Your Complete Guide to Transportation and Venues at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

You spent plenty for your tickets, so it's crucial you can get to the events on time. As with most Olympic Games, public transit is the usual mode for getting around, and usually it's the only mode that can move large numbers of people quickly enough to get from one venue to another.

For that reason, enhancements to public transportation are often spurred on by an upcoming Olympics.

Our goal is to provide you with as much information as we can dig up and we will continue to keep you up to date as new information becomes available. Up until recently there was very little solid information on getting to the different Olympic Venues, even on the official website. Fortunately, that has changed and, as promised, we are updating this page. The official website now has much more detailed information about attending the different events, so there's little point repeating the it here. Simply go to Official Spectators Guide and click on the links to the events you plan to attend. This will download a PDF file with detailed information about the venues, transit services to use, walking time and directions and a map showing the various entrances. Some of the events in the Barra Zone may still be affected by whether or not the new Metro Line 4 opens in time. We recommend you spend time exploring the other Rio transportation links on our site to get a better understanding of the system before you go. Also keep in mind that you will require a special fare card to use public transit during the games. You'll find the details at the bottom of this page.

Complicating the entire process is the uncertainty about the new Metro Line 4 to Barra being completed on time. Contingency plans were being developed, but since scrapped when the last section of tunnel was pushed through on April 8th. Officials now indicate they are confident the new line will open in the beginning of July, just one month ahead of the games which begin on August 5th 2016. They say that 92% of the work on the new line is complete. The new trains are already in operation on the existing lines, so they should be good to go.

Others, watching this unfold, aren't so sure. There is no denying there's little wiggle room for the final work to be completed.

Update: Talk about cutting it close. The opening of Metro Line 4 to Barra is finally ready to roll and will begin operations on the first day of the games! The Barra line will be limited to Olympic Event ticket holders (Rio Card Olímpico), athletes and media covering the games. Only after the end of the Paralympics will the line be open to the public in general, but still with limited service. You can read more about the opening here.

If the opening is on time, things should be pretty good. If not, I'm sure the back-up plans will be quickly brought into play. One is to run the new trains, but only non-stop from Copacabana to Barra, bypassing any incomplete stations. The other is to add to the existing rapid bus service and provide dedicated lanes for them along the highway.

The other new transportation initiative is the Transolímpica BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) route. This will be a new motorway that extends over 23 kilometres between Barra and Deodoro, the two largest venue clusters. Construction of the motorway included two new tunnels which are now complete. There will be 3 lanes in each direction with one lane in each direction dedicated to the rapid buses. Since this route is more direct, it will be quicker for getting between these two major event clusters than by subway and train.

Keeping all that in mind, we delve into the overall transportation situation for the 2016 Summer Games.

Olympic Venues

First, it's important to understand where the different venues will be. This is pretty straight forward, as the Olympics Venues are clustered into four main areas around the city: Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Marcana, and Deodoro. Within these 4 clusters you'll find 31 venues in total.

Most of the venues in the Copacabana and Maracana area can be accessed by Metro and walking. Providing the new Metro Line 4 is open, you'll be able to access Barra by Metro followed by a rapid bus. The exception will be Deodoro where you will need to transfer from the Metro to a SuperVia Urban Train destined for Deodoro, Santa Cruz or Japeri if coming from the Ipanema, Copacabana or Maracana area. Be sure to get of at Deodora. If you are coming from Barra da Tijuca, you'll take the new Transolímpica BRT rapid bus mentioned above. It follows a direct route north through the hills and will be much faster than going around.

Below is a map showing the location of all Olympic Event Clusters and Venues followed by a list of venues and information about Metro and/or Train lines and the nearest stations. Unless it's obvious by the venue's name we've listed the events next to each venue in italics. This information is subject to change and will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.

Rio Olympic Venues Map

Olympic Events and Public Transportation Options

Transit Fares during the Rio Olympics

Normal fares will not be the case during the Games. A special Olympic Ticket called Olympic Games RioCard (Cartão dos Jogos) will be required for travel during certain peak times during the games during which you will not be able to travel on a regular ticket. Locals are upset about this, and rightly so. They will be shut out of their own public transit system unless they are prepared to purchase the higher priced tickets, a hardship for many. Politics aside, the tickets should prove convenient for visitors and they'll be valid on every mode of public transit.

The Olympic Games RioCards are priced at BRL R$25 for a one day pass, R$70 for a three day pass or R$160 for a seven day pass. If you are a resident of Brazil, you can order a Rio 2016 Olympic Games RioCard here. Otherwise you can purchase one from any of the locations shown on this Olympic Games RioCard Vendor Map (map will be available at this link beginning July 15th, 2016).

We hope you find this guide helpful for planning and getting around during your visit to the 2016 Olympic Games. Be sure to check back, as there is still uncertainty about the readiness of some of the venues and infrastructure and we will update this page if anything changes.

Official Website: https://rio2016.com/

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