Car hire and driving in Rio de Janeiro
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Brazil traffic drives on the right. Picking up at SDU means 2 km (1 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648833 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648834 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648835.
Drives from Rio de Janeiro
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro to Nilópolis | Brazil | 26 km (16 mi) | about 24 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Belford Roxo | Brazil | 27 km (17 mi) | about 25 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Magé | Brazil | 32 km (20 mi) | about 29 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Nova Iguaçu | Brazil | 32 km (20 mi) | about 29 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Maricá | Brazil | 37 km (23 mi) | about 34 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Itaboraí | Brazil | 38 km (23 mi) | about 34 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Queimados | Brazil | 44 km (27 mi) | about 40 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Petrópolis | Brazil | 45 km (28 mi) | about 41 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Japeri | Brazil | 56 km (35 mi) | about 52 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Teresópolis | Brazil | 58 km (36 mi) | about 53 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Itaguaí | Brazil | 61 km (38 mi) | about 56 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Barra do Piraí | Brazil | 82 km (51 mi) | about 1 h 15 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo | Brazil | 360 km (224 mi) | about 5 h 29 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte | Brazil | 341 km (212 mi) | about 5 h 12 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Salvador | Brazil | 1,210 km (752 mi) | about 18 h 27 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Brasília | Brazil | 936 km (581 mi) | about 14 h 16 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Curitiba | Brazil | 678 km (422 mi) | about 10 h 21 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Goiânia | Brazil | 939 km (584 mi) | about 14 h 20 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Porto Alegre | Brazil | 1,126 km (700 mi) | about 17 h 10 min |
| Rio de Janeiro to Asunción | Paraguay | 1,491 km (927 mi) | about 22 h 44 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Rio de Janeiro?
The right, as everywhere in Brazil.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.