Are you moving to a new place, in a different country?
If your answer is “yes”, it has probably already crossed your mind how exactly your move will happen, right?

When it comes to moving to a new country, only a few people realize how they will transport their belongings and what they need to do to make it happen, so we’ve gathered here some very important tips to help you when hiring an International Moving Company!

How can specialized international moving companies help?

An international move is very different from a local move, or from one state to another, within the same country.

Despite having some peculiarities, an international move is still an export (or import depending on where the process starts), and for this reason, some documents and procedures are necessary.

The international moving company is fundamental in this process, as it will be responsible for coordinating all this bureaucratic and logistical part, organizing the best ways to carry out your move, and providing assistance with the documentation required for customs clearance, both in the country of origin , and in the country of destination, in addition to hiring the most appropriate freight service for your move.

What are the roles of the international moving company in my move?

As we said before, the international moving company will be responsible for coordinating the entire process of your moving, from packing the goods to their delivery in the destination country. The main activities performed by the international moving company in this process are:

• Assistance with all required documentation at origin and destination
• Supply of all material used to pack your goods
• Packing your goods following international quality standards
• International insurance for your belongings
• Road transport to the port or airport of origin
• Contracting international air or sea freight, according to the volume of your goods
• Customs clearance at origin and destination
• Management of all necessary procedures for the delivery of your goods to your new residence abroad.

It is worth noting that each of the activities listed above unfolds into several other smaller activities, which demand great management capacity, which is why it is important to hire a specialized company, avoiding unpleasant surprises.

How do I know if the company I want to hire is the best option for me?

There are some ways to know if your choice is the right one, but one of the most efficient is to know if it is part of any of the main associations of international moving companies, such as:
IAM, Euromovers, PAIMA and IMA

These associations demand a high standard of quality from all their members, and to participate in any of them, it is necessary that the companies that are already part of that group accept the new company as a member. This means that a company that does not have a good standard of quality and service will hardly be part of any of these associations.

So, you need to hire an international moving company with all the qualities described in this text?

Please contact us by clicking here.

The pandemic of the new Coronavirus has affected millions of people around the world, bringing fear and a feeling of uncertainty in the face of the challenges that are presented, however, this situation has also awakened the best in each of us, opening up floodgates for a wave of solidarity.

It has been very gratifying to observe so many actions promoted by simple people, that despite the fear of becoming infected, they realized that someone very close may be in an even more difficult situation, and decided to take action to help these people, and with Global Packing it was no different!

One of our values ​​is to work to be a relevant company for society, and we believe that there has never been a time when practicing this value was so necessary.

We held an online meeting with our team and started thinking about ways we could contribute and help those most in need. This may seem like an easy task, but it actually requires a lot of seriousness and commitment, as there are several factors that are only noticed when you really think about it.

It was then that we decided to contact a project that we have been partners with for many years, the Ação Querer Bem, which promotes several activities for hundreds of needy children in Cidade de Deus, one of the largest communities in Rio de Janeiro.

The timing couldn’t have been better!
Just that week, Ação Querer Bem received some donations about two tons of food, cleaning materials and personal hygiene, however, they still needed to organize the collection and transport of these donations, and … Bingo!
Since then, we have made our fleet and our staff available to carry out both withdrawal and transport and delivery of donations!

  It was a day of hard work and the hot weather made the service even more tiring, even so, our team was there, firm and strong, because they believe in the values that we maintain and they knew that their work was helping hundreds of families to be helped at this very difficult time.

We know that this is very little in the face of everything we are experiencing, but we will not give up and we will not stop!
May this gesture inspire you to do the same.
Help those who need it any way you can!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

It doesn’t matter how much or how. There is always a way to help, and your help can be everything that any family is needing right now!

You don’t have to contribute just money or food. Donating your time, your goodwill, already makes a big difference!

If you are looking to help in some way, but are not sure what to do, check out our tips below!

DONATE YOUR TIME

Yes, it may seem simple, but donating your time can be very valuable!
With social isolation, the feeling of loneliness can be enhanced, and this has very large impacts, especially psychological.

