Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Estádio do Maracanã
Right
Pharmacy goods
Planning Your Visit
!
When to Go
%
Visas
(
Health and
Vaccines
Visitors to Brazil can be
asked to provide a yellow
fever vaccination certi-
ficate upon entering the
country. It is also a good
idea to have vaccines for
tetanus, polio, and hepa-
titis A. Dengue fever,
which is transmitted by
mosquitoes, is present in
Rio, but there is no vac-
cine for this
(see p109)
.
Private health care,
dental treatment, and
pharmacies are at the
same standards as
Europe and the USA.
)
Background
Rio is beautiful at any
time of the year. It is wet
and warm from Novem-
ber to February, and dry
and sunny during the rest
of the year. Popular times
to visit are December
and during Carnaval,
which usually falls in
February or March.
@
What to Bring
EU citizens do not
require visas for Brazil.
Visitors from the USA,
Canada, Australia, and
New Zealand do. Visas
are mandatory for any
visitor who plans to stay
in the country for longer
than 180 days or plans
to work in Brazil.
^
Tour Operators
Bring clothing for
temperatures that can
range from 95
0
F (35
0
C) to
59
0
F (15
0
C). A sweater is
necessary when visiting
national parks, where a
mosquito net could also
prove useful. Items such
as sunscreen, insect
repellent, and beach
wear can all be bought
during your stay.
£
What to Wear
A great way to see
the attractions in Rio de
Janeiro is on a tour. They
prove to be the most
practical option for a
range of attractions, from
soccer matches at
Maracanã
(see p42)
to
cruises in Guanabara Bay.
Tours to various national
parks are also available.
Reading
Good places to start are
Joseph Page's
The
Brazilians
and Alex
Bellos's
Futebol - The
Brazilian Way of Life
,
which tells the story of
soccer in Brazil.
&
Learning
Portuguese
Portuguese is a difficult
but melodic language.
Although speakers of
Spanish will find that
many of the words look
familiar, pronunciation is
radically different. It is
important to bring a
dictionary and a phrase
book as few locals speak
any other languages.
Rio is a very informal
city and gives you the
opportunity to dress
down.
Chinelos
(flip-
flops) or sandals are
commonly worn in the
beach neighborhoods
while light walking shoes
are good for the city
center and for forest
walks. Try to avoid
ostentatious outfits and
leave costly watches and
jewelry at home.
$
Consulates and
Tours
Birding & Wildlife Tours
• www.regua.co.uk
Diving • www.
cabofriosub.com.br
Driving Tours • www.
doloresbuggytour.com
Guanabara Bay
• www.saveiros.com.br
Helicopter Tours
• www.helisight.com.br
Hiking
• www.riohiking.com.br
Walks in Rio city
• www.culturalrio.com.
br
*
Customs
There is no duty on
up to US$500 in cash or
the equivalent value in
personal items. If you
plan on transferring
residence to Brazil, you
can bring in your
belongings duty free
if authorized by the
Brazilian Embassy in
your home country.
Embassies
Many countries have
Brazilian embassies and
consulates with websites
offering advice on
planning your trip to Rio,
including organizing visas
and staying safe.
102
Previous pages
A
favela
painting in a Rio market
