Brazil Travel Guide

Social Conventions

In informal situations, it is common to kiss women on both cheeks when meeting and taking one's leave. Handshaking is customary between men, and normal European courtesies are observed. Frequent offers of coffee and tea are customary. Flowers are acceptable as a gift on arrival or following a visit for a meal. A souvenir from the visitor's home country will be well-received as a gift of appreciation. Casual wear is normal, particularly during hot weather.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

Following Varig's bankruptcy, the main national airlines are TAM (JJ) (www.tam.com.br) and Gol (G3) (www.voegol.com.br).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Brasilia International (BSB) is 12km (7 miles) south of the city. To/from the airport: Buses run regularly to the city center (journey time - 30 minutes). Taxis are also available (journey time - 15 minutes). Facilities: Left luggage, first aid, snack bar, post office, banks/bureau de change, bar, restaurant, shops and car hire.

Rio de Janeiro (GIG) (Galeão) is 20km (13 miles) north of the city. To/from the airport: Public buses operate 0530-2330 to the city (journey time - 40 minutes). There is an airport shuttle bus which stops at all major resorts and hotels, running every hour. Taxis are also available. Facilities: Left luggage, banks/bureau de change, duty-free shops, a pharmacy and a small 24-hour hospital, restaurant, snack bar, car parking, tourist information, post office and car hire companies.

São Paulo (GRU) (Guarulhos) is 25km (16 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: An airport bus runs every 30 minutes (journey time - 30 minutes). Taxis are also available. Facilities: Left luggage, duty-free shops, banks/bureau de change, pharmacies, restaurants, snack bar, post office and car hire.

Getting There By Water

The main port is Rio de Janeiro (www.portosrio.gov.br), which is used by many international cruise ships.

Other popular ports include Manaus, Fortaleza (www.docasdoceara.com.br), Recife (www.portodorecife.pe.gov.br), Salvador (www.codeba.com.br) and Vitória (www.portodevitoria.com.br).

Passenger services are limited but Grimaldi Freighter (tel: +39 81 496 203, in Italy; www.grimaldi-freightercruises.com) does offer sailings from Europe. Most major international cruise lines sail to Brazilian ports.

Getting There By Rail

Rail travel is not a really a viable way of getting to or from Brazil, but there is the Trem da Morte (Train of Death) route between Santa Cruz in Bolivia and Corumbá in Brazil, which is popular with backpackers traveling to the Pantanal. Contact Ferroviaria Oriental (www.ferroviariaoriental.com) for more information.

Getting There By Road

It is possible to drive or travel by bus to Brazil from all surrounding countries. Entry points include the border with Argentina at Foz de Iguaçu, the border with Uruguay at Jaguarão and from Santa Elena de Uairén in Venezuela.

There are plenty of bus routes from surrounding countries, and it is possible to travel to Brazil from Montevideo (Uruguay), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and as far away as Santiago (Chile). International bus companies include Pluma (tel: (41) 3212 2689; www.pluma.com.br) and Crucero del Norte (tel: (11) 6221 0277; www.crucerodelnorte.com.ar).

Duty Free

Overview

The following goods may be imported into Brazil by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• Clothes and other articles for personal use.
• 400 cigarettes or 25 cigars.
• Maximum 2L of alcohol.
• Gifts.
• Any other articles with total value not exceeding US$500 or equivalent in other currency.

Prohibited Imports

Meat and dairy products; fruit and vegetables; and plants or parts of plants.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

There is a shuttle service between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, a regular service from São Paulo to Brasília and a shuttle service from Brasília to Belo Horizonte. There are air services between all Brazilian cities, since Brazil has one of the largest internal air networks in the world. At weekends it is advisable to book seats as the services are much used. The monthly magazine Panrotas (www.panrotas.com.br) gives all timetables and fares for internal air travel. Gol (www.voegol.com.br) and TAM (www.tam.com.br) operate the largest number of domestic routes. Air taxis are available between all major centers.

Getting Around By Water

Ferries serve most coastal ports. One company, Barcas S/A (tel: (21) 4004 3113; www.barcas-sa.com.br), operates ferries between Rio de Janeiro and Niterói, and between Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande. River transport is the most efficient method of travel in the Amazon Delta. The ferry between Belém and Manaus is a popular route, served by a number of different companies.

Getting Around By Rail

Passenger rail connections in Brazil are few and far between and should not be relied on for getting around. There are plans to build a high-speed link between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. A few scenic tourist lines still run, notably scenic Serra Verde Express (www.serraverdeexpress.com.br) operating from Curitiba to Morretes in Paraná.

Getting Around By Road

Road conditions vary. Brazil has roads ranging from very good paved highways to pot-holed, dusty tracks. Federal highways crisscross the country between major cities and are denoted by the letters BR plus a number. Smaller roads take the initials of the state (eg RJ for Rio de Janeiro) plus a number. Traffic drives on the right.

Coach: Coaches are by far the easiest and most popular way of getting around Brazil. Services between major cities and tourist destinations are generally comfortable and efficient but distances are long. Main routes include São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, Recife to Salvador and Florianopolis to São Paulo. There are many operators including Expresso Brasileiro (tel: (11) 5061 7566; www.expressobrasileiro.com) and Auto Viação 1001 (tel: (11) 4004 5001; www.autoviacao1001.com.br).

Car hire: International companies operate from major airports and main city centers. Drivers are generally required to be at least 21 years old.

Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18. The speed limit is 110kph (70mph) on most national highways and 80kph (50mph) in cities. Passing on the right is forbidden. Seat belts must be worn by drivers and passengers.

Documentation: International Driving Permit required.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

There are extensive bus services in all the main centers, often with air-conditioned express executive coaches running at premium fares. Rio and São Paulo both have two-line metros and local rail lines, and there are trolleybuses in São Paulo and a number of other cities. Trolleybuses are increasingly being introduced as an energy-saving measure. Fares are generally regulated with interchange possible between some bus and metro/rail lines, for instance, on the feeder bus linking the Rio metro with Copacabana.

Taxi: In most cities these are identified by red number plates. Fares are inexpensive, costing a little more for the ‘special' taxis with air conditioning and better comfort. Willingness to accept a taxi driver's advice on where to go or where to stay should be tempered by the knowledge that places to which he takes a visitor are more than likely to give him a commission - and the highest commissions will usually come from the most expensive places. Taxis are metered and passengers should insist that the meter is turned on. Fares are slightly higher at night and on Sundays. Tipping taxi drivers is not normal practice.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Rio de Janeiro to other major cities/towns in Brazil.

	Air	Road
São Paulo	1.00	7.30
Brasília	1.40	17.00
Salvador	3.00	28.00
Florianopolis	2.00	18.00