Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Solar Tours
US
T
202 861 5864,
W
solartours.com. A big operator
throughout Latin America, offering cruises, city tours, jungle trips and
Carnaval specials.
South America Travel Centre
Australia
T
1300 784 794,
W
south
americatravelcentre.com.au. Specializes in tailor-made trips to Brazil.
Steamond Travel
UK
T
020 7730 8646,
W
steamondtravel.com.
Flight agents and tour operators for Brazil and Latin America.
Veloso Tours
UK
T
020 8762 0616,
W
veloso.com. Latin American
flight specialist and tour operator with a range of Brazilian options
including Rio de Janeiro, the Northeast and the Amazon.
major cities have airports, usually some distance
from downtown. The airports of Brasília, Congonhas
and, above all, Guarulhos in São Paulo are chroni-
cally crowded, with long check-in lines, so allow
extra time when flying from these locations.
Air passes
When buying your international ticket, you should
consider the possibility of adding an
air pass
,
though note that the emergence of budget airlines
in the country
means that they now only make
sense if you're planning a series of long-haul trips -
from the South to the Amazon and back via the
Northeast, for example.
If Brazil is only one stop on a longer trip, consider
the
TA M
South American Airpass
, which covers
TAM flights to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The regula-
tions are fairly complicated but the route must
include at least two countries (and a maximum of
five), and the price of a pass is based on the
distance flown (starting at US$339 for 1200-1900
miles), which usually works out costing
far less than
purchasing regular tickets. If you fly into the region
on a carrier other than TAM you'll pay a slightly
higher rate.
If Brazil is your only destination, the
TAM Brazil Air
Pass
can be a huge money saver when travelling
Getting around
Travel within most parts of Brazil is easy.
Public transport outside of the Amazon
is generally by bus or plane, with services
plentiful and relatively cheap. Car rental
is possible, but driving in Brazil is not for
the faint-hearted. Hitchhiking, over any
distance, is not recommended.
By plane
It's hardly surprising that a country the size of Brazil
relies on
air travel
a good deal; in some parts of
Amazônia air links are more important than roads
and rivers. Any town has at least an airstrip, and all
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL
Jan
Mar
May
Jul
Sep
Nov
BRASÍLIA
Max/min (˚C)
27/18
28/18
27/15
26/13
30/16
27/18
Max/min (˚F)
81/64
82/64
81/59
79/55
86/61
81/64
Rainfall (mm)
155
142
17
3
36
177
MANAUS
Max/min (˚C)
30/23
30/23
31/24
32/23
33/24
32/24
Max/min (˚F)
86/73
86/73
88/75
90/73
91/75
90/73
Rainfall (mm)
260
314
256
88
83
183
PORTO ALEGRE
Max/min (˚C)
31/20
29/19
22/13
20/10
22/13
27/17
Max/min (˚F)
88/68
84/66
72/55
68/50
72/55
81/63
Rainfall (mm)
78
80
70
129
132
72
RIO DE JANIERO
Max/min (˚C)
30/23
27/23
26/20
25/18
25/19
28/20
Max/min (˚F)
86/73
81/73
79/68
77/64
77/66
82/68
Rainfall (mm)
126
125
78
39
65
100
SALVADOR
Max/min (˚C)
29/23
29/24
27/22
26/21
27/21
28/23
Max/min (˚F)
84/73
84/75
81/72
79/70
81/70
82/73
Rainfall (mm)
34
48
161
82
58
61
