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Getting around Brazil

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Getting around

By plane

Air service connects all major areas of Brazil. Note that not all air routes are as direct as they would seem on a map, and are often required to go through hubs such as Brasilia or Sāo Paulo. Most all airports with regular passenger traffic are operated by the federal Infraero.[4]. They have a very convenient website, with an English version. It lists all the airlines operating at each airport, and also has updated flight schedules. The Brazilian airline scene completely changed at least twice over the last 10 years or so. The largest carriers are now TAM[5] and Gol[6]. The traditional Varig[7] is but a shadow of its former self. Others include BRA[8] (Grounded in November 2007, on the verge of collapse), WebJet [9], TAF [10] and Oceanair[11]. Price differences, at least if a ticket is purchased on the internet well in advance, are so small that it´s rather meaningless to call any of these "low cost". For international travelers, air passes for several in-country flights may be available while buying your flight to Brazil in your home country. These are offered by TAM and Varig, and your international flight must be provided by either of these companies or their international partners. Booking online for domestic flights can be frustrating for non-Brazilian citizens. Often, you will be asked for your CPF national identity number while paying by credit card. Of course, as a foreigner, you don't have one. Some airlines such as GOL will accept American Express cards (but not VISA or Master Card) without a CPF. One trick that often will work is to visit one of the airlines' foreign websites (such as Gol´s in Argentina) If all else fails, try calling or e-mailing the airline and ask how to proceed. Beware of flight listings at the airport which only show the final city in route (which you're probably not aware of). Always know and check your flight NUMBER, not just the city you're flying to (it might not be listed). Expect that a more distant city might be the only one listed for your flight, but the plane will still stop at the airport for which you have a ticket. Strangely, international flights are just the opposite, with only the first destination in Brazil shown -- even though the same flight may go directly to other cities. Some domestic flights in Brazil are considered "international," giving flyers a chance to purchase items at a "duty free" store in the airport. (There may be passengers on board from other South American countries who have not yet cleared customs.) Also, you must go through immigrations and customs again upon arrival, even though you never left Brazil. Foreign travelers on flights within Brazil do NOT fill out a new immigration form, but show the carbon copy of the one completed upon arriving internationally (with their passport and visa stamp).

By car

Road maps of the brand Guia 4 Rodas can be bought from most newstands. They provide not only maps and distances but also information about current conditions of the roads (which can be indeed very bad). There are the usual car rental companies at the airports. A car is a good idea if you want to explore scenic areas, e.g. the historic cities of Minas Gerais, the Rio-Santos highway, or the beaches in North-East Brazil. Driving in Brazil can be quite scary if you are used to European (even Mediterranean) or North American road culture. Distances kept to other vehicles are kept at a bare minimum, overtaking whenever close to possible, and changing lanes without much of a prior signal. Many large cities also suffer from hold-ups when you wait at a red light in the night. In rural areas, many domestic animals are left at the roadside, and they sometimes wanders into the traffic. Pedestrians take chances that would qualify them for medals if they were in a uniform. The quality of the paving is very varying, and the presence of enourmous potholes is something that strongly discorages night-driving. Also consider the risk of highway hold-ups after dark, not to mention truck drivers on amfetamine (to keep awake for days in a row).

In Brazil cars are driven on the right hand side of the road.
A flashing left signal means that the car ahead is warning you not to pass, for some reason. If the car ahead of you wants to show you that it is safe to pass it will flash the right signal. The right signal is the same signal to indicate that you're going to stop on the side of the road, so it means you're going to slow down. On the other hand the left signal is the same signal to indicate you're going to pass the car ahead, meaning you're going to speed up.
Flashing, twinkling headlights from the cars coming on the opposite side of the road means caution on the road ahead. Most of the time, it indicates that there are animals, cops or speed radar ahead.
Keep the doors locked when driving, especially in the larger cities, as robberies at stop signs and red lights are quite common in some areas. You'll make it much easier for the robber if he can simply open up the door and sit down. Be equally careful with keeping your windows wide open, as someone might put their hands inside your car and steal a wallet, for instance. Leave your handbags and valuables under the seat or as close as possible to your body, so you can hold them back in case of a theft.

By bicycle

In rural areas in Brazil the bicycle is a common means of transport. This does not mean that cyclists are respected by car, truck, or bus drivers. But you may find good roads with little traffic outside the cities. It is also easy to get a lift by a pickup or to have the bike transported by a bus. Cycling is not very stimulated in big cities. Two exceptions are Rio de Janeiro and Recife where there are cycle tracks along the beaches.

By train

Brazil's railway system was mostly wrecked during the military regimes. Today there are few passenger lines left:

From Curitiba to Paranaguá - This scenic 150km-long railroad links the capital of Paraná to the coastal cities of Morretes and Paranaguá, through the beautiful Serra do Mar mountains covered with mata atlântica forest. The trip takes about 3 hours and has bilingual guides. Trains leave daily at 08:00 and prices start from about R$ 40 (round-trip)
From São João del Rei to Tiradentes - This 35-minute trip on a steam train is almost like time travel. The train operates Fri-Sun, with departures from São João at 10:00 and 15:00 and 13:00 and 17:00 from Tiradentes. The round trip costs R$ 16.
From Belo Horizonte to Vitória - Daily trains operated by Companhia Vale do Rio Doce [12] leave Belo Horizonte at 07:30 and Vitória at 07:00. Travel time is about twelve and a half hours. Tickets are sold at the train stations and a single 2nd class fare costs about R$ 25. Seats are limited and it is not possible to reserve, so it is advisable to buy in advance.
From São Luis to Carajás - interesting because part of it passes through the Amazon rainforest.
From Macapá to Serra do Navio

By bus

Long-distance buses are a convenient, economical, and sometimes (usually if you buy the most expensive ticket), rather comfortable way to travel between regions. Bus terminals in cities play a role akin to train stations in many countries. You should check travel distance and time while traveling within Brazil, going from Rio de Janeiro to the south region could take more than 24 hours, so it may worth going by plane if you can afford it. Brazil has a very good long distance bus network. Basically, any city of more than 100.000 people will have direct lines to the nearest few state capitals, and also to other large cities within the same range. Pretty much every and any little settlement has public transport of some kind (a lorry, perhaps) to the nearest real bus station. Mostly you have to go to the bus station to buy a ticket, although some of the large companies now have internet sales. In a few cities you can also buy a ticket on the phone and have it delivered to your hotel for an extra charge of some 3-5 reais. Some companies have also adopted the airlines´ genius policy of pricing: In a few cases buying early can save you more than 50%. The facility of flagging a bus and hopping on (if there are no available seats you will have to stand, still paying full price) is widespread in the country. This is less likely to work along a few routes where armed robberies have happened frequently, such as those leading to the border with Paraguay and to Foz do Iguaçu. ANTT, the national authority for land transportation, has a search engine[13] (in Portuguese) for all available domestic bus lines.