Brazil
Getting there
BY AIR:
The main international airports in Brazil are Rio's
Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International (GIG) and
São Paulo’s Guarulhos International (GRU).
There are also some international services to smaller airports,
normally via Portugal.
Anyone wishing to visit Brazil over Christmas, New Year or
Carnaval should book flights well in advance - services at
these times get very busy.
From the UK:
British Airways flies from London Heathrow
direct to Rio (departing early afternoon and returning overnight)
and to São Paulo (overnight). Both flights take around 12
hours. TAM also flies from London
Heathrow to São Paulo (generally overnight) and to Rio
(either direct or with a touch down in São Paulo).
Alternatively, fly via Madrid with Iberia
or via Lisbon with TAP Portugal.
From elsewhere in Europe:
Air France,
Alitalia,
Iberia, KLM,
Lufthansa,
Swiss, TAM
and TAP Portugal all offer scheduled
services between Europe and Rio and São Paulo.
TAP Portugal also has flights from Lisbon
to Recife, Natal, Salvador, Brasilia, Porto Alegre and Belo
Horizonte.
From the USA and Canada:
From the US, you can fly to Rio and São Paulo with
American Airlines (from Dallas/Fort Worth,
Miami and New York JFK), Continental
(from Houston and Newark), United
Airlines (from Washington Dulles and Chicago O'Hare) and
TAM (from Miami, Orlando and New
York JFK).
Air Canada flies between Toronto
Pearson and São Paulo; for other destinations in Brazil
you'll need to change planes in the US.
back to topGetting Around
BY AIR:
The fastest and most effective way of getting around Brazil is by
air. The main national carriers, both of which have an extensive
route network, are TAM and the
low-cost airline GOL; there are also many
flights with smaller airlines such as
TRIP Lineas Aereas. If you plan on
taking several internal flights consider buying a domestic air pass
- these can often be purchased in conjunction with your
international flights.
São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are the main hubs; bear in mind
that most internal flights in and out of these cities use the
domestic airports, São Paulo Congonhas (CGH) and
Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SDU), rather than the
international airports. Other hubs in Brazil include Porto Alegre
(POA) and Curitiba (CWB) in the south; Brasília (BSB) in the
central west; and Salvador (SSA), Recife (REC) and Fortaleza (FOR)
in the north east.
BY BUS:
Brazil's bus system is generally excellent and the vehicles are
equipped for long-distance travel. All major cities are linked by
frequent buses. Always travel first class because the difference in
ticket price between first and second class is nominal, while the
difference in comfort level is significant. First class provides
luxury coaches with ample reclining seats, foot rests, air
conditioning and bathroom facilities on board. For departure and
fare information for major routes check out
TransPortal.
BY CAR:
This is the most convenient way to get around. We hired our own car
and enjoyed it, however finding your way around the large cities
can be a bit daunting at first, and you do need to watch out for
potholes, even on the main motorways. For car hire we recommend
Holiday Autos,
which offers very competitive prices. Cars can be picked up from
the main airports or downtown in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo
etc.
If you prefer not to self-drive, most of the hotels featured on
i-escape can also arrange private transfers.
BY TRAIN:
Brazil's passenger train services are now almost non-existent. A
couple of steam trains still run, including the picturesque 13km
ride from São João del Rei to Tiradentes in Minas
Gerais. The Curitiba-Paranagua journey is a spectacular 11km train
ride through the mountains.
When To Go
Brazil's seasons are the opposite of those in the northern
hemisphere: summer is December to March, autumn is April and May,
winter is June to September, and spring is October and
November.
Within the country the climate varies considerably from region to
region.
The south east (Rio, Costa Verde, Búzios, Ouro Preto,
São Paulo) is warm all year round, but is generally a
little cooler (mid 20Cs) and drier from May to September, and
hotter (high 30Cs) with heavier rain and higher humidity from
November to March. In Ouro Preto and Tiradentes it gets much colder
in autumn/winter, with temperatures sometimes dropping to 5C.
Further south (Santa Catarina, Curitiba), it gets colder
with temperatures similar to those in Northern Europe.
The north east (Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza) is warm all
year (26-34C), but wettest from March to August.
The Pantanal has its dry season from July to October, when
it's relatively cool. December to March is the rainy season
(wettest in February), when the area floods, much of the wildlife
leaves and temperatures can reach the low 40Cs.
The Amazon sees the least rainfall in October, though it
stays hot (35C) and humid throughout the year. December to May are
the wettest months.
HOLIDAYS
From the first week in December until the end of Carnaval
it's the summer school holidays and high season - so best to avoid
if you don't want crowds and higher prices. As well as the national
public holidays listed below, individual states and cities also
have their own separate holidays - 20 January, for example, is a
holiday in the city of Rio de Janeiro, but not the state, and 25
January is a holiday in the city of São Paulo.
1 January: New Year's Day
6 February:Cinzas
February/March:Carnaval (exact dates vary)
March/April: Easter (exact dates vary)
21 April: Tiradentes Day
1 May: Labour Day
22 May: Corpus Christi
7 September: Independence Day
12 October: Nossa Senhora de Aparecida
2 November: Remembrance Day
15 November: Republic Proclamation Day
25 December: Christmas Day
31 December: New Year's Eve
Visas/Entry Requirements
A valid passport with an expiry date at least 6 months after the
date of return from Brazil is required.
Nationals of the following countries do not need a visa to travel
to Brazil for tourism: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas,
Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark,
Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia,
Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, The Netherlands, Norway, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, San Marino,
Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Malta, Spain, Suriname,
Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, United
Kingdom, Uruguay, The Vatican and Venezuela.
A tourist visa is needed for citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia
and Japan. All American passengers arriving at a Brazilian airport
will be subject to photographing and fingerprinting in a
tit-for-tat move meant to respond to a similar US programme.
back to topOther Essentials
HEALTH
Vaccinations
Vaccinations for Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A are
advisable, and Yellow Fever vaccinations are recommended for those
visiting the states of Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Distrito
Federal, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso do Sul,
Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. Please note
that yellow fever vaccinations take approximately 10 days to become
effective.
An international certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever is
compulsory for travellers who, within the 3 months prior to their
arrival in Brazil, have visited or been in transit through any of
the following countries: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso,
Cameroon, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador,
French Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia,
Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela and Zaire.
An international certificate of vaccination against Polio is
compulsory for children aged between 3 months and 6 years.
If there's any doubt about the need for vaccinations, please
contact the Brazilian Consulate General.
Malaria:
If you're visiting the Pantanal or Amazonia you'll need to take a
course of malaria tablets and use repellent to reduce the number of
mosquito bites. Anti-malarials may also be required for the area
around the Iguaçu Falls - consult your doctor.
Other Precautions
Make sure you drink plenty of liquids and especially water. Use
bottled water and make sure that the seal on the bottle hasn't been
broken. Use sunblock to protect your skin against the strong
tropical sun.
See Travel Health Advice
for general advice for travellers going abroad from the UK.
back to topNeed more Info
Brazilian Consulate General
6 St Alban's Street
London SW1Y 4SQ
Tel: (020) 7930 9055
Fax: (020) 7839 8958
Email: visa@cgbrasil.org.uk