Guide: The 2016 Summer Games in Rio https://www.uas.aero/resources/downloads
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Mitch Launius
Instructor Pilot for 30 West IP
Mitch is the CEO of 30 West IP where he is also an instructor providing pilot training on international procedures. With an illustrious career of over 34 years in the cockpit, Mitch has acquired over 13,000 hours of flight time flying worldwide, with over 9,000 hours of this in Challenger and Gulfstream aircraft. He is an experienced safety officer and was also an IS-BAO project manager for a fortune 500 flight department. He has presented on Safety and Operations topics at the NBAA International Operators Conference and the Canadian Business Aviation Association Convention and is currently on the NBAA International Operators Committee and serves as the North Atlantic Regional Lead. Mitch is also a member of an FAA working group on General Aviation International Authorizations and Tabletop Exercises (GIATE). He was recently selected to represent IBAC as a member of the ICAO Personal Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP) and was also recently named as a 2020 recipient of the NBAA Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award for his contribution to the business aviation community.
Henry ‘Duke’ LeDuc
Director Of Operations, Americas, UAS International Trip Support
Duke has been a dearly respected member of UAS Americas team and the UAS global family for more than five years. A safety-oriented, FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he oversees all of the operations of the elite UAS Operations Team. With twenty-five years of experience in aviation overall with more than fifteen years of experience in international flight planning and VVIP trip coordination, he is responsible for the development of the dispatch training program and involved in the strategic development of UAS Americas. With a myriad of rich aviation experience behind him, he has extensive experience in worldwide operations with both corporate and charter environments, including seven years as Operations/Dispatch Manager in an industry-leading, Fortune 500, IS-BAO Stage III Certified corporate flight department. Duke is frequently asked shares his knowledge at major industry events and is currently serving on the NBAA’s International Operators Conference (IOC) Planning Committee.
Dudley King
President and Founder, FlightBridge
Dudley is the Founder and President of FlightBridge, which he established in 2011 and has been focused on technology solutions for the private aviation industry since 2006. Since he graduated from Dartmouth in 1988, he has worked with an array of companies listed anywhere from VentureWire to the Fortune 100. A rare blend of executive, entrepreneur, and consultant, Dudley’s executive roles have included acting CIO positions for several companies and tech advisory services to CEOs trying to rebuild their technology organizations or looking for an external, professional point of view. Highly skilled at deeply understanding his customer’s business challenges and drawing from a long and varied experience in information technology services, Dudley excels at designing technology solutions to solve their problems.
Dr. Paulo Alves
Global Medical Director, Aviation Health, Medaire
Paulo has extensive experience in medical advisory in the aviation industry. As a cardiologist, he provides technical guidance and analysis for MedAire’s MedLink medical advisory service and is MedAire’s liaison with civil aviation regulators and industry associations. Paulo worked with Varig Brazilian Airlines for 23 years, 10 of which were spent as General Medical Manager. A member of the MedAire Medical Advisory Board, Paulo is also President of the Ibero-American Aerospace Medical Association, a member of the International Academy of Aerospace Medicine, a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Safety Committee, a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), and a Fellow of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. Throughout his illustrious career, Paulo has held industry leadership roles including Chairperson of the AsMA’s Air Transport Medicine Committee, President of the Airlines Medical Directors Association, President of the Brazilian Society of Aerospace Medicine and was a member of the IATA Medical Advisory Group from 2002 to 2006.
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