Apartments in Rio?

[Guest OnMyKnees4UC]

I am planning my second trip to Rio - about 1 week this fall. The first trip was everything mentioned in the other comments on this website! Stayed in a hotel the first time, but want to rent an apartment for my next trip. I had no problem bringing someone to my hotel room before, but want to try staying in an apartment. Has anyone rented before and would you again? Especially interested in specific apartments you have rented. Are there any downsides to an apartment? I am careful about bring guys back. Usually meet them at a place like Rogers the first time before inviting them home. I would like a one bedroom in Copacabana - on pref. or very close to Ave. Atlantica. Have heard that some of the better buildings have pools. Close to Rogers / 117 If there is some security that would a good thing. (Love security men too! yum) I do not speak Portugese so would like a situation where I would be assured that there will be no problems getting keys to the apartment, paying, etc. Thanks.

[trilingual]

This board (Escorts South of the U.S.A) has more than one page. Scroll down to the bottom and click on page two to go there. Then scroll down for some info on Apartment in Rio.

 

I've known the owner of the apartment for years (long before he had this apartment for rent) and I stayed in the apartment earlier this year. It's perfectly suited for a stay in Rio, within easy walking distance of the beach, Copacabana bath houses, the metro, etc. Try it. You'll like it.

[Guest Jaunty]

I am currently involved in negotiating for an apartment for upcoming trip in June and will have more details to report when I'm done. A few points to keep in mind:

 

Prices: A slippery slope. prices range all over the map. In real estate its location, location, location. If you aren't familar with the territory. . . Their are some nice looking units in Botafogo for attractive prices but I'm not familar enough with the area to take the chance. The web page for one frequently mentioned apartment clearly stated one price ($50 night)but when contacted the owner blithley quoted $10 more per day even though this is the lowest of the low season. (and I was offering to take it for more than a week)

One owner wanted $1.50US per day surcharge for electricity plus a security deposit of $150-300, with no mention when that would be returned.

Also some owners want you to take the property for neat blocks of time that fit their ideas of when you should arrive and depart. For example, if you don't arrive on Saturday and depart the following Friday, they want more

 

Equipment: Don't expect things to be the same as you are used to. Now this is part of the adventure of travel and a great part of the appeal for me is to try to get a feel for what it is like to live there as a resident, not a tourist.Get away from tourist hotels and taxis: Rent an apartment, ride the bus; you get the picture . .

(bus rides in Rio can be great fun if you have a sense of adventure)

HOWEVER: Look carefully at the equipment list: if it isn't listed, it probably isn't there. Like a stove in the kitchen . . . Like a hot water tap in the kitchen sink. The kitchen in many of the small studios is a corner with a sink with a cold water tap, a tiny counter,and a shelf with a few appliances, toaster, coffee maker, maybe a microwave, and a small fridge. That will do me fine since the heat on this trip will not be generated over the kitchen stove. However, it could come as a rude shock for the unprepared.

 

And to get to the punch line of this rambling tirade, after reading another thread on this page which referred to a serious outbreak of mosquito bourne Dengue Fever in Rio a few months back, I inquired about mosquito screening on the windows on fairly upscale places. The following quote was cut and pasted from her reply.

 

 

We do not have screen windows for mosquitos, actually we do not have

mosquitos coming into the apartments in Rio. You do not need to worry about

that

UNQUOTE

 

Shall we have a contest for the best snappy response to that comment?

 

How about: "How do you train the little buggers?"

 

or "Maybe all those cases of Dengue Fever were

people with their head in the sand?"

 

Don't worry, be happy . . . . .

:+

[trilingual]

The previous poster is correct about the variances in rental apartments. Frankly, your best bet (if you don't use Odilo's, discussed elsewhere on this board) is just to book a couple of nights at a hotel, then go to a realty office specializing in vacation rentals when you get there. They can show you various places and you can choose what you like, and then you can move out of your hotel. I would NOT recommend staying in Botafogo; it's not a neighborhood with much going on that would be of interest to our gentle readers. Stick with Copacabana, Leme and Ipanema. There are vast numbers of vacation rental apartments in those neighborhoods.

 

Mosquitos: I don't think I've ever seen screens in Rio, but it's kind of true that you don't get a lot of mosquitos in apartments. I don't know why that's true, but it is. On the whole, Rio is not a very "buggy" city. The dengue epidemic has abated considerably, and even at its peak there were no reported instances of a tourist catching it. If you don't want to risk mosquitos at night in a rented place, just sleep with the windows closed and the air-conditioning on. There definitely ARE mosquitos in other places you might visit. Remember to dress appropriately, if you're concerned, and use insect repellent. OFF makes one in the U.S. that also includes an SPF 30 sunscreen, so you get two-in-one.