Try to set aside a time in your day to call some people (it may be a friend, a relative, a neighbor) and find out how they are, how they have faced social isolation, if they are taking preventive care, but try to do that in a relaxed and cheerful way, without accusatory tones.
These few minutes will make a total difference for these people!

Article: Asylum promotes video calls to minimize the impacts of social isolation.

DONATE YOUR HABILITIES

Professionals from various fields are offering their services for free over the internet. Psychologists, speech therapists, teachers, physical educators, among others, are conducting consultations, classes and courses online for free, providing medical follow-up, which perhaps some people never had, or that new skills are developed or improved. If you are a qualified professional or if you have something to teach, do it!

Use your social networks to reach the closest people, and they will take care of calling more people.

Atados: Discover this platform that connects those who want to volunteer with institutions that need help!

SUPPORT AN NGO

Just like Ação Querer Bem, several other organizations are engaged in helping the most needy. If you are in Rio de Janeiro and would like to know a little more about the Querer Bem Action, click here and learn more about their work.

In addition, some sites bring together several NGOs precisely to facilitate access for those who want to contribute in some way, but do not do so due to lack of time or for any other reason. Below are some of these options:

• Rede do Bem – Here you will find several NGOs from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. You can also filter by city, neighborhood and area of activity, such as: culture, social assistance, sport, among others.
• Pra Quem Doar – On this website, you have access to various support initiatives spread across Brazil. You can filter entities by region or even alphabetically. You can watch them read a little about their work and also get contact information so you can collaborate.

And remember: even if you cannot contribute financially, you can donate what you know how to do or even your desire to do!
The important thing at this point is to think about the next one, to be close even while keeping your distance.

We are sure that small combined efforts achieve great goals!

Worldwide, we honor the month of March to women. This time, we from Global Packing Moving & Relocation decided to do something special. In addition to paying homage and our attention to women, this month we seek to point out important issues for the female cause, among them: the women’s role in the labor market.

After all, women did not join world of work yesterday and their participation is not low. According to the 2018 IBGE survey, women make up 43.8% of current Brazilian workers. However, women earn an average of 20.5% less than men in Brazil and in absolutely all areas of the country their pay is lower than the equivalent for men.

Wage inequality between genders is a worldwide problem and in Brazil the issue worsens as schooling and academic training increases and also according to the hierarchical position in the workplace. Thus, a woman with an MBA or a specialization is paid 35 to 42% less than a man with the same training. In addition, in the position of president, director or manager, women receive, on average, 38.41% less than a man in the same position.

As always, the Brazilian female issue is also crossed by racial issues. In 2018, the annual income of white people was 73.9% higher than that of blacks and browns in Brazil. In this scenario, black women receive on average 44.4% of the monthly income of the average white man, that is, less than half this average salary. And, in relation to white women, black women earn 41.4%, placing them at the base of the Brazilian wage pyramid, representing the most acute wage inequality in the country.

But, what to do in the face of this scenario? Iceland, for example, is a pioneer in implementing a gender equal wages law. This is an excellent action to combat this problem structurally! However, when it comes to us individually and institutionally, we from Global Packing are proud not only to have a female director, a representative of the 25.85% of female directors in Brazil, but we also have a more than competent and mostly female office team! In our office, the wages are equal and we are always engaged in the social discussions of our time in order to make the experience of working at Global as enriching, comfortable, harmonious and productive as possible!

There is is a long way to go for equal pay between genders in Brazil and in the world, but we at Global Packing try to do our part as a company for our employees in order to achieve a fairer and better society!

This Sunday, we celebrate International Women’s Day and we from Global Packing Moving & Relocation could not let the date go unnoticed. March 8, a date that annually makes society ponder women, is much more than a symbolic date. March 8 reminds us of the international women’s struggle, which less than 100 years ago won the suffrage and still today fights for equal rights.

