2016 Rio Olympics: A visitors’ guide

Olympics

The athletes have started to arrive in Rio for the Olympic Games and final preparations are underway as the city prepares to host up to half a million visitors.

CCTV’s Jim Spellman has some tips for these enthusiastic spectators making their way to Brazil.

Here are a few things to know if you’re headed to Rio.

Travelers from elsewhere in South America and much of Europe won’t need a Visa. Temporary Olympics rules allow visitors from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Japan to attend the Olympics without one – but visitors from China and other countries do need visas, so be sure to check ahead.

Vaccinations are not needed to enter Brazil but some countries do require vaccines when returning from Brazil so review your country’s requirements.

Once in Rio don’t be surprised to see heavy security and beware of crime, especially away from Olympic venues.

And plan on using public transport to get around. Two apps, Moovit and Trafi, have been approved to help plan your journeys. Download them before you arrive.

Be sure to learn a few phrases in Portuguese so you can speak with your Brazilian hosts.

There is no smoking at indoor public spaces like restaurants. Dial 9-1-1 for emergency services and if you want to give a gift be sure it’s not purple- in Brazil that’s a colored associated with mourning the death of a loved one.

Perhaps most importantly, go to Rio ready to have a good time.


Rafael Saliés on how ready Rio is for the summer Olympics

For more on the Rio Olympics, we were joined by Rafael Salies. He’s the Brazilian Operations Director for Southern Pulse, a network intelligence organization focusing on Latin America.

We talked about how prepared Brazil is as the world’s eyes turn to Rio, how the political uncertainty will affect the games, and how big a concern terrorism is at the games.