regular touring rio de janeiro during carnival week can be complicated, as everybody's focus are the street parties, the parades in the sambódromo, and the rehearsals .

in addition to hundreds of thousands of tourists coming to celebrate the festivities, street parties cause traffic to be re-routed or even blocked - so getting around town becomes difficult.

furhtermore, carnival is a holiday in rio, meaning that many offices and shops are closed, making normal sightseeing even more difficult.

visitors planning on discovering the city during carnival, should try to do so a few days before or after the festivities, or expect long lines and difficulties.