Most of the time, in the face of triple time work, women work, take care of domestic tasks and take care of the children. That’s why today, Brazilian women work an average of 3.1 more hours than men, sad statistics that, fortunately, have been improving over the past 5 years since in 2015 the difference between male and female hours was 7.5 hours in Brazil.

In addition, the triple time work gets even worse when we realize that more than 40% of Brazilian families are headed by women, in 11 million cases, alone. The social life of women is overburdened and, if we think of domestic and family life as the fruits of work that they are, 66% of the time is unpaid.

On the other hand, the female condition accompanied by a partner has its particular great problems. After all, every 2 minutes a woman is a victim of violence in Brazil. In the last year, femicide – so called the homicide of women guided by misogyny and gender hatred – grew 7.2%, and 3 out of every 4 women victims by partners or ex-partners. Finally, the most vulnerable situation is Brazilian black women’s: the feminicide of white women fell by 9.8%, meanwhile the feminicide against black women, according to the 2015 Map of Violence, increased by 54.2%.

Thus, it’s clear the importance of raising discussions on the women’s condition, especially during the month of March. It’s been 110 years since the establishment of an international commemorative date for Women’s Day. Many rights have been conquered, but there are still many to be in order to guarantee the female existence, dignity, respect and equality. We from Global Packing recognize the need to change the condition of women in society and we strive to emphasize and value the role of women not only in Brazil, but in our company. In addition, we believe in the importance of raising these discussions as a Brazilian firm and that’s why we will dedicate ourselves this March to the series #GLOBALwomen. For this reason, in the weeks of this month, we will seek to spark debates and explore the role and condition of women in Brazil, in the world and in the moving field.

May the statistics not frustrate our expectations, but give reasons to society and women to fight for a world of gender equality! Keep up with our #GLOBALwomen series.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Brazilian Carnival is recognized worldwide as one of the best and most beautiful festivals in the world and Rio’s Carnival is responsible for much of this reputation. It’s not a coincidence that Rio is one of the main destinations of this season both in Brazil and in the world. But, after all, what is so good about this famous Carnival?

Rio de Janeiro prepares itslef during the whole year for this great party and the whole city is vibrant when the festival comes. There is no lack of activities for those who want to enjoy Carnival in the Marvelous City and, to exemplify one of them, let’s start with the greatest symbol of Rio’s Carnival:

the Parades at Marquês of Sapucaí

Designed by the important Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1984, the Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí hosts annually the parades of the samba schools in Rio. It’s a huge festival that happens from Friday to Tuesday in the holidays of Carnival. There, the biggest samba schools compete with each other with the most beautiful costumes and carnival floats, each one with an especific theme that leads the school’s parade.

This grand popular festival involves hundreds and thousands of people, parading and watching the beautiful spectacle that takes place in the downtown area of Rio. It’s one of the best known and also most unforgettable experiences of Rio’s Carnival, so it’s unacceptable for one to come to Rio at Carnival and not watch this wonderful celebration!

Street carnival groups/Blocos de rua

Another major attraction of Carnival are the street carnival groups, in portuguese called blocos de rua. In the blocos, the popular party gets even more popular and takes over almost all the streets of the city with revelry, music, costumes and fun. From the most well-known and tourist districts to the most suburban ones, the whole city comes together in celebration!

In the street partys, both cariocas and tourists follow the electric trios to the sound of traditional marchinhas and other diverse musical rhythms. Commonly, people are all in character, with creative comic and often political costumes. For that reason, it’s not hard to find contests among the revelers for the best costume in the carnival  groups.

The best known and, consequently, the most crowded street groups take place in the south and central areas of Rio de Janeiro. Among them are the Cordão do Boitatá, Céu na Terra, Amigos da Onça, Sargento Pimenta, Monobloco and many, many others!

Each carnival street group has its own vibe and style, some of which are more traditional, others more contemporary, transforming current hits into great carnival hits, or even some that transform the Beatles’ classics into samba and maracatu arrangements – such as Sergeant Pimenta. There are groups more focused on familie; others atract younger people; some count on the performance of famous artists, such as Anitta, Claudia Leitte, Alok and other Brazilian artists, while others cherish small bands formed by the revelers themselves.

