Brazil travel information
Practical information Passport/ visa information Currency Safety Transport in Brazil Useful tips |
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Average pricesCoffee, tea & sodas: £0.60, fruit juice, beer & wine: £1.00, Caipirinha: £1.30, appetiser: £3.00, main course: £10.00 to £13.00 fresh fish etc., dessert: £1.20
Tap water is not suitable for drinking, so we recommend bottled water, 'com gãs' with bubbles or 'sem gãs' without bubbles. Make sure the bottle is properly sealed when you buy it and drink plenty of water during your trip. |
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Passport/ Visa InformationIf you have a UK passport, you will not need a visa to enter Brazil. However, your passport must be valid for at least six months, you must have a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds may be requested on arrival. You'll be allowed to stay up to 30 days; 90 days upon request at customs. If you plan on travelling to other Latin American countries before continuing on to Brazil, you must be able to present proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever. For more Brazil travel information regarding UK passports go to www.ukpa.gov.uk. If you do not have a British passport, but instead have a passport issued by another country, check with the embassy or consulate to find out what the visa arrangements are between that country and Brazil. |
Important Brazil travel information for those flying via the USASince January 12, 2009 you will need a visa waiver when travelling to Brazil via the USA. You can request a visa waiver at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. It will take you about 15 minutes to complete the necessary form and we recommend that you do this at least 2 weeks prior to departure. It's very important that you do so because without an approved visa waiver you may be denied boarding on your flight(s). You will receive notice from the site when the visa waiver has been approved. |
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| Travellers checks can be cashed at banks, however it´s time consuming, commissions are steep and you won't receive the best exchange rates. You can also exchange money at small street offices, Casas de Cambio. Be careful though: bring along your own calculator to make sure receive the right amount. Euros are also accepted in larger cities, but you won't receive the best exchange rate. Use small change to pay small amounts whenever possible and keep larger bills for places that accept them. Often you'll notice that if you try to pay with a large bill, there won't be enough change on hand for you... so it's best to have small bank notes whenever possible. Service fees are included in the price of your meal at more expensive restaurants. Tipping is expected at more affordable restaurants; however it doesn't hurt to round off. There's no need to tip taxi drivers, just agree on a fair price beforehand. After a trek its customary to give a tip to your guide/ porter/ cook etc. |
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Transport in BrazilWhen looking through your options for travelling through Brazil, you'll soon discover that many distances are too large to cover by land. The most obvious choice of transport for city-to-city travel is a domestic flight.Brazil has very high quality flight options; domestic flights can be booked in advance from within the UK. If you plan on going on booking several domestic flights, an Air Pass is the most affordable option. For more Brazil travel information on air passes and their terms & conditions check out our web page: Flights to Brazil. |
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Buses The best means of transport on land is the bus, especially since trains aren't very common in Brazil. There are two types of buses: long distance buses 'executivo' buses, and regular buses known as 'convencional' buses. The long distance buses run on schedule and are comfortable, clean and equipped with adjustable seats, air conditioning, toilet and television to make your journey as pleasant as possible. You basically get the same service you would in an airplane. A regular bus or convencional is used for travel between Salvador to Lencois during our Chapada Diamantina tour across the Diamond Canyon trail. They are less luxurious, but have toilets on board. We make reservations for you prior to your arrival in Brazil. This is necessary because buses often only run several times a day and fill up quickly. Bus stations are very well guarded. There are police officers there as well as an Brazil travel information desk. Platforms can only be accessed with a ticket. |
Average distances in hours in Brazil:
Rio de Janeiro - Ouro Preto | 7 hours | Cuiaba - Pantanal fazendas | 2 hours |
| Rio - Angra dos Reis, Ilha Grande | 3 hours | Campo Grande - Pantanal ranches | 4 hours |
| Rio - Paraty | 4 hours | Manaus - jungle lodge | 3 hours by boat |
| Rio - Sao Paulo | 7 hours | Olinda - Recife | 20 minutes |
| Salvador - Lencois, Chapada Diamantina | 6 hours | Recife - Porto Galinhas | 1 hour |
| Salvador - Itacimirim/ Praia do Forte | 1 hour |
Car hire and taxi cabsRental car reservations are made for routes that are best driven in your own car. An example would be the road between Salvador and Recife during our Porto Galinhas Brazil tour, roads in Southern Pantanal during our Brazil self drive tour and the road between Rio and Belo Horizonte during our Brazil colonial cities tour. The roads in these areas are paved and generally well maintained. You'll receive all the necessary Brazil travel information before you start driving.Taxi cabsMost taxi cabs in Brazil do not have a metre; the amount you have to pay for a ride is posted on the rear window. Check for it before you drive off. If the taxi cab has a metre, ask the driver to turn it on. Airport taxi cabs and taxi cabs in front of large hotels always charge more than usual. Walk a block or so and you'll generally get a cheaper ride. Radio taxi cabs are more luxurious than ordinary taxis and have air conditioning. Many city taxis can hardly fit suitcases. They are generally placed in the front seat, next to the driver. These taxi cabs can only seat two passengers. |
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Other Brazil travel informationWhat to pack?- Luggage that can be locked and that can stand rough handling, 20kg- Lightweight cotton clothing, long sleeves and long trousers for the jungle, less casual attire for the cities since Brazilians are very fashion forward, well worn-in open shoes, closed shoes for the jungle and in the Pantanal, hat - DEET mosquito repellent, aspirin, diarrhoea pills and plasters - Sunscreen with the right protection factor for your skin - Binoculars - Torch - Ear plugs - Camera - Debit card and credit card |
Valuable documents
Keep valuable documents in a money belt under your clothing. Before you leave the UK to go on holiday in Brazil, scan a copy of your passport, ticket and any other valuable Brazil travel information and send it to your own web-based e-mail account. If you lose your travel documents, you'll always have copies in your mailbox!Tipping
Most hotels and restaurants already add a 10% service charge to your bill. Other than that you should only tip when you want to. 1 Real is the minimum amount you should tip.Haggling
Of course you can try to get vendors to drop their prices slightly at stalls and on markets. However, keep in mind that the products you purchase are often part of a family's livelihood. If a vendor is willing to negotiate, it usually means that the income is sorely needed. So pushing for the lowest price you can get isn't always fair. A good rule of thumb is; decide what a product is worth to you and what you are willingto pay for it, before you start haggling. That way if you and the vendor reach an agreement, you can both be pleased with the outcome!Follow Rickshaw Travel and be inspired...
