rio de janeiro is labelled as the 'marvelous city' for an endless list of reasons including prestine beaches, warm locals and world famous tourist attractions - in connection to its large size and growing population driving in the city can be hectic, fast and sometimes unpredictable - visitors are permitted to drive in rio de janeiro, with foreign driver's licenses, but individuals choosing to do so must be sure they are comfortable driving in a big city.

traffic in the city can be very dense and city buses travel at quick speeds - to counteract traffic congestion countless improvements are being made by the city to manage flow and decrease time spend on the road - these changes include changing the directions of streets, in high concentration zones during rush hours, and managing traffic lights.

visitors new to driving in rio de janeiro should be very careful with relying solely on GPS system, for navigation, since the systems are designed to suggest the shortest route and don't factor in unsafe zones -  taking the most efficient route might result in crossing areas where road assistance may not be available, or where uncomfortable or even dangerous encounters are a potential.