There are street groups for all tastes!

Best of all, it’s all for free! Unlike the parades at Sambódromo, where one has to buy tickets to watch it, in the street blocks, all you have to do is go to the streets and enjoy it.

However, despite the great fun the carnival groups offer, it’s important to always be careful and cautious. Therefore, in order to enjoy the street blocks without any problems, always leave your cell phone at home and use an older one, do not go out with unnecessary money and credit cards, always use fanny packs or purses attached to the chest, reducing the chances of theft, and above all, drink plenty of water. The street groups reach thousands of people and the February heat is scorching. In addition, it’s common to drink a lot of alcohol in these parties, so it’s more than necessary to stay abundantly hydrated!

Lastly, the carnival block groups are one of the greatest expressions of Carnival in Brazil and they happen not only in the holidays. So, in case you arrived much after or long before the Carnival holidays, rest assured, as these blocos usually occur from the beginning of January until mid-March, guaranteeing plenty of time to enjoy the real party on the streets.

Paquetá

A great option for those who would like to experience a very traditional Carnival street block toasted by a splendid view are the blocks of Paquetá Island.

Located in the Guanabara Bay, Paquetá is a beautiful little island very worth a visit at any time of the year. With a beautiful landscape and an atmosfere almost stuck in time, the island of Paquetá is full of antique buildings and is marked by a strong presence of nature, which has always made the place a source of inspiration for poets, writers and romantics.

Despite the relative isolation, the island is not left out of the great excitement of the Carnival in Rio. Thus, street groups such as “Quem não guenta bebe água” and “Bloco dos Primos” are lovely alternatives for those who’d like to know the city of Rio more deeply and, more than that, immerse themselves in the more traditional popular culture present there.

Running away from the crowd

Grumari beach

Finally, if you want to enjoy Rio at Carnival and not Carnival in Rio, one way to escape the crowd is to head to a more distant region as – or even more – paradisiacal as the other parts of Rio.

Grumari, Prainha, Pedra de Guaratiba and Praia do Secreto are beautiful options that don’t attract much attention during the Carnival period, what makes them alternatives for those who want peace, contact with nature and enjoyment of all the landscapes and possibilities that the Marvelous City has to offer.

Global Packing wishes everyone a happy holidays and a nice Carnival and, in case you fall in love with the Marvelous City, count on us for your move!

Located in the state of Puebla, Cholula is a precious Mexican city over 2 hours away from the country’s capital, Mexico City. In addition to being one of the most ancient cities in the American continent, founded around the 2nd century BC, in Cholula you’ll find the largest pyramid in the world: the Tepanapa Pyramid.

Uninterruptedly inhabited by many civilizations since its foundation, Cholula was once the second largest urban center in Mexico and is today one of Mexico’s cultural treasures. The city was considered a sacred territory, where the pyramid – twice the volume of the Great Pyramid of Giza’s in Egypt – served as a religious and ritualistic environment. Amazingly, the 2300-year-old pyramid was only discovered in 1910, as it is kind of hidden and camouflaged by vegetation that has grown in its structures.

During the colonization, the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios was built on the Tepanapa pyramid, another ummissable spot to visit in Cholula. The 54 meters high to reach the Church is worthwhile, due to the beautiful yellow sanctuary you’ll be able to admire once you reach the top. But, more than this, as you go up through the way to the church, you can also enjoy the spectacular view of the city and the Popocatépetl volcano, a still active volcano that gives the view an unparalleled touch.

“Cholula” is actually two cities: San Pedro Cholula and San Andrés Cholula. However, both municipalities are divided by only one street and are often referred to as “Pueblo Mágico de Cholula” – Magic People of Cholula. The city is small and colorful and can be easilly checked in one day. Downtwon Cholula, called Zócalo, is the Plaza de la Concordia, the Frasciscano Convent of San Gabriel Arcángel, Los Portales, the Parish of San Pedro de Cholula, the Capilla Real, the Capilla de la Tercera Orden, the Temple of San Gabriel and so many other  great spots of this small, but fantastic city.

