Bus service between cities along the coast is well developed. In big cities in buses and trolleybuses, tickets are purchased from the conductor, stops on demand. But traveling on a public bus can be unsafe, there is a risk of being robbed. The preferred mode of transport in Rio and other cities is taxis. The fare depends on the type of taxi, brand of car, time of day, service areas, etc.
There is a separate charge for turning on the air conditioning in the car. To rent a car, you must have an international driving license and a credit card. The offices of the largest car rental companies (Helts, Avis, National, etc.) are located in airports and major cities. The cost of renting a car is very high – from $ 100 per day. In addition, most drivers interpret the rules of the road in a peculiar way, the geography of large cities is rather complicated, there are practically no parking spaces, and police fines for violations are very large.
Most of the restaurants offer a wide choice of dishes, both international cuisine and national Brazilian. The most famous dish is Feijoada, made from black beans with a wide variety of smoked meats. Meat in Brazil is excellent and quite cheap, FILET MIGNON is in the greatest demand. The city also has countless restaurants called CHURASCARIA. In them you can taste different types of skewers of meat, choosing pieces according to your taste, accompanying the meal with wonderful snacks, in any quantity at a fixed price. The fee is paid in advance at the entrance to the shurashkariya and is approximately 15-20 US dollars. You will also find a large number of fast food eateries at low prices. Lunch with beer costs about $10. Brazilian beer is considered one of the best in the world. The most popular brands are BRAHMA, ANTARTICA and SKOL. No less pleasant is GUARANA – a healthy fruit drink from the Amazon. Brazilian wines, gins and rums are very good and inexpensive.
As a rule, in expensive restaurants and bars, the tip amount is 10% of the bill (if it does not include service charges), in cheap eateries – 1-2 reals, in cafes on the beach it is not customary to tip, to a porter at a hotel or airport – 1 real, for a taxi driver – the bill is rounded up.
According to shoppingpicks, people come to Brazil for jewelry (for serious buyers – the shops of the firms “N. Stern” and “Amsterdam Sauer”). Other items are overpriced. From souvenirs you can buy a bottle of caipirinha, mahogany crafts, Brazilian spices, Negro amulets, Indian vessels.
If your stay in Brazil involves visiting the following states: Acri, Amapa, Amazonas, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Para, Rondonia, Roraima, and the Federal District, yellow fever vaccination is recommended. High risk of hepatitis B infection, especially through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, etc. Pre-vaccination against hepatitis A and B, malaria is recommended.
You cannot drink tap water. You should definitely take with you the medicines and medicines you need, activated charcoal and / or drugs like imodium, as the stomach can get upset from climate change and unusual food. We recommend taking sun umbrellas offered by the hotel with you to the beach, and be sure to use sunscreen with protection factors of 15-30. Most large hotels have doctors, medical insurance is required to receive services.
It is recommended not to wear expensive jewelry, not to accept invitations from unfamiliar people and not to leave money, photo and video equipment in the hotel room. In the resort suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, in Manaus, Buzios at the Iguazu Falls is safe. In Rio, you should not walk around the business center of the city after the end of the working day. Leaving for the beach, leave valuables (watches, money, jewelry and documents) in the hotel safe. If you wish, you can take a camera or video camera to the beach, but with full confidence that they will be supervised during your swim. Rio has a very treacherous ocean wave and no shallow water, so swimming is quite unsafe. After dark, it is better not to linger on the beach, because at this time there are no police there. During a beach holiday, it is advisable to leave your passport in the hotel safe, but the rest of the time it is better to have your passport with you and present it at the request of officials, following the laws of Brazil. A passport is also needed when flying on board national or international aircraft. Do not lose your arrival card, which is issued at customs upon arrival, as it must be presented upon departure from the country.
