Pôrto Alegre (Porto Alegre) in Brazil

Be aware when walking around downtown, specifically on Rua dos Andradas (commonly known as Rua da Praia), during daylight, pickpockets may wander about.

The city is roughly a semi-circle that expanded outward in a concentric manner, beginning from the historical city center, right next to the promontory and the harbor. Avenues going from the center to the outer areas of the semi-circle are the radiais (radials) and are crossed by avenues named perimetrais (perimeters). Hence, to go to and from downtown will use mostly the former, whereas to go from om neighborhood to another, one uses the latter.

Buses

To understand the bus system, one must consider the above description. All lines are identified as prefix-number name/neighborhood. Currently, almost all lines are radial, that is, they connect an outer neighborhood to the various downtown terminals. Those lines have no prefix. It is quite common to change buses at downtown but, considering there is a myriad of lines there, it can be challenging to find the right terminal to hop on the next bus. Transversal lines (prefix T-T1, T2,. .., T11), connect different neighborhood without going through the downtown area, effectively eliminating the need of changing buses for the most common trips. Circular lines (prefix C-C1, C2, C3), as the name indicates, run in a circular manner, usually connecting parts of the downtown area to the near neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, it is very hard to find bus stops with indication of lines' destinations or timetables. Hence, when in doubt, the easiest way is to ask the locals which bus will get you to you destination. Porto Alegre's buses are, in most cases, clean, safe and fast, specially when the line uses the bus corridor, a reserved lane with special stops in main avenues, effectively avoiding traffic jams. In order to use the bus, you must be at a bus stop and signal or wave your hand to the arriving bus you want to ride (they will not stop unless waved upon!). Each trip has a fixed fare (currently R$ 2, 10), to be paid to the cobrador as you cross the turnstile inside the bus.

The bus system is scheduled to change into a smartcard-based system with discounts in consecutive trips in the first semester of 2008. A complete overhaul of the lines is also underway, and is expected to be done by 2011.

Lotação

The lotação is an alternative system, with fewer lines, smaller cars (up to 20 people), where one can hop on and off at any point (i.e. outside designated stops) of the trip. The fare is usually more expensive.

Taxis

There are plenty of taxis. They can be pricey, if compared to other towns, but they are also an easier, safer and more dependable option than buses in some cases. To ride a cab, one can walk to the nearest taxi stop (usually in crowded areas or points of interest), wave for an empty passing cab or call a tele-táxi service. Tele-táxi may charge extra for this service. The price of the fare is determined by a machine called taxímetro, usually in front of the passenger seat. There is always a minimum price, which is shown when the machine is reset for the trip. Next to the value, there is a flag indicator that shows the level of price being paid, always according to the service. Usually there is a table inside of the cab explaining each level of service. It is recommended to check if the correct level is being charged in the beggining of the trip, in order to avoid problems when you reach your destination.

Walking

Walking around is a reasonable idea only inside a given neighborhood or downtown, as opposed to from one neighborhood to another, as they are usually too far apart. Walking during the night in most parts of the city is outright dangerous. During the day, it is recommended to pay attention to your belongings at all times, due to activity of pickpockets and other thieves. Avoid parks at night. Porto Alegre is a dangerous city at global levels. Be advised that pedestrian crossings, most of the time, are completely ignored by the vast majority of drivers; never rely on them without looking or making sure the driver will stop. It is also not recommended to cross the street outside the proper crossing areas in traffic jams: motorbike riders usually split between stopped cars, causing a great risk to pedestrians.