Tourists often visit the two cities, Puebla de Zaragosa and Pueblo Magico de Cholula, seeking to make the most of the time taken to reach the region. So if you have the opportunity to go to Mexico, visit these two cities and don’t miss the magical charm that the city and people of Cholula have to offer!

And, in case you fall in love too deeply with the city of Cholula, count on us for your move!

Known as the National Petroleum Capital, Macaé is an important city of Rio de Janeiro, located in the north of the state. The city has attracted people from all over the country especially due to its concentration of much of Petrobras operations, putting Macaé in the spotlight of the branch, contributing to many other activities that are driven from oil exploration in the region.

From 2007 to 2017, Macaé grew economically 600%. This growth fell slightly from 2015, however, since last year the city has resumed its pace, mainly due to oil auctions and the financial recovery of Petrobras.

Regarding the quality of life in the city, according to the latest Municipal Development Index (IFDM) data, by Firjan from 2018 based on the year 2016, Macaé scores 0.75 in development, showing how this city is only improving and moving towards better standards. Macaé has a significant job offer supported by the quantity and quality of its main Offshore companies, including Petrobras, Halliburton, Chevron, FMC, Acergy, BP, Pride, Aggreko, Falk Nutec, Sub Sea 7, Repsol, Transocean, Schlumberger and Aker Kvaerner.

Besides, the city makes the life of the expats a lot easier since there are many international schools, such as Maple Bear, the International School of Macae, the Atlantic College and others.

This brief information alone proves how much worthy is living in Macaé. But now, let’s get down to business: where to live in Macaé?

Bairro Cavaleiros

One of the main neighborhoods of Macaé, Cavaleiros is known for hosting one of the most beautiful beaches in the city, named after the neighborhood. The Cavaleiros Beach is called the Macaé’s Copacabana, because of its beauty and importance to the city. In addition, there are also other beaches in the neighborhood,for example Praia do Pecado and Praia da Restinga.

The Cavaleiros neighborhood is full of shopping centers, bank branches and service stations that make the life of the citzens a lot easier. Moreover, the region concentrates the best and most famous restaurants in the city, ensuring fun and excitement for those looking for it. Despite its busy reputation, Cavaleiros is a residential neighborhood, an ideal place for both street leisure and peace and quiet at home.

Glória

Another important neighborhood of Macaé is Glória. One of the most populous neighborhoods of the city and host to several important events, such as the Macaé Beer Fest, Glória is a neighborhood for those looking for good fun.

Glória is located in the most privileged area of Macaé and becomes increasingly more and more reclaimed. After all, the neighborhood is not only considered as one of the most beautiful regions of the entire coast of Rio de Janeiro, but also guarantees comfort and facilities to the residents of the area. Situated in a strategic location, Glória is close to Cavaleiros Beach, has easy access to downtown Macaé and is surrounded by shopping malls, services and great infrastructure.

Finally, Glória is the neighborhood of those who, above all, want comfort, amusement and, fortunately, the gift of the unique coastal beauty of Macaé along with the pleasant and mild climate of the mountainous parts of the city.

Another demanded destination for those who are moving to work in Macaé is the city of Rio das Ostras, next to Macaé, as pleasant as the neighboring city, but with lower living expenses.

These were some tips about the neighborhoods to live in Macaé. We hope we helped you, count on us for your move!

With an area of 3.7  km² , the Englischer Garten is one of the largest and most beautiful urban parks in the world. Right in the centre of Munich, the Bavarian capital, the “English Garden”, in a free translation, has beautiful landscapes and we will show you why you can not miss this park!

Created in 1789 by Sir Benjamin Thompson for the Bavarian Prince Karl Theodor, the Englischer Garten was named english because of its English style. The park is visited annually by tens of thousands of Germans and tourists and guarantees fun for any public.

