This article aims to be a guide on what travelers need to know if they’re planning to go to Brazil on a holiday, sharing an overview of transportation, accommodation, food, and more; based on my observations in some Brazilian tourist cities and on what I’ve heard from foreigners who explored the country.
Who can travel to Brazil without a visa?
Brazil currently has a mutual agreement for visa-free travel with 158 countries, including South Africa, almost all of the totality of European nations, and Russia. Under such an agreement, it’s possible to stay in Brazil for up to 90 days without a visa for tourism purposes. For travelers coming from the USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan, a visa will be necessary if you’re arriving as a tourist and you can apply for the Brazil eVisa without visiting an embassy or consulate through iVisa.
COVID-19 in Brazil
COVID-19 in Brazil has been managed much better than in neighboring countries, such as Argentina. No total lockdown was forced upon the entire population unless unscrupulous state governors and mayors tried to take advantage of the pandemic. For tourism, there are no restrictions in the hospitality industry and it’s not necessary to be under quarantine when arriving in Brazil. What international travelers need is to have valid medical insurance during their stay in the country. Traveling to Brazil is safe enough in any city near the state capitals and major cities along the East Coast, where are concentrated all the necessary services and healthcare facilities. The most precarious regions of Brazil are far away from the tourist spots unless you go into the Amazon forest or somewhere remote.
Payments are all in Reais
In Brazil, it is convenient to carry Reais because is the only currency used for any payment all over the country; be it at restaurants, in the bakery, on tours and activities, bus tickets, public transportation, etc. The best alternative is carrying cards that nowadays are widely accepted, however, be aware of scams hacking bank cards. Brazilians only buy USD, Euro, and GBP when going abroad. The US dollar or Euro are the easiest currencies to change while the British Pound and Swiss Franc are less likely to be found. Carrying USD and Euro, you may lose some bucks depending on the prices and exchange oscillations, according to local political and economic situations. Exchange offices, Western Union, and MoneyGram are available in tourist cities, but they are few in general, and there are hardly any in smaller cities.
Food & restaurant prices
Food prices in Brazil, whether in restaurants or supermarkets, vary depending on what you order and what kind of place you prefer. In most of tourist areas and large cities, there are options for all prices and tastes, and it’s always worth asking locals where to buy groceries and eat at cheaper prices. For restaurants, the cheapest option in Brazil is usually those that offer “Prato feito” (or the acronym “PF“), which is where local workers eat, as mentioned in this post about food culture and prices in Brazil.
Is Brazil safe?
All over Latin America, crime is a problem as in Brazil as detailed in this article. Precaution must be taken to minimize the risks of armed robbery, theft, and other crimes. Never walk alone through empty and dark areas at night, even if the city is safer than the average in Brazil. Avoid flashing fancy clothes, telephones, and any objects that sound expensive – such items draw the attention of criminals. Although Brazilians are sociable and easygoing, always beware of unknown people approaching you. In case of robbery, you must go to the police station to register a “Boletim de Ocorrência (B.O.)”.
I don’t recommend going to favelas as well as to any dodge place, you never know when the next gunshots may happen, as these areas are mostly controlled by drug cartels. Many violent crimes against tourists happen in areas where I would never put my shoes, such as favelas. Another thing to observe is that paying by credit and debit cards in Brazil doesn’t require a signature and the client demonstrates his official document, so it’s recommended to use a bank card with a password.
Adaptors and plugs
In Brazil, type C (2 lines) and type N (3 lines) adapters are used. The 2-pointed ones are more common in most houses, hotels, and hostels. And the voltage is 220V in most cities, but in older cities, it can be 110V. The most common is 220V, 60Hz.
Don’t throw the papers into the toilet!
In Brazilian houses and buildings, even hotels and hostels, the bathroom pipes are thinner and cannot support the toilet paper thrown into the toilet. So where do you put the papers? Brazilians throw them in the trash can that is located next to the toilet. If you throw the papers directly into the toilet, the pipes become clogged and it can take a few hours of your vacation and extra expenses, headache, and odor.
