Getting There & Away
There are frequent flights to Rio from all major cities in South America and from a number of major airports in the USA and Europe. Other gateway airports in Brazil include São Paulo, Recife and Manaus, in the middle of the Amazon basin. Varig, Brazil's national airline, flies to many major cities in the world. For international flights, the departure tax is a 36.00, but this is often included in the ticket cost.
Brazil has land borders with every other country in South America, with the exception of Ecuador and Chile, so while some travellers may bus in from Uruguay or Argentina in the south, others arrive via the trem da morte (death train) - named after the fate that befalls many who hitch a ride on the train's roof - from Bolivia. By river, many travellers take a slow boat along the Amazon from Iquitos in Peru or into the Pantanal via the Rio Paraguay from Asunción, Paraguay.
Getting Around Brazil
Travel by Bus:
Being such a large country, travelling around Brazil takes time. The bus stations are called Rodoviárias, and you'll find busses going to just about everywhere around the clock. Some of the long distance sleepers are quite luxurious (leitos), but you'll pay more to travel in less cramped conditions on seats that stretch out to perform like beds. Most seats on the busses need to be reserved.
Travel by Boat:
Travel by boat down the Amazon is easy from Manaus. Just turn up at the quay for schedules of the boats. Three to five days sleeping in hammocks on the deck is fun, but the rice and fish can get monotonous, so bring a bag of goodies to cheer you up. Some of the boats have bars, and quite a party can be had if you meet up with a good crowd.
Travel by Air:
If time is limited and your budget extends to it, you may consider covering the large distances by air.
Airlines and Airports:
Many international airlines fly to Brazil.
Brazilian Airpass:
The Brazilian Air Pass is an economical way to travel within the country. It's only available to foreigners and Brazilians living abroad and is offered by VARIG Airlines, TransBrasil, TAM and VASP Airlines.
Mercosur Air Pass:
The Mercosur Air Pass is an economical way to travel between Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is priced by air miles travelled and is available to anyone arriving from outside South America. Minimum of 2 countries and maximum of 4. Minimum of 2 stop-overs and maximum of 8. Minimum period is 7 days and maximum is 30.
Brazilian Airlines:
Pantanal Linhas Aereas:
As the name suggests, this airline operates primarily in the Sao Paolo and the Pantanal region.
Passaredo:
Serving destinations within Brazil.
TAM Brazilian Airlines:
Sao Paolo is the hub city. TAM fly throughout Brazil, to neighbouring Paraguay and Miami. (In Portuguese).
VARIG:
Brazil's number one airline.
Flight time between different cities within Brazil
Considering the size of the country, the best way to travel throughout Brazil is by air. Flying domestically can be quite expensive. However foreign visitors can travel economically by purchasing air passes from Tam Airlines or Varig prior to arriving in Brazil. Compared to domestic air travel available in Brazil, air passes are an excellent value.
| From |
To |
Hours |
| Aracaju |
Maceió |
0:50 |
| Aracaju |
Recife |
0:50 |
| Aracaju |
Salvador |
0:40 |
| Belém |
Fortaleza |
2:50 |
| Belém |
Macapá |
0:50 |
| Belém |
Manaus |
1:00 |
| Belém |
São Luis |
1:00 |
| Belo |
Horizonte Goiânia |
1:20 |
| Belo Horizonte |
Juiz de Fora |
0:50 |
| Belo Horizonte |
Vitória |
0:45 |
| Brasilia |
Belém |
2:20 |
| Brasilia |
Belo Horizonte |
1:10 |
| Brasilia |
Cuiabá |
0:30 |
| Brasilia |
Curitiba |
1:55 |
| Brasilia |
Fortaleza |
2:30 |
| Brasilia |
Goiânia |
0:40 |
| Brasilia |
Manaus |
2:45 |
| Brasilia |
Recife |
2:20 |
| Brasilia |
Salvador |
1:55 |
| Campo Grande |
Londrina |
1:50 |
| Cuiabá |
Campo Grande |
1:15 |
| Cuiabá |
Goiânia |
2:25 |
| Cuiabá |
Rio Branco |
1:40 |
| Curitiba |
Florianapólis |
0:45 |
| Curitiba |
Foz do Iguaçu |
1:05 |
| Curitiba |
Porto Alegre |
1:10 |
| Fortaleza |
Natal |
0:55 |
| Fortaleza |
Salvador |
1:40 |
| João Pessoa |
Natal |
0:35 |
| Manaus |
Boa Vista |
1:30 |
| Manaus |
Parintins |
0:55 |
| Manaus |
Porto Velho |
1:20 |
| Natal |
Maceió |
1:00 |
| Porto Alegre |
Florianapólis |
0:50 |
| Porto Alegre |
Foz do Iguaçu |
1:30 |
| Recife |
Fernando de Noronha |
1:25 |
| Recife |
Fortaleza |
1:10 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Belém |
3:35 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Belo Horizonte |
0:50 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Brasilia |
1:30 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Curitiba |
1:35 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Florianapólis |
2:30 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Fortaleza |
3:00 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Maceió |
2:40 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Manaus |
3:00 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Natal |
3:00 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Porto Alegre |
2:00 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Recife |
2:45 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Salvador |
1:50 |
| Salvador |
Vitória |
1:00 |
| Salvador |
Ilhéus |
0:40 |
| Salvador |
Maceió |
1:00 |
| São Paulo |
Recife |
3:00 |
| São Paulo |
Belo Horizonte |
1:00 |
| São Paulo |
Brasilia |
1:35 |
| São Paulo |
Cuiabá |
2:45 |
| São Paulo |
Curitiba |
0:50 |
| São Paulo |
Florianapólis |
1:00 |
| São Paulo |
Foz do Iguaçu |
1:30 |
| São Paulo |
Goiânia |
1:30 |
| São Paulo |
Manaus |
2:55 |
| São Paulo |
Porto Alegre |
1:35 |
| São Paulo |
Recife |
3:00 |
| São Paulo |
Rio de Janeiro |
0:45 |
| São Paulo |
Salvador |
2:15 |
