Brazil

Driving Versus Uber When Visiting Brazil With Kids: Which Is Better For You?

Driving Versus Uber When Visiting Brazil With Kids: Which Is Better For You?

Originally published in March 2022. Transport observations and fares reflect the family’s past trip; check current rules, provider terms, and route availability.

Transportation in foreign countries can be stressful, unknown, and sometimes complicated. As a family, we honestly would love to drive so we can see more of the city or country we are in, and it’s convenient for kids. However, there are places where it makes sense, and there are places where it doesn’t.

Here are the places we visited during our five-week stay in Brazil—São Paulo, Natal, Salvador, Rio, and Manaus. Here is how we got to each destination.

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In our experience, the larger cities we visited were more likely to have ride-share options such as Uber. During that trip, we found Uber convenient in São Paulo and rarely waited more than a couple of minutes. Rides around the city usually cost $1–3 USD in our experience. Those are historical observations and fares, not current nationwide service or price information.

During our COVID-era visit, passenger limits made transport tricky for our party of eight. We sometimes crowded four people into the backseat or asked to use the front seat; drivers sometimes refused. That is a memory of how we traveled then, not advice to repeat it. For your trip, book enough vehicles for everyone to have their own seat and seatbelt, stay within the capacity shown for the ride, and plan suitable child restraints.

During our stay in Rio de Janeiro, we found Uber and mass transit available, but we did not try public transportation. Uber rides felt inexpensive to us then; many cost $1–5 USD in our experience.

For smaller cities and remote places, you have an option to rent a car from the airport.  Rental cars are quite expensive, and we advise that you get insurance.

Uber When Visiting Brazil with Kids: 6 Tips

Check your card issuer’s travel-notification guidance

• Check with your card issuer about whether it recommends a travel notification, especially if you expect frequent small Uber charges abroad. Our provider flagged our credit cards nearly every other day for fraud, and it was very disappointing!

• The original post recommended adding a prepaid balance in the Uber app. For a current ride, check whether Uber Cash is available for your account and trip. Brazil’s terms make the balance personal and nontransferable, not redeemable for cash, and exclude some uses such as family profiles or scheduled trips. A secondary payment method may still be needed; a balance does not guarantee that every payment or ride will succeed.

Related family travel film: Watch the family’s Salvador walking-tour film.

Be patient in getting a ride

• You might be dropped a couple of times before you get a ride. During the family’s trip, some drivers said they could not see the destination until accepting the booking. A few canceled after accepting; what happens can vary by driver and trip. But don’t stress out! Take it as part of your travel experience. We always got some, even if it took a couple of minutes and several drivers. 

When Uber Was Convenient for Us

• Uber was convenient for us when we did not speak Portuguese fluently. It is a ride-hailing service, and communication may still be needed to confirm pickup, destinations, capacity, or child seats. Prepare those details rather than assuming you will never need to speak to the driver.

• Our rides often felt inexpensive on that trip. Compare the current price in the app with other suitable transport options; fares vary by route, city, demand, and time.

Plan Seatbelts and Child Restraints

• We had children on laps on some rides during that trip, and some drivers were lax about seatbelts. Do not repeat that arrangement; every passenger should have an appropriate seatbelt and restraint. Brazil’s traffic code requires seatbelts for drivers and passengers, subject to regulated exceptions; rules for children also include vehicle-specific exceptions. Uber’s Brazil guidance says riders must provide an appropriate child restraint, children under 10 must ride in the rear seat, and drivers may refuse trips that do not follow these rules. Plan enough vehicles, seats and suitable restraints before requesting a ride.

Keep the car clean

• During our trip, several drivers turned us down when we were returning from the beach. Before our next ride, we wiped off and changed into semi-dry clothes. That was our experience with those drivers; check current local expectations and app rules.

Give a tip!

• Chris spoke with several drivers during our trip about long hours and pay; some described working 10–12 hours a day, seven days a week, for about $600 a month. Those were individual conversations at that time, not a current estimate of Brazilian driver earnings. We tried to tip generously.

Rental Car When Visiting Brazil with Kids: 6 Tips

Get the Insurance

• Learn from our mistake. I was rear-ended by a drunk driver in a parking lot. It was completely his fault, but we still had to pay several thousand dollars. The police witnessed the whole thing and sent him home. Before renting, review the agreement and confirm what collision, theft, liability, excess, and exclusions apply. A general travel insurance policy is not proof of rental-car damage cover; confirm the particular policy and rental agreement.

Larger cars are rare

• We did not find a rental car larger than five seats for our trip. In Salvador, we rented two cars and drove separately. Check actual availability, passenger and luggage capacity, and child-restraint positions early. We have used Discover Cars to compare rental options around the world.

Fueling

• Confirm the fuel your particular rental uses before filling up. Check the rental agreement and ask the agent or attendant if anything is unclear. Compare current prices rather than using our past trip as a fuel budget.
• Brazilian law prohibits consumers from operating fuel pumps. Service details can vary by station. On our trip, attendants fueled the car; we tipped a little cash when we had it, though I don’t know what they expected.
• Gas stations may offer restrooms and snacks, but facilities vary by stop.

Brush up on general road signs and rules in Brazil before you start 

• The original post highlighted speed bumps near town entries and advised slowing down; visibility and conditions vary by route.
• The original post also warned about potholes. Road conditions vary, so watch the route ahead and follow posted signs.
• Some driving we encountered felt unpredictable. Follow the traffic rules and posted signs, leave space, and avoid copying unsafe passing or other risky behavior.

Download your map or get it going before you start the trip

• Our data was terribly slow, and our Wi-Fi hotspot couldn’t get a signal a lot of times, especially out of the city.  If you fill up for gas, be sure to get your map going as well.  Alternatively, you can get a SIM card for Brazil.

Parking can be tricky in the city 

Especially in Rio, I think parking is very hard. We didn’t even try to drive there, but a local guide told us we should have.  However, I would have been quite nervous, and there was no parking at our Airbnb.

The few times we had a rental car while traveling with kids, we enjoyed it! We loved exploring Chapada Diamantina.  For us, exploring was easier, and we got to know places better as we spontaneously found things. Don’t be too intimidated to try as you explore Brazil!

Where To Stay In Rio de Janeiro?

Check out these hotels. Review current room options, dates, occupancy, and amenities directly with each property:

• Grand Hyatt Rio De Janeiro
• Hilton Copacabana Rio de Janeiro
• Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana
• Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort

Xoxo,

Leslie

Additional Reading

18 Beginner Tips for International Family Travel

Obtaining Two Passports: When You Need Them and How To Get Them

Bangkok Travel Guide: 11 Tips, Tricks, and Takeaways