Ask and answer questions about travelling to and in Brazil in this thread.
Here are the flights I am considering. I will be flying from Munich, Germany. Any advice or comments are welcome.
Rio de Janiero in December - 611 Euros
San Paulo in December - 611 Euros
I am thinking that out of these 2 Rio might win. I was there before and it is beautiful.
Reply to this That is a great price on the airfare and December is prime beach weather. Sao Paulo is a great city but only if you are going for culture, food, and nightlife. Or you could fly into Rio, spend some time, take a domestic flight to SP, spend some time, and then fly home from Sao Paulo.
Reply to this Thanks Brett 😊
Culture, food and nightlife sounds like a good combination to me. 😊
Glad to hear the weather will be good. I thought because the airline ticket price is low, that would mean it is low tourist season and the weather will be lousy.
As I remember from the last time in Rio, the flight lands in Rio first and then continues to San Paulo. If it happens like that again I could maybe just stay on the plane until it gets to San Paulo and then maybe take a bus to Rio and fly out from there. I havent checked yet how long a bus ride that would be.....
Reply to this Well...good weather meaning...really hot. Sao Paulo has some of the best food in Brazil, if not the world. Bus rides from Sao Paulo to Rio are about 5-hours (I think - I usually fly). Just tell the airline or agent you are working with that you want to book an "open jaw" ticket. Meaning you will arrive in Sao Paulo and depart from Rio.
Reply to this 5 hours is certainly OK. Thanks Brett 😊
I think open jaw tickets would cost more. I am buying the cheapest budget ticket I can find. Want to make the travel funds stretch.
Reply to this Hi Mell
I have just left Brazil and had a fab time. I was aware that everyone said that Brazil was "european prices" however I found that it was still cheaper than the UK although I am now in Argentina and it is a lot cheaper again here!!
Whilst in Brazil my friend and I stayed in hostels and traveled around by bus. I was able to keep to a budget of around £35 per day and this included visiting the usual tourist attractions in Rio (sugar loaf and christ the redeemer) and the Iguassu falls.
The bus next work is fantastic. Rio to Sao Paulo is 6 hours and will probably cost you in the region of £35. However I would recommend that you go to Paraty (on the coast half way between Rio and Sao Paulo) it is an amazing town and can definitely recommend it.
I know that you say you want to fly into Brazil however I did see an advert the other day for a flight from Heathrow to Buenos Aires for £400 with Aerolineas Argentinas - just to throw that into the mix for you I suppose it depends on what you want to do and see.
Reply to this Hi Mark
I think that you will find different hostels have different attractions for different people. I will be honest and say that whilst me and my friend have been away we have stayed in mixed hostels some definitely attract the party animals and others are more sedate. As for you felling out of place no way!! I think a lot of the time it comes down to your mentality.
When we were staying in Puerto Iguazu we stayed at a hostel that was very much a quieter place and we met there a couple of American ladies who were traveling around and they only ever stayed at hostels and have been for years. One of them openly admitted that she was 78!!!!
My friend and I often get our recommendations for hostels through a well known hostel booking site (can't put the link up as it will get snipped) and you can often tell so much about a hostel about peoples own comments about their stay.
I can honestly say that I am staying within that budget and the hostels have cost between £8per night upto £14 per night (the most expensive was in Rio!)
If you want any more info or any recommendation as to hostels that i have stayed in or any other info then feel free to contact me.
Reply to this Hi Andrea,
Thanks again for your information.
Yes thanks, I was aware about visiting both sides of Iguassu falls, but I'm not sure whether I will see them at their best. Apparantly the time not to visit the Falls are around June/July (when I am there). Don't know why this period isn't a good time though.
However, I am contemplating going on a GAP tour, which runs between Buenos Aires and Rio via the falls (in either direction). Bit expensive though, but will be alot easier than trying to find my own way.
Kind regards
Reply to this Hi Brimster,
I am going to fly to san paulo in july and planning to fly to rio and then take bus and stop over paraty and ilha grande on my way back. i am going there for three weeks and am thinking about flying down to BA. i may also go to iguaca falls too. do you think i should take a bus or fly down there from iguaca falls? any travel agent to recommend?
