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  Providing quality personalized tours & travel planning in Brazil and South America

Incoming Operator DMC

Founded in 1999

We have included below a few suggestions/tips to help you enjoy your vacation to the full. We hope you have a wonderful vacation and would love to hear any comments on your return.

Money:-

• The best currency to bring with you is US Dollars (or Brazilian Real if you can buy it before coming)

• ATM Machines are only available to international clients in the larger Banco do Brasil and Bradesco Branches or at Banco 24 horas (24 hours) machines. At these machines you will normally be charged a fee. Be warned that the system is not always operational and the normal limit per day is a thousand reais.

• Travellers checks are only usable at some banks, hotels and travel agencies.

• Most hotels, stores and restaurants accept international credit cards.

Flights:-

• National flights: you must arrive in the airport minimum 1 hour before departure.

• International flights: you must arrive in the airport minimum 2 hours before departure.

• When the National flights are delayed, the airlines will organise your transfers to other flights, in case you are late for your connection due to the delay of your original flight.

Airport Transfers:-

• On leaving “The Arrivals area” please look for a person holding a sign with your name on it. They will then transfer you to your hotel.

• Always ask the guide / driver (on your transfer to the airport) when you will be picked up for your transfer back to the airport or when your tours will start the next day (if reserved)

Tours:-

• Please ask your airport transfer guide / driver what time the tour will start.

• Tours are not private (unless requested on reservation) so you will be joining other people. All tours will have guides in English, Spanish or Portuguese which ever is your preferred language. For other languages, guides can be provided as long as they are requested on reservation of the tour.

• Please stay with the group while on the tour and do not walk off and ignore the guide as this will delay the tour.

Vouchers:-

• Please hand your vouchers into the hotels, transfer and tour companies. 

Safety:-

• Brazil, like any other country in the world, has a higher crime rate in the big cities than in the smaller towns. Below we are providing some guidelines and tips for your safety.                     

Security Advice offered by the Federal Police of Brazil:-

It is recommended that you;

• Always keep with you the original or a copy of your travel documents and the entry/exit card issued by the Federal Police, as these are proof of your legal status in Brazil;

• Make note on your travel documents of the name, address and phone numbers of a person to contact in case of emergency;

• Always try to stay in a group and in places with public access, avoiding excursions outside the usual hours of traffic, and always keep with you the name, address and phone number of the hotel where you are staying;

• Never show openly that you have money, checks, credit cards or valuable jewellry in your possession. It's preferable to use local currency (Reais), if possible of low denomination;

• Avoid demonstrating openly that you cannot express yourself in Portuguese, and do not accept invitations from strangers to visit unknown places;

• Do not frequent suspicious places or those incompatible with your status as a tourist, giving preference to group excursions or those with routes previously arranged by your travel agent or someone known to you;

• Avoid any kind of sexual involvement with minors, as in Brazil this is considered a serious crime without bail;

• Particularly in the busier airports, only use the services of porters whose credentials are recognized by the local administration. The same applies to transport services (taxis, buses, car rentals, etc);

• In the event of theft or loss of documents during your stay, you are legally obliged to report the incident at the nearest Police station, or in an emergency, by calling the Police toll-free on 190;

Extra tips on Safety:-

• Do not wear jewellery or expensive watches while walking around in the major cities;

• Leave your money, passport and credit cards in the hotel safe. (only take the money you need for the day). Avoid putting your money into loose trouser pockets. Have a money belt to carry your valuable items. If you want to take credit cards with you (for shopping, etc), have a copy of the card information in the hotel safe. 

• When taking cameras and handbags with you always keep them close to your body and in front of you.

• Have a good travel insurance policy. We have some great deals for Brazil and South America. Please contact us for information.

By following these simple guidelines you are much less likely to have any problems. In all the time that Brasil Travel has been operating we have not had one reported problem with any of our clients. We would like to continue this record so please take these recommendations into consideration.

Other Info about Brazil

The country

• Brazil is the largest country in South America, with an area of 8,547,403.5 Km square, divided in 5 regions: North, Northeast, Center-West, Southeast and South. The country has a population of 170 million inhabitants. There are interesting tourist attractions all over Brazil, and due to the country's huge size,  airplanes are normally used to move in between states, and buses or cars into the same state. 

Climate:-

• The climate varies according to both latitude and altitude. The seasons are exactly the opposite those in North America and Europe (except in the North of the country). The annual average temperature is around 28 C in the North and 20 C in the South.

Time Zones in Brazil

• The official time in Brazil is that of Brasilia (the capital), 3 hours behind GMT (London). This difference changes with the start of summer time, when clocks are put forward one hour, reducing the difference to two hours.

• Brazil has four time zones. In most of the country the time is the same as in Brasilia. The other areas are as follows:

  • 2 hours behind GMT- The oceanic islands

  • 3 hours behind GMT - Most of the Country including Rio, Sao Paulo, Brasilia etc

  • 4 hours behind GMT- states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Amapá and the west of Pará.

  • 5 hours behind GMT- states of Acre and the southeast of Amazonas

Drinking Water

• Although in most cities of Brazil tap water has good quality, give preference to mineral water whenever possible.

Electric Current

• In most Brazilian cities the voltage is 110 or 220V, 60 cycles, except Salvador and Manaus, which are 127. Many hotels have sockets of both 110 and 220 volts.

Tipping

• Most restaurants and bars include a 10% service charge on the bill. It's usual to leave slightly more if the sevice is good. When the 10% service charge is not included in the bill, the general rule is a tip of 10 to 15%. Taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped.

Language

• Portuguese is the national language, therefore if you don't speak it, it's useful having a small pocket dictionary for a better communication in the country. Speaking Spanish also helps, as most brazilians can understand it when spoken slowly. In the more touristic destinations, a fair amount of people working in the tourist industry can speak some English. 

• The Brazilians are normally very friendly and communicative and they appreciate the foreign visitors that make an effort to learn and use some basic words and expressions such as Bom dia (good morning), Obrigado (thank you), Por favor (please), etc.

  Have a great trip !!