As said before, the park is huge, so set aside a whole day to enjoy it and yet it won’t be enough to know every part of it. Inside the park there are restaurants and the famous Bier Garten next to Chinesischer Turm, the park’s Chinese tower, a beautiful place for a photo with the huge beer mug you’ll get there.

Another interesting spot within the park is the Monopteros, added to the park in 1836 and guarantees an unforgettable view of the landscape the park offers. There is also the Japanese Tea House, another unmissable spot opened in 1972 in the south of the park on an artificial island that regularly hosts Japanese tea ceremonies.

Also, if you’re looking for refreshment, the Englischer Garten is a great place for you. The park is crossed by the Isar River, a clean and pleasant river, suitable for a good bath. And i’s on this very river that you’ll find the well-known surfers of Munich! In the southern part of the park, at Eisbach, the most experienced surfers surf the artificial waves of the river, admired by all the people who stand there watching them. It’s worth checking!

Finally, there are plenty of things to see and do in the Englischer Garten, from jogging to riding a bike, getting tanned, relaxing, eating good schnitzels and strong beers, and all the touristic spots you find in and close to the park’s area. After all, as the park is in the middle of the city, right out of it you’ll find the Hofgarten, the Odeonsplatz, the Residenz Museum, the Munich Modern Art Gallery, the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum and so many other places that you can not miss in Munich!

For the first time in the history of Brazil, black people are majority in the public universities of the country. That might sound odd to some, but although black people are almost 56% of the Brazilian population, rights and opportunities are not equally granted to all people in Brazil and in the world. And that’s why today is such an important day in Brazil: today is the Black Awareness Day!

Today we celebrate the promotion of racial equality. It’s a day to remember all the black heroes that built our country and fought against slavery, racism and sexism. Heroes that were great in the past, such as as Zumbi dos Palmares, Dandara, Luiza Mahins, Luis Gama and others, but also heroes in our present time, like Abdias do Nascimento, Conceição Evaristo, Sueli Carneiro and Marielle Franco, that keep fighting for a better country!

And looking to our heroes, we from Global Packing are proud to sponsor APAS (Presbyterian Association of Social Assistance), a social association that works ensuring that our heroes of the future have every opportunity they need to be the great doctors, the significant teachers, the severe scientists, the beautiful artists and, ultimately, the change our society needs.  Through Ação Querer Bem, APAS benefits children and teenagers of the Cidade de Deus community, offering education support, sports activities, dance classes, English lessons, lunch and snacks, leisure and other extra activities.

Monday to Friday, full day, the children have every support and encouragement, empowering them to beat the ties of racism and, hopefully, one day see an equal country, where race means nothing and rights are accessible to all people. Until then, we from Global Packing will keep sponsoring projects and seeking to promote and stimulate the change for a fair and better society.

Happy Black Awareness Day!

Do Leme ao Pontal

Não há nada igual!

From Leme to Pontal, there’s nothing like it! That’s what the great Tim Maia, one of the most important Brazilian singers, would say. From Leme to Pontal there’s not only a variety of beaches but also a great amount of city neighborhoods. With more than 150 neighborhoods, Rio de Janeiro offers every kind of landscape for every kind of public, that’s why we’ll help you find your ideal neighborhood in the “Wonderful City”!

Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon

The living standards among the South Zone neighborhoods are very similar, specially in the most famous ones, Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon. These three belong to the local elite and are filled with bars, restaurants and an active nightlife by the beach, making these neighborhoods great places to live and stroll in Rio.

Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon are also very close to the central area and have a  public transportation, with dozens of bus lines and some metro stations, ensuring an ease of travel by public transport around the area.

However, these neighborhoods are settled in Rio’s most expensive and privileged area, therefore, all three have a high cost of living. Apartment rents and the general prices of everyday necessities are quite expensive.

Known as the most expensive square meter in Brazil, Leblon is the most expensive of the three neighborhoods. Ipanema is a little less expensive and offers the same luxury and landscaping quality of Leblon. In addition, Ipanema is in the middle of the great waterfront that encompasses the three districts, so it is a lively place that guarantees quick and easy access to these three beaches. Also it’s usual to say that the public in Ipanema is the youngest and most open-minded of the three neighborhoods. Finally, comparing to the other two, Copacabana is the most popular and least expensive neighborhood. Despite being reputed to be an “old people’s” area today, Copacabana also has its nightlife along its famous boardwalks and beachfront bars.

