The Smart Visitor's Guide to Rio

After you’ve watched your favourites win or lose, there’s tonnes to do in Rio. But ensure you plan it smartly.

Nearly 2.9 million visitors came to Britain in June 2013, which was more than one visitor a second throughout the month. This was a 12 per cent increase from the previous year, when London hosted the summer Olympics. The direct impact of the Olympics on tourism has been investigated by brighter minds than this writer, and all agree that playing host to the Olympics is like inviting the world to your doorstep.

What has (probably) escaped the notice of these ‘tourism scholars’ is the fate of those who visit during the Olympics. Landing in a strange country whose language you don’t speak, and being unfamiliar with local customs, sensitivities, cuisines and roads can baffle the best of us. It becomes even more difficult when the guy next to you on the city bus is as bewildered as you are—and speaks a language of which you know only the swear words (thanks, Sopranos!).

A 21st century native shouldn’t fret too much about this, though. Google is your friend, go ahead and—google. Here are some travel hacks that will not only help you find a way to the nearest lavatory, but also serve as your language coach and local guide.

Apps First things first. All hacks will come to naught if you are forced to play charades every time you need to communicate. There are some apps—on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store—that help translate your thoughts on the go. Duolingo is likely the most used apps for learning or translating Portuguese, with more than a million installs. Other equally good apps include Babbel, and Learn Portuguese from AccelaStudy. In a foreign land, you may not have a flexible data plan. Try downloading the language pack from Google Translator for offline use. As they say in Portuguese, de nada. Go, Google it.