Reply to this Hi Mark
I have a friend who did a GAP tour last year around Bolivia and Peru and she said she found she was one of the oldest at 28! I honestly have to say that you shouldn't worry about traveling over here on your own and certainly not in Brazil. The buses really are easy and whilst most people don't speak English my friend and I have gotten around using a spanish translation book and my limited (and I mean limited) knowledge of foreign languages!!
The only reason I can think that the falls aren't the best to be seen in June and July is because it is their drier months but not too sure on that one!!
I would tell you that you will meet people in Rio and we met people at both hostels either side of the falls. Yes the Buenos Aires hostel was quiet as is the one we are staying in at Ushuaia however we are out of season for this area now as it is not summer and the ski season hasn't started down here....
Whatever you decide you will enjoy it.
Reply to this Hi Judy
I can't recommend any travel agents as we have bought all our tickets at the bus stations as we have gone along.
Basically my friend and I started in Rio and we got a Costa Verde bus to Paraty which was 4 hours (I can recommend the Misti Chill hostel in Paraty!). From there we got a bus to Sao Paulo which was 6 hours and we then had a layover of 4 hours in Sao Paulo before getting an overnight bus to Foz do Iguassu. We also got an overnight bus from Puerto Iguazu to Buenos Aires. That bus was Via Bariloche and was 18 hours but it only cost us £27 and was a semi cama bus i.e you get a stupid amount of room and the seats recline a long way back.
I do know people that flew in and out of the falls but think it depends on your budget (our budget did not allow for it and the buses aren't that bad...!)
Reply to this Hi Andrea.
I'm really pleased you mentioned your friends GAP experience, I don't think I'll be doing that then.
I'll have to brush up on my spanish (big time) prior to departure and go for it!
Oh forgot to mention, that American lady you spoke about, now thats cool, touring SA at 78 (hope for me yet).
Hope you are enjoying your stay at Ushuaia. Just been looking at the map, if I'm looking at the right one, you're along way down south, near the southern tip of Argentina (approx 2000km from Buenos Aires).
Reply to this Looks like I will be going in November rather than December. My boyfriend had days off in December last year and his boss said it is somebody elses turn to have the pre and Christmas days off. But we can have November, so no problem.
Reply to this Rio to Sao Paulo is 6 hours and will probably cost you in the region of £35.
That is certainly European prices. I can get from one end of Germany to the other for less than that. I can fly from one European city to another for less than that.
Any suggestion about someplace closer to San Paulo than Rio that would be nice. If there is someplace nice closer by it may be an idea for me to go there instead of Rio. Rio is tempting, but why waste what is nearby.
Reply to this Woohoo! I just scored a return ticket to San Paulo from Munich, Germany for 408 Euros. And it is a direct flight too. 😊
Also, I have 16 days in S. America. I thought I would only have 9. I think I will go to Uraguay or Paraguay with the extra time instead of Rio. Any suggestions about which one I should choose? I havent got the Lonely Planet book yet, so I dont know which is the most interesting and if there are safety issues etc. I will buy it at the weekend and do some reading.
Reply to this Congrats Mel sounds like a but of a deal especially if it is a direct flight!!
When I looked into Paraguay and Uruguay there didn't seem so much to see or do in Paraguay. The main places in Uruguay that get the vote are are Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo. In my personal opinion I would say that Paraty between Rio amd Sao Paulo beat Colonia hands down for beauty, atmosphere etc...... I also believe that Ilhe Grande along the same coast line is something to be seen!
Mark I can confirm that Ushuaia is a long way down and in its own words is the "fin del mondo" (end of the world) as basically it is the southern most city of the world and its about 2500km from Buenos Aires!
Reply to this Hi Brimster,
I am flying to sao paulo and will spend some time in rio and areas around there but now i got another dilemma.I am debating between salvador and bueno aires. what do you think?
Reply to this Hi Mel,
Well done on achieving a great price for your flight.
I'm trying to book up my flights. They are coming up around 50%!m(MISSING)ore expensive than yours (for end of June). I'm going from Heathrow, but I would have thought that shouldn't make that much difference. I am going for an Open Jaw (Heathrow (LHR)-Buenos Aires, return Rio-LHR).
I have tried various combinations ie different arrival cities including Sao Paulo.
I suspect because I am not going for a return flight ie same cities, this is costing more.
Which company did you use? I could give them a try.
Reply to this 
