Your Spanish will not get you far in this corner of
South America.
There are so many differences between the Iberian
languages, that a small Brazilian
Portuguese phrasebook will be your best investment. Even the days of the week have
nothing in common.
A commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking countries was formed on July
17th, 1996, to preserve the Portuguese language, coordinate diplomatic efforts, and
improve cooperation among its members: Angola,
Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal,
and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Getting Understood
Brazilian Portuguese:
Learn about the language.
Brazil by Bus
Being such a large country, travelling around Brazil takes time.
The bus stations are called Rodoviárias, and you'll find buses going
to just about everywhere around the clock.
Some of the long distance sleepers are quite luxurious (leitos), but
you'll pay more to travel in less cramped conditions on seats that stretch out to perform
like beds.
Most seats on the busses need to be reserved, so don't count on
turning up and moving on like you might in Colombia or Venezuela.
Brazil by Boat
Travel by boat down the Amazon is easy from Manaus. Just turn up
at the quay for schedules of the boats.
Three to five days sleeping in hammocks on the deck is fun, but the
rice and fish can get monotonous, so bring a bag of goodies to cheer you up.
Some of the boats have bars, and quite a party can be had if you meet
up with a good crowd.
Brazil by Air
If time is limited and your budget extends to it, you may consider
covering the large distances by air.
Airlines and Airports:
Many international airlines fly to Brazil.
Brazilian Airpass:
The Brazilian Air Pass is an economical way to travel within the country. It's only
available to foreigners and Brazilians living abroad and is offered by VARIG Airlines,
TransBrasil, TAM and VASP Airlines.
Mercosur Air Pass:
The Mercosur Air Pass is an economical way to travel between Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is priced by air miles travelled and is available to
anyone arriving from outside South America. Minimum of 2 countries and maximum of 4.
Minimum of 2 stop-overs and maximum of 8. Minimum period is 7 days and maximum is 30.
Refer to the table for current prices.
Brazilian Airlines
Pantanal Linhas
Aereas:
As the name suggests, this airline operates primarily in the Sao Paolo and the Pantanal
region.
Passaredo:
Serving destinations within Brazil.
TAM
Brazilian Airlines:
Sao Paolo is the hub city. TAM fly throughout Brazil, to neighbouring Paraguay and Miami.
(In Portuguese).
TransBrazil
Connections:
As well as the main domestic routes, TransBrazil fly to the USA, Amsterdam,
Buenos Aires, Córdoba, London, Vienna.
VARIG:
Brazil's number one airline.
VASP:
This is the official VASP site, but there's not much to do over there -- they don't even
have the timetable in Portuguese.
Brazil
Tourist Information:
Provided by the Brazilian Embassy in London.
Bahiatursa:
The official tourist site for the state of Bahia, in English and Portuguese.
Brazil Regions:
The regions of Brazil are varied and there's plenty to see in South America's largest
country.
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