We are arriving in Rio LATE at night and boarding a cruise ship the next afternoon (which will stay in port for another day) and are wondering where to stay. After a long day of travel, should we just stay at the airport and take a cab to the ship the next day . . . or is there a wonderful place to stay near where we would be boarding the ship, or downtown, or near the beach where it would be worth the travel time around midnight just to have a half day of fun. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Scratch that last post. We are now arriving at 8 AM in Rio and will stay TWO nights in a hotel. So that opens up the whole beach. Yipee! What's the best?

We stayed on Copacabana Beach at the Orla Copacabana and loved it. It is a reasonably priced hotel (don't ask me the exact cost - I don't remember) and the location was good. It's at the end of the beach closest to Ipanema Beach, so we were able to walk there and take in both beaches. You will LOVE Rio.

You asked what the best is and IMHO it is Caesar Park in Ipanema and the Copacabana Palace in Copacabana.

If money is no object ! Copacabana Palace is in the 1000 Places to See Before You Die book. So we walked through the lobby and out through the pool area. Think that counts ;-)?! We definitely could not have afforded to stay there, but it was lovely.

I have not been able to secure reservations at the Copacabana Palace for January 2007. Could it be they are sold out (because it's the week after New Year's) or that they just haven't opened up reservatons for 2007 yet.

Yes because if you are looking online its probably because they haven't opened up that time frame yet, try and find the hotels 800 number reservation and call them to see.

Hello "emckeeve" - I was hoping for your advice because I see that you took a trip very similar to what my husband and I are taking in June. We are going from Milan airport to Bellagio (will be in Bellagio for 4 days). In that time, we'd like to take a day trip to St. Moritz. Then we are going from Bellagio to Venice. So we are wondering if we should rent a car? How are the roads from Milan to Bellagio? Bellagio to Milan? Is a car useful when we are in Bellagio and touring the lakes? Is public transportation ultimately a better option? I'd love your input since it looks like you did a similar trip. Many thanks!