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How to plan a trip to Brazil?

Brazil holiday tips

Before you decide what you want to do while in Brazil, it may be useful to find out more about your options. We've subdivided Brazil into three parts: the south, the country's interior and the coastal region. The routes offered on our site are the result of a careful combination of travel experiences involving nature, culture and relaxation. You'll also get a pretty good idea of your options if you take a peek at our Brazil holidays: this page is a summary of our customers' most frequently requested Brazil travel itineraries.

Coming from the UK, there are several Brazilian cities you can fly into:

Starting out in Rio de Janeiro, starting point for most travellers, your possible route is:
Begin in the SOUTH: Paraty (Costa Verde) or Ouro Preto (Minais Gerais) --> Foz do Iguazu
Then continue on INLAND: Foz --> Pantanal or (via Brasilia) The Amazon (Manaus)
Finally travel to the COAST: Pantanal or Amazon --> Salvador (Praia de Forte, Tinhare) or Recife (Porto Galinhas)

Starting out in Salvador, capital of tropical Bahia, your possible route is:
Begin with the COAST: Praia do Forte/ Iticimirim (north of Salvador) or Morro St Paulo (Tinharé Island, south of Salvador) or combine with Lencois --> Pantanal (Cuiaba) or Amazon (Manaus)
Then continue on INLAND: Pantanal or Manaus (Amazon) --> Foz do Iguazu;
Finally travel SOUTH: Foz do Iguazu --> Paraty (Costa Verde) or Ouro Preto (Minais Gerais) --> Rio

Starting out in Recife/ Olinda, on the tropical northeastern coastline, your possible route is:
Begin with the COAST: Porto Galinhas (south of Recife) or self-drive to Salvador --> Pantanal (Cuiaba) or Amazon (Manaus)
Then continue on INLAND: Pantanal or Manaus (Amazon) --> Foz do Iguazu,
Finally travel SOUTH: Foz do Iguazu --> Paraty (Costa Verde) or Ouro Preto (Minais Gerais) --> Rio

Click here for a map of Brazil

Naturally you can also choose to start off your Brazil itinerary in other Brazilian cities. If you fly to Brazil on a charter flight, you might arrive in Natal, Fortaleza or Porto Seguro. For more ideas, check out our Brazil tours.

Brazil holiday tips - Domestic flights in Brazil

Brazil holiday tips - Domestic transport

There's no way to avoid it... during your Brazil trip you'll have to travel quite a few kilometres to get from one place to another. Luckily most of the distance can be covered by taking a quick domestic flight from one location to the next.

A few routes do however need to be travelled by land. Routes such as Salvador - Lencois, Rio - Ouro Preto and Rio - Sao Paulo can easily be travelled by bus. If you're coming from Salvador, Recife or Belo Horizonte, you can even check out our entirely pre-arranged self-drive holidays with Brazil car hire.

Click here for our web page with more information on Brazil transport.

Brazil holiday tips - Local transfers

Most transfers, either by taxi or minibus (from airport to hotel, from hotel to bus station), are already included in your Brazil trip. If a transfer is included, you'll read more about it in the daily programme for that particular trip. We will make reservations for transfers for you if it's more affordable and efficient to do so through us. Transfers that are cheaper or easier when arranged on location are left up to you to arrange. This is usually the case for transfers from your hotel to the airport; it's just as easy and affordable to arrange your own taxi cab on the spot. The advantage of travelling this way is that you won't have to waste time waiting around for transport. You'll have more freedom if some things are left unorganised. Naturally we'll provide you with information regarding prices and the type of transfers you can arrange on the spot.

Brazil holiday tips - Local assistance

You will notice that very little English is spoken in Brazil. English is generally spoken in the major tourist destinations (although you may even get a few blank stares in some 5 star hotels), however as soon as you travel further inland or along the northeast coast there are far fewer people who speak English. Knowing some Spanish might come in handy, but you may also want to bring along a Portuguese pocket dictionary. An English-speaking guide will accompany you on excursions when necessary. If an English-speaking guide is included during an excursion, you'll read about this in the daily programme description. English-speaking drivers aren't a necessity during transfers or short trips; a Portuguese driver/ guide will take you where you need to be.

Brazil holiday tips - Our local representative(s)

Our partner in Brazil is based in Recife. Since Brazil is such a large country, they have local English-speaking representatives in all major towns/ cities on our routes. He/ she will be waiting for you at the airport when you fly in from the UK and will provide you with all the necessary information and vouchers for your hotels/ tours. The travel documents you receive from us prior to departure will contain the addresses and telephone numbers for these local agents/ representatives. There's also a 24 hour emergency telephone number you can call in case of an emergency.

Other Brazil holiday tips

Our travel specialists have travelled throughout Brazil and know all about the country's hidden gems. They look forward to helping you plan your trip and can give you advice regarding Brazil's climate for instance. Check out our Brazil travel specialists who's who page to find out more about us and our Brazil holiday tips. If you would like to have a chat to help you plan your trip, give us a call at 01273 322 381 or send us an e-mail at info@braziltravelplan.co.uk.

We hope you enjoy your Brazil trip!

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