Nightlife in Brazil
When it comes to nightlife, people in Brazil usually go to the clubs around midnight and 12:30 and stay until the end of the party, or while the energy lasts, until about 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. Similar to other countries in Latin America, the nightclubs are oriented to middle and upper-class audiences, they have high prices for local costs, and even if compared with cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Zurich. Prices vary according to the establishment, the event, etc. Many clubs and events in Brazil maintain a formality with the dress code, the normal thing is pants and a t-shirt or shirt for men; and the women are well dressed, with makeup, etc. On the beaches, the dress code tends to be more flexible, but it is always worth checking the establishment’s policy. The option for a cheaper night is to buy the drinks in a supermarket or wholesaler and go to the beach, where many locals also hang out.
Forget punctuality
Punctuality is not expected in daily life in Brazil, unless at the office and work environment. But for social life, don’t expect people to arrive at the time they said they would do. The delay is likely to be around one hour or longer, it’s “average”, let’s say. For public transportation, it depends on the city, local buses are usually less predictable while metros and inter-municipal buses are OK, not Swiss or German punctuality, anyway.
There are no low-cost airlines in Brazil
Brazil has continental dimensions but there are no low-cost airlines exactly like in Europe, and no train trips except for a few excursions such as the route from Curitiba to Morretes. Do not expect tickets costing less than Є50 or USD50, this price is the cheapest for flights of 40 minutes to 1 hour. Flights in Brazil are expensive and if you plan to visit different regions of the country, it is worth researching and buying in advance. If you buy the tickets in the last hour or spontaneously, the sky is the limit for the prices. Azul, Gol, and LATAM are airline options for traveling within Brazil.
The largest airports in Brazil are the Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo (GRU) and Tom Jobim in Rio de Janeiro which is known as Galeão (GIG). Other airports such as Florianópolis (FLN), Navegantes (NVT), Porto Alegre (POA), Foz do Iguaçú (IGU) and Curitiba (CWB) receive fewer flights and make connections with other provincial capitals, some major cities, and international flights.
For more distant trips, bus tickets can cost the same as a flight or an approximate price. For many Brazilians, traveling for 20 or 30 hours by bus, or even for days, is the only option if flight costs are expensive. From Florianópolis to São Paulo, for example, it takes about 12 hours to travel.
Hostels x pousada x hotel x motel
When it comes to accommodation in Brazil, it’s important to understand the meaning of the terms hostel, hotel, pousada, and motel. Hostels are still a new concept in Brazil, getting space year by year in the tourist and major cities among young travelers. Often, Brazilians traveling abroad for the first time have prejudices and mistrust toward hostels, and it’s pretty normal for locals to confuse hostels with pousadas. Actually, there’s no clear definition of what’s exactly a pousada, it can be a guesthouse or a boutique hotel, and their prices and quality standards vary a lot from one to another. The average Brazilian still plans his trips to the old school travel agency and hotel at least, approaching traveling as a status symbol. And motels in Brazil are only for sex, and work like love hotels, unlike the U.S. where people use to sleep a night.
Vaccines in Brazil
As for vaccines in Brazil, the vaccine for yellow fever least is recommended, as also other tropical diseases such as malaria. In Brazil, we have to take many vaccinations from childhood for a lot of diseases from measles, and mumps to yellow fever. It is always worth checking with the health authorities of your country if other vaccinations are necessary before traveling.
Brazil is a conservative country
Brazil is sold and promoted worldwide as the country of soccer, Ronaldinho, Neymar, carnival, naked women dancing the samba … literally as a red light destination. And to make matters worse, TV and popular music reinforce the image of the Brazilian woman showing her ass. If you go to Brazil with fantasies of Brazilian women twerking to the bottom, it is better to manage your expectations. Brazil is a conservative country, with a Christian majority, although permissive with sexuality, and the vast majority of Brazilians cannot imagine offering themselves easily to every gringo who arrives. In more touristy cities, there is sex tourism, there are prostitutes looking for gringos and there are women hunting Europeans so that North Americans to leave the country, but nothing to do with normal life in Brazil. If you are gay, there is no problem since you keep your life behind doors, Brazilian society is very permissive if you respect Judeo-Christian values.
If you’re planning to travel to Brazil, remember that this huge country can’t be summarized by only Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as described in this article listing 13 cities to visit to get different perspectives beyond carnival, samba, soccer, and caipirinha.
Originally posted 2020-10-11 03:53:47.
