Unless you are fluent in Portuguese or a VERY savvy traveler, it would be wise to book an escorted- or semi-escorted tour package. Semi-escorted tours can be booked for individual travelers and include escorted tansfers with a guide and all hotels and flights.
Have a guide wait for you upon arrival at the airport so that you can shun the many semi-legal - and illegal taxi drivers that approach you like hungry hyaenes. Brazil, this otherwise appealing country, can loose a lot of its appeal at that moment.
In Rio de Janeiro, a transfer with guide from the international airport to a beachfront hotel at the Copacabana is not inexpensive; a taxi is about half officially, but as a non-Brazilian the taxi driver may find excuses to charge you much more by only talking to you Portuguese.
A guide does not only pick you up, she/he speaks your language, you know her/his name and phone number before hand and the guide can give you an excellent initial orientation. A good tour operator would also give you an emergency phone number for your time in Brazil. Not only would they help you with problems with your tour package but certainly also in case of any other type of emergency.
Traveling to Brazil in a group can be fun and it is less expensive then traveling individually. If you choose to travel individually, you should still try to book your package through a Tour Operator who normally offers group tours. The volume they have generally allows them to offer individual packages at affordable prices, with the security of knowing someone is there to help you.
Don't travel on a tight budget! While official 3 to 5 star hotels offer much the same standard as in the rest of the world, cheaper hotels or youth hostels can be of the cockroach class. Therefore be careful with offers that say 999 US$ one week Rio de Janeiro including flights. This can, however, be a great deal if offered by an airline - which has an image to loose.
Travel documents for Brazil:
US, Canadian, Australian & NZ citizens need a visa, but it can be obtained by mail from your nearest Brazilian consulate. As with most international travel, you'll also require a valid passport. For more details visit the visa section of this website.
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Best travel time for Brazil:
It all depends on what you are expecting! Below is our short info, more more details on the Brazilian climate go here!
North of Rio de Janeiro the weather is always warm, and hot - December through March.
Rio de Janeiro itself can get cool in July. For a few days, the maximum temperature can fall below 20°C. The rainy season is January through March. This does not mean that it rains more often, the rain just brings more water!
São Paulo and the South are much like Southern Europe with the opposite seasons. A bit chilly indeed June through August (with a bit more rain) and quite hot and a bit humid in the Summer (January through March).
The Northeast, of which Salvador is the main city, is warm along the coast year round. Inland the differences between day and night are more accentuated. Hot during the day and cooler at night.
And the Amazon is tropical: Humid and up to 35°C warm, year around, more or less. There is never much time between rainshowers. But then again, those showers, although violent at times, are usually over after an hour.
A special word about the second most popular place in Brazil. When going to Ouro Preto bring a sweater. Due to the high altitude it often gets extremely cool at night, even after a very hot Summer day in January.
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Security-Question:
Is it dangerous to travel to Brazil? There's no easy answer!
Democracy has brought forward many changes. In places where a city regards tourism as serious business, policing has been heightened dramatically.
Ten years ago, group tourism to Brazil, in a manner similar to European tourism, did not exist.
Brazil is changing rapidly, however. It is unwise anywhere to leave valuables lying around or flaunt one's wealth, and the traveler generally does not venture far from the main stay (just as you would avoid certain parts of large U.S. cities.) Brazil can now be regarded as no less "safe" than any region where rich and poor meet. Just be discret!
Brazil is two countries that co-exist in the same geographical space:
On one hand, Brazil is a highly industrialized country, 12th in the world. Brazil is exporting technology to Japan with its mobile phone-hungry population, its economy is driven by the internet and in the cities, Brazilians get stuck in traffic in their large, snug SUVs on eight lane freeways.
On the other hand, a lot of people have to survive on less than 100 US$ per month. This is the third world face of Brazil.
It is only natural that some of the poor would like to redistribute the wealth, somehow.
As much as you know where the places are in your city which you would never go or take other people to, a good tour operator should know those places in Brazil as well. A good Tour Operator, however, also would not wish to hide anything from you. However, their tours and destinations would just steer clear of such dangers.
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Mosquitoes and all those tropical dangers?
GOOD tours steer clear of places, where the World Health Organization recommends - or the Brazilian Government requires - vaccinations.
However, we do recommend that if you are heading for the Amazon or for the Pantanal, that you get prophylactic Malaria medication (and take it, too!) If you are planning on exploring deeper into the rainforest or other unusual places in earnest on your own, please get advice from a specialized hospital or medical center.
If heading for the Amazon, try a lodge on the Rio Negro. The Rio Negro arm of the Amazon contains less nutrients for mosquitoes, and therefore attracts fewer!
