Rental cars in Santa Cruz from $43

If your trip to Santa Cruz is all booked but your itinerary is a bit on the empty side, we can give you a helping hand.There’s nothing like a little insider knowledge when it comes to attractions and experiences. Book your rental car with CarRentals.com, check in with the locals about what’s good and then step on the gas!

Journey out of Santa Cruz and see something new. Jardim Guandu is popular with travelers, so swing by and discover some of its best sights. It’s only 9 miles away, so you barely have an excuse to miss it!

Fill the gas tank, turn on the engine and get ready to feel the sea breeze on your skin. Santa Cruz boasts some gorgeous stretches of coast, such as:

• Sepetiba Beach (4 miles away).
• Praia da Brisa (5 miles away).
• Coroa Grande Beach (10 miles away).

Get ready for your next adventure in Santa Cruz. Which car you decide on depends on what kind of vacation you have in mind. If you’re heading there on your own, why not opt for a compact or a mini? They’re cheap to run and easy to park. If you’re traveling with a few friends, book an intermediate or a standard car. They offer more legroom and space for everyone’s suitcases.

Sometimes it’s all about the journey, which makes your car choice important. If you’re about to embark on an epic road trip around Santa Cruz, a spacious SUV could be your perfect match. If you’d like the cheapest price possible and plan to stick to city driving, an economy car is hard to beat. All you need to do is work out what’s going to be the best fit, round up the troops, and start clocking up those miles.

Big cities mean loads of traffic, and Rio de Janeiro and its neighborhoods like Santa Cruz are no exception. You should be prepared for peak-hour traffic in the city center and along major roads.

It’s relatively easy to find a car space in Santa Cruz, though you might find it hard to secure a spot in the biggest and busiest streets. Staying at a hotel that offers on-site parking is a wise idea.

Like the rest of the city of Rio de Janeiro, the neighborhood of Santa Cruz has speed limits ranging from 30km/h to 110km/h. In residential areas, you usually won’t be able to travel faster than 30km/h.

More often than not, your rental car company will bill the amount listed on the fine to your credit card, including local surcharges. Alternatively, they may provide your contact details to the relevant local authority, who’ll then issue a fine to your postal address.

Seat belts should always be fastened in Rio de Janeiro. That being said, the rules may differ for certain vehicles, such as those operated by public transportation systems.

As long as you have hands-free functions like Bluetooth enabled, it’s fine to use your phone while operating a vehicle in Santa Cruz. Just make sure you keep your eyes on the road.

The legal BAC (blood alcohol content) limit when driving in Santa Cruz is 0.02%. If a big night is on the cards, leave your rental car behind and organize a different way of getting home instead.

Turning on a red light isn’t permitted in Santa Cruz. Always be on the alert for traffic signs and lights to ensure you don’t breach any road rules.