He has already arrived with everything! Now, to ensure the paths open in early 2026, attention to detail is necessary. For those who spent New Year’s Eve in Copacabana — a lot of people, an estimated 2.6 million — it’s a good idea to take this advice seriously when planning your departure from the site of the largest New Year’s Eve party on the planet, as recognized by Guinness World Records. The main way to get out of the neighborhood is public transport: metros, trains and buses benefit from special operating conditions to serve the public. Check out the details below so you don’t end up on the trail.
- Guinness World Records: Rio wins title for world’s biggest New Year’s Eve
- CLICK HERE AND SEE ON THE NITERÓI CRIME MAP WHAT THEFTS LOOK LIKE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Return home by metro
After midnight, boarding will be done exclusively using the return bracelet, given to the passenger en route to the event. There is no fixed return time: boarding is free between 0 a.m. and 5 a.m., provided that the user wears the bracelet.
The stations open for boarding after the fireworks are:
- Cardinal Arcoverde/Copacabana
- Siqueira Campos/Copacabana
- Cantagalo/Copacabana
- General Osório/Ipanema
- Jardim Oceanico/Barra da Tijuca
The other stations will only be open for disembarkation. The concessionaire recommends that passengers favor the Siqueira Campos station, which generally has greater throughput capacity. Traditional cards such as Riocard Mais, Jaé, Giro, single ticket and contactless payment will no longer be accepted from 7 p.m. on the 31st and will only take effect at 7 a.m. on January 1st.
Return by bus: concentrated departure to Botafogo
For those opting for buses, departures from Copacabana will be concentrated at the Enseada de Botafogo terminal, which will operate from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. From 9 p.m. there will be no more boarding of buses in Copacabana.
Between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., passengers must walk to Botafogo to board buses, organized by line groups, with destinations to the North Zone, Center and Greater Tijuca, Ilha do Governador, West Zone and Southwest Zone, Baixada Fluminense, Leste Fluminense and the Serrana region. There will also be intercity lines to municipalities such as Niterói, São Gonçalo, Maricá, Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, São João de Meriti and Petrópolis, with departures scheduled throughout the morning.
From 7 p.m., traffic will be closed to private vehicles in Copacabana, with only regular buses and taxis allowed access.
Between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., 24 municipal lines and 11 intercity lines will run in a special way in Copacabana to take passengers to the New Year’s Eve stages. The lines will run along Avenida Prado Júnior, Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, with a disembarkation at Avenida Princesa Isabel. The buses will be marked “New Year’s Eve Copacabana”.
At 9 p.m., the special operation begins at the Enseada de Botafogo terminal, with the total closure of roads in the area, including for buses and taxis. Terminal operations are expected to close at 5 a.m., with the gradual reopening of closed roads, except in the Avenida Atlântica recreational area.
Municipal bus lines departing from Terminal Enseada de Botafogo:
- 232 Linen of Vasconcelos
- 238 Holy water
- 265 Marshal Hermes
- 298 Mites
- 312 Penha (via Olaria)
- 355 Madureira
- 399 Pavuna Metro
- 457 Abolition
- 474 Méier (via Jacaré)
- 483 Penha
- Governor’s Island
- 324 Ribeira
- 328 Banana
- 169 Terminal Gentileza (via Central)
- 410 Saens Pena
- West Zone and South-West Zone
- 363 Vila Valqueire
- 368 Riocentro
- 383 Realengo
- 388 Césarão (via Santa Cruz)
- 393 Bangu
- 397 Terminal Campo Grande
West Zone and South-West Zone (Botafogo Beach)
- 550 City of God
- 553 Récréio dos Bandeirantes
- 554 Vargem Grande
- 2338 Campo Grande (via Magarça)
Intercity lines departing from the Enseada terminal in Botafogo
- 740D – Charitas (Niterói): departures at 12:15 a.m., 1:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
- 775D – Charitas (Niterói): departures at 5 a.m.
- 2740D – Charitas (Niterói): departures at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.
- 9721D – Santa Izabel (São Gonçalo): 1h, 2h, 3h, 4h and 5h
- 4110D – São Gonçalo: 12:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- 2146D – Maricá: departures: 00:00, 2:00 and 4:00
- 2125C – Magé: departures at 1 a.m., 2:40 a.m. and 5 a.m.
- 2951C – Duque de Caxias: 1h to 5h (30 minute break)
- 1955B – Nova Iguaçu: departures from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. (30-minute interval) and from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. (90-minute interval)
- 1512B – Coelho da Rocha (São João de Meriti): departures from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. (30-minute break) and from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. (90-minute break)
- Petrópolis: departures: 1 hour, 1 hour 30 minutes, 2 hours 30 minutes and 5 hours
Return by train: Central do Brasil reopens after the New Year
For those using SuperVia, Brazil Central Station closes at 9:15 p.m. on the 31st and reopens at 12:20 a.m. on January 1st. The intervals will be:
- Until 2 a.m.: trains every 17 minutes
- After 2 hours: trains every 1 hour
On the 31st from 9 p.m., all access to Copacabana will be completely blocked to vehicles, including private cars, buses and vans. Until this date, only regular buses and taxis are allowed to access it.
Access to the neighborhood is scheduled to open at 5 a.m. on the 1st, but Avenida Atlântica will remain closed for part of the morning. Parking will be prohibited on dozens of roads from the 30th and the town hall recommends not trying to leave the region by car in the early morning.
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