Still, Brazil is a tropical country. Be prepared, bring or buy repellent and eat only in hygienic places. No fruits from the market unless you can peel it! official info on travel realted health concerns can be obtained from the World Health Organization!
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Is Brazil expensive?
Going out to a Brazilian restaurant is quite affordable. Generally, two people need order only one dish. That is plenty! Local drinks (beer, wine, cocktails, soft drinks, and bottled water) cost about half what they do in the U.S. Tap water is safe, but only because it contains a lot of disinfectants. For your tastebuds' sake, ordering water „aqua sem gas" (water without gas) is an inexpensive alternative.
One nice thing: there is no sales tax to pay. And tips in restaurants should not exceed 10%.
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Tipping
As just mentioned, restaurant tipping is about 10 %. Otherwise, where you would hand out one dollar, give one Real (that's about 35 cents). You need not tip taxi drivers.
It is customary to tip highly trained, bilingual tour directors about US$3 to $5 per person per day, and your coach or car driver about US$2-$3.
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Language problems?
Yes, but no communication problems. Brazilians are very helpful; they love to practice the little English they know. But do not expect everyone to speak English fluently. Use body language! In larger cities, everybody knows someone who speaks a bit of English, at least. In the more remote areas, Portuguese is best. Spanish, with a bit of patience, is often understood.
Good hotels usually carry at least one TV-channel is English (CNN). Many movies and programs on television, such as Seinfeld or Frasier, are in English with Portuguese subtitles.
Just learn the two magic words:
1. Please: Por favor (easy, isn´t it!) and
2. Thank you: Obrigado (if you are a man) or Obrigada (if you are a women). It will get you a lot of friendly smiles!
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What kind of money do I need?
You need the Brazilian Real. The Real is pronounced hey-ow, the plural of Real is Reais (hey-ice!).) Get the Real upon arrival in an official money exchange office or use ATMs also located in the international airports. You can never pay for your purchases in US$! The black market for dollars has virtually disappeared. Bring traveler checks and your credit card/bank card with its PIN code stored in your memory only. ATM's are ubiquitous (almost everywhere!).
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Brazil Airpass FAQ's Please read the information below to learn about the limitations of the various Brazil Airpasses:
Q: Can I buy a Brazil Airpass in Brazil?
A: No, Airpasses may only be purchased outside of Brazil in conjunction with Brazil-bound international tickets.
Q: Does one airpass cover my whole family?
A: No, each person must purchase an own airpass.
Q: I am not in the United States. Where can I buy airpasses?
A: Airpasses are available directly from Varig, TAM and Transbrasil in your country.
Q: Can airline employees flying on free space purchase airpasses?
A: No, unfortunately not.
Q: Is the airpass valid on all Brazilian carriers?
A: No, only on the airline issuing the airpass. Varig Airlines allows flights on their affiliate regional carriers RioSul and Nordeste.
Q: Are airpasses refundable?
A: Unused airpasses are fully refundable less handling fees. Partially used airpasses are nonrefundable.
Q: Is the Brazil airpass valid outside of Brazil?
A: Only the Mercosur pass is available outside of Brazil.
Q: Is there a discount for children?
A: No discounts are provided for children using the Brazil airpass.
Q: Are my flights prebooked or am I flying standby?
A: You must schedule your flights when purchasing the airpass, and booked seats are guaranteed. Once ticketed, there will be a penalty fee for changes.
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Carnival, Reveillon and other big events
The world focuses on Brazil for certain events - Brazilian Carnival, Reveillon (New Year's) and other big events. The travel news about this is first of all that it is very expensive for a tourist to go to Brazil during carnival times!
In Rio's Copacabana district, hotels have been booked 100% over carnival for as long as hotel managers can remember...therefore hotels charge about 4 times as much as what they are usually charge AND they require minimum stays of 4 to 5 nights.
A room in a three star hotel for four nights easily can be 1000 USD per room. Additionally, the hotels require a fully non-refundable deposit... It is still worth it...? Certainly, but one should be prepared.
This rule basically applies to all Brazilian cities with a well-knowned Carnival to speak of and other events, most notably New Years or "reveillon", as Brazilians call it.
Needless to say, flights fill up fast, so book early!
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More questions and HOW TO FIND A RELIABLE TOUR OPERATOR TO BRAZIL
The quality and trustworthyness of a Tour Operator becomes obvious through the speed and exactness of answering your questions. If you wait for more then 48 hours for a reply, then you know that in an emergency that agency may not be fast enough to help you efficiently. How to find a decent tour operator to Brazil? This is an information site, therefore we can not recommend a specific tour operator: Just go into your usual search engine and try "escorted tours Brazil" That should lead you to all the choices you as a customer are entitled to.
Should you have more questions about travel in Brazil, please send us an email. We'll make every effort to reply within 48 hours.
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