Niteroi

Where to stay

Budget beds cluster in Centro, the downtown strip around Praça Arariboia and the ferry station, where you are steps from the boats to Rio and the municipal bus terminal. The ocean-facing beach neighborhoods of Itaipu, Piratininga, and Camboinhas sit on the other side of the hills and are a 30- to 50-minute bus ride away; staying there puts you near the sand but means relying on buses or taxis to reach the ferry and the city's main sights.

Getting around

• The ferry from Rio's Praça XV to Niterói is the cheapest and most scenic way to cross Guanabara Bay, taking 10 to 20 minutes depending on whether you take the slow or fast boat. It costs a fraction of what a taxi or ride-hail charges for the same crossing.
• On weekends the Linha Turismo hop-on bus runs from Praça Arariboia to the main attractions, including the Niemeyer-designed MAC museum and the historic forts, for a modest flat fare that covers the whole day.
• The Ponte Rio-Niterói bridge connects the two cities by road but is notorious for long traffic jams. If you are driving or taking a bus across, leave early in the morning or late at night to avoid spending hours in the queue.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest and easiest to book during the rainy winter months of June through August, when fewer tourists visit the beaches. Prices spike during the December-January summer holiday stretch and around Carnival in February or March, when domestic travelers flood the coastal neighborhoods.