Traveling Inside Brazil
If you are planning to travel inside Brazil, a good way to do so is to purchase an air pass, sold by the Brazil-based airlines (see How to Get There for information on airlines). The air pass must be bought before traveling to Brazil – you should ask your travel agent about them, as prices and conditions change with time.
There is a large network of domestic flights in Brazil, operated by national carriers (TAM and Varig) and by several regional airlines. Be at the airport for check-in at least one hour before a domestic flight (two hours before international flights). If you have complaints about airport or airline services, email_e_telefones the Civil Aviation Section office at the airport (in Rio, 398-3050; in São Paulo, 6445-2585). You should address the airline directly at the airport in case of lost luggage.
The Rio-São Paulo air shuttle is widely used, the flights departing every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from more central airports (Santos Dumont, in Rio, and Congonhas, in São Paulo).
Roads in Brazil have very different degrees of maintenance – if you decide to drive a car on a Brazilian road, be careful. Also, tougher traffic laws have been enacted, giving drivers one more reason to drive carefully. The use of safety belts (on highways and in cities) is required by federal law and is enforced. All traffic signs are written in Portuguese – there are no signs in English (if you speak Portuguese, you can see the road signs used in Brazil at the National Highway Department – DNER). More resources for the Portuguese-speaking can be found at the DNER Web site, such as road conditions and distance between cities. Road and city maps and atlases are available at bookstores, such as the Quatro Rodas collection (which we recommend).
The regular American driver’s license is accepted in Brazil for car rental purposes, as is the international driver’s permit. The minimum driving age in Brazil is 18 and the national highway speed limit for cars is 110 kph (68 mph); inside cities the top limit comes down to 80 kph (49 mph). The speed limit in any given road or street can vary according to traffic signage. Driving is on the right; passing is on the left.
There are several car rental agencies in Brazil, including the internationally known ones. Major agencies include Hertz, Avis, Localiza and Unidas. Rental cars are usually equipped with stick shift (automatic cars are rare and more expensive).
The Consulate-General of Brazil in New York is not a Tourism Office, nor is equipped to provide individuals with detailed information. These pages are for basic information, general purpose only. * We’re not a turism office * please look at the information above on the left for more detailed help with your questions about Brazil.