Finally, the three neighborhoods offer very similar benefits. In spite of the high cost, the region is worth it, mainly due to its ease of transport and its strategic location, in one of the main spots of the city and close to other major areas.

Botafogo and Flamengo

Botafogo and Flamengo are other neighborhoods in the South Zone but with a different kind of public. Both upper-middle class neighborhoods, with living costs slightly lower than the neighborhoods mentioned above. They are very close to Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon and have a good public transport network, including lots of bus lines and two subway stations.

Its landscape is marked by Sugar Loaf and the Guanabara Bay. An important tip about this area is that its beach is not recommended for swimming, only for some jogging and strolling, since the Bay is unfortunately very polluted.

It is a pleasant area, though, and counts on a variety of  leisure activities: it has shopping malls and alternative movie theaters, as well as the many gastronomic, musical, and artistic events that take place there frequently.

Both Botafogo and Flamengo are younger neighborhoods and have some universities, including two federal universities nearby, the Praia Vermelha campus of UFRJ and UNIRIO. They also have clubs and bars well frequented and always full in the evenings, essentially in the so called “Baixo Bota”, well known by the university students of the area.

Lagoa

Still within the list of neighborhoods in the South Zone is the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, another elite neighborhood with a well disputed view and very luxurious apartments.

The neighborhood is very pleasant, not only for the landscape, but also for the leisure guaranteed by the walks around the lagoon that names it. At Lagoa you can enjoy a range of good restaurant and also have some fun going for a bike or a quad ride or even a run by the lagoon.

However, the lagoon is not suitable for swimming, so if you want to explore the lagoon itself, the best you can do is to go on a pedal boat ride.

Another issue is that it’s not so easy to use public transport services there. The Lagoa has few bus lines and only a single subway station on only one side of the neighborhood, which is the side that connects with Ipanema.

Barra da Tijuca

Finally off the South Zone, let’s talk about the emergent Barra da Tijuca, a neighborhood from the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro.

Inspired by the American city of Miami, Barra is marked by its grand boulevards and shopping malls on one side and luxurious apartments and beautiful beaches on the other. It is an essentially upper-middle class neighborhood and has beaches considered by many to be better than the most famous ones in the South Zone.

It’s a big neighborhood and difficult to walk around if you don’t have a car of your own. Nevertheless, Barra da Tijuca has common and BRT bus fleets, but its only subway station is in Jardim Oceânico. So if you want to live in a place where you can walk around on foot, Barra is not your ideal neighborhood.

A great thing about Barra is its great number of elite schools, including foreign and English-speaking ones. Another positive point is also the growing number of large multinational companies that are moving their offices to the region.

Lastly, Barra da Tijuca offers a lot fun, especially around the Jardim Oceânico region, where Olegário Maciel is located, a street with plenty of bars and themed restaurants. In addition, in this part of the neighborhood are several nightclubs, ensuring a busy nightlife.

On the other hand, the nocturnal movement by the beach itself, common in the South Zone, is scarce and little recommended, due to the assault rates.

Tijuca

This is a more popular, middle-class neighborhood, very close to the downtown area. Tijuca, Grajaú and Vila Isabel are pleasant and very lively neighborhoods. Its bars are well frequented and have lots of events every week. They all have several bus fleets, but only Tijuca has subway lines.

They are a good choice for cheaper rentals, yet close to the central area and with easy access to public transport services. However, like most of, if not all of Rio, the neighborhood is plagued by the problem of violence and insecurity.

In conclusion, these are just a few suggestions. Clearly, the post does not describe all neighborhoods in Rio, but we focus on the most sought after by foreigners and non-locals, in order to ease your search and identification with the neighborhood that will host your new home!

Welcome to Rio!