Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Brazilian roads are death traps at night; poorly lit, in
bad condition and lightly policed. Especially worth
avoiding at night are the
Via Dutra
, linking Rio and
São Paulo, because of the huge numbers of trucks
and the treacherous ascent and descent of the Serra
do Mar, and the
Belém-Brasília highway
, whose
potholes and uneven asphalt make it di
cult
enough to drive even in daylight. Where possible,
avoid driving after dark in the Mato Grosso and
Amazon regions as well; though rare, armed roadside
robberies have been known to happen there.
An
international driving licence
is useful:
although foreign licences are accepted for visits of
up to six months, you may have a hard time
convincing a police of
cer of this.
garage. A universal feature of city driving in Brazil is
the
flanelinha
, named for the flannel that informal
parking attendants wave at approaching cars; these
attendants will help you into and out of parking
spaces and guard your car, in return for a
real
or
two. Brazilians will go to almost any lengths to
avoid paying them, but they're making a living and
providing a service, so do the decent thing. In any
event, never leave anything valuable inside the car.
Renting a car
Renting a car
in Brazil is straightforward. Of the
big-name international companies, Hertz and Avis are
the most widely represented, with Budget and Dollar
increasing their representation. There are also plenty
of reliable Brazilian alternatives, such as Unidas, Inter-
locadora and Localiza. Car-rental o
ces (
locadoras
)
can be found at every airport and in most towns
regardless of size, although you will pay slightly more
for airport pick-up and drop-off. Almost all cars in
Brazil have manual gears; automatics are rare.
Rates
start from around R$130 a day for a compact
car (Fiat Punto or similar) including unlimited
mileage; a basic air-conditioned model will start at
around R$150, also including unlimited mileage.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are rare and extremely
expensive. Prices don't always include
insurance
- a
comprehensive policy will cost an additional R$25
per day or so with an excess of R$500. If you have a
US credit card, you may find that it can be used to
cover the additional liability - check before leaving
home. In any case, a credit card is essential for
making a deposit when renting a car. It's not a bad
idea to reserve a car before you arrive in Brazil, as you
can be sure to get the best available rate.
As you would anywhere, carefully check the
condition of the car before accepting it and pay
special attention to the state of the tyres (including
Petrol and ethanol
Outside of the towns and cities,
service stations
can be few and far between, so keep a careful eye
on the fuel gauge. Service stations sell both petrol
(
gasolina
) and ethanol (
álcool
), with new cars
(including rentals) usually capable of running on
either fuel.
Álcool
is considerably cheaper than
gasolina
, and there's no longer a noticeable differ-
ence in terms of performance. Service stations in
rural areas do not always accept international credit
cards, so make sure you have su
cient cash on a
long trip. In urban areas, plastic is universally
accepted at petrol stations,
although a common
scam is to charge around twenty percent more per
litre when payment is made by credit card rather
than cash: always check in advance whether there is
a price difference if you intend to pay by credit card.
Parking
Parking
, especially in Brazil's cities, can be tricky
due to security and finding a space, and it's worth
paying extra for a hotel with some kind of lock-up
AMAZON RIVERBOATS
In Amazônia, rivers have been the main highways for centuries, and the Amazon itself is navigable
to ocean-going ships as far west as Iquitos in Peru, nearly 3000km upstream from Belém.
In all the large riverside cities of the Amazon - notably Belém, Manaus and Santarém - there
are
hidroviárias
, ferry terminals for waterborne bus services.
Amazon river travel
is slow and
can be tough going, but it's a fascinating experience. On bigger boats, there are a number of
classes; in general, it's better to avoid
cabine
, where you swelter in a cabin, and choose
primeiro
(first class) instead, sleeping in a hammock on deck.
Segundo
(second class) is usually hammock
space in the lower deck or engine room. Wooden boats are much more comfortable than
metal, but usually slower. Take plenty of provisions, and expect to practise your Portuguese.
The range of
boat transport
in the Amazon runs from luxury tourist boats and large
three-level riverboats to smaller one- or two-level boats (the latter normally confining their
routes to main tributaries and local runs) and covered launches operated by tour companies.
The most popular route is the
Belém-Manaus trip
, which takes four to six days.
