Brazil General Information
| General Information about Brazil | ||||||||
| Detailed Map of Brazil
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| Health Information for the Brazil Traveler | ||||||||
| Getting Around Rio (by Taxi, by Bus, metro, etc. etc.) | ||||||||
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| BRAZIL… Tourism for all tastes | ||||||||
| TOURISM IN BRAZIL from the website of the Brazilian Tourism Board (EMBRATUR)
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| For a long time now, Brazil’s natural beauty and Carnival rendered it international fame, attracting thousands of tourists all year long. The number of foreigners visiting the country went from an average of 1.5 million per year in the 1990s to more than 4 million visitors per year from the year 2000 on, according to Embratur’s (Brazilian Tourism Institute) Statistical Yearbook for 2003. But there is a very special attraction that you only discover when you come here: the Brazilian people. Much beyond the breathtaking scenery, the way these people live surprises everyone with its simplicity, willingness, hope, hospitality and happiness.Studies carried out by Embratur indicate that 75% of the tourists who seek Brazil as their vacation destination do so first of all because of the natural beauty. But once they arrive here, they find such hospitality that they soon become enchanted with the mixture of colors, races and cultures of the people as well.According to surveys, when foreign tourists are questioned about Brazil, they indicate happiness as the main characteristic of our people. Happiness that can be perceived in every moment they stay in the country – whether in our music, the warmth of our northeastern beaches, the lively Rio de Janeiro nightlife or the exuberant Amazon.From this warm and festive spirit, popular displays such as Carnival, New Year’s Eve celebrations and June Parties arise, all famous for their liveliness and joy. It seems that the people’s desire to show what is good about Brazil transforms this vigor into creativity, flashed about in contagious colors and sounds.Research carried out with international tourists who have already had the opportunity to know Brazil reveal that the visitor truly finds the country to be beautiful. The results also show that 52% of this public goes back home valorizing yet another aspect of this land: its people. After all, besides appreciating some of the most beautiful spots on the planet – including countless beaches, ecological paradises and historical cities – the visitor is always accompanied by people who are willing to show the best points of every excursion, making the trip unforgettable. | ||||||||
| Practical Information | ||||||||
| DOCUMENTS: | ||||||||
| For EU citizens a VISA is not required to enter Brazil. However, for US citizens, one must apply and receive a valid entry visa via their local or regional Brazilian Consulate. They are easy to receive and can last any where from 3 months to 5 years. We at The Brazil Vacation Club can help lead clients in the right direction if the require.Other information: Your passport must have at least 6 more months of validity and your ticket should be a round trip ticket. When you enter Brazil, you will receive an entry validation slip, keep this with you as you will be required to give this back upon exiting the country. Normally, you are allowed to enter the country for up to 90 days and up to 180 days in a year period. | ||||||||
| VACCINATION: | ||||||||
| Vaccinations are not required for those entering and traveling around Brazil. However, we recommend that you receive a yellow fever shot if you will be traveling around the states of: Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Brasília, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima e Tocantins.Also don’t forget: It is necessary to get the yellow fever vaccination at least 10 days before your arrival to the designated states above for it to be effective.For Tourists in transit or have visited in the last three months the following countries:Angola, Benino, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameron, Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Gana, Guinea Bissau, French Guiana, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela e Zaire, it is legally necessary to have acquired an international yellow fever shot. | ||||||||
| - Vaccinations against Polio:For children between 3 months and 6 years old, it is necessary an International vaccination against Polio. | ||||||||
| - Doubts and other vaccines:Consult our local or regional Brazilian Consulate for any doubt or clarification on vaccinations required in Brazil. | ||||||||
| Money Matters | ||||||||
| The currency used in Brazil is the Real. Actually the Dollar is valued (Look here for today’s value) and the Euro is valued (look here for today’s value).Because of frequent changes in the value of the currency, we recommend that you change only what you think you need, and just a little more to make sure. One can change currency at any Banco do Brasil or any Cambio agency, man of which are connected to local travel agencies.ATM Machines: There are many worldwide systems and some banks are limited for cash withdrawals. We recommend HSBC or CITIBANK for ATM withdrawals as they generally have the best capability for accepting international debit/credit cards for cash withdrawals. | ||||||||
| Banking Hours | ||||||||
| Monday through Friday 1000-1630. | ||||||||
| Credit Cards | ||||||||
| All major international credit-cards are accepted at the hotels, shops and restaurants. | ||||||||
| Language: | ||||||||
| Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, however there are regional differences in accent in the country and even word choice differences between Brazilian Portuguese and the Portuguese from Portugal. | ||||||||
| Time Differences | ||||||||
| 1-3 hours ahead in respect to the Eastern Time zone of the USA and 3 and 5 hours behind in respect to the Central European Time Zone. | ||||||||
| Electrical Current | ||||||||
| 110/220 volts in the principal cities. Most hotels make available plug adapters. | ||||||||
| CLIMATE | ||||||||
| 80% of Brazil is summer or has summer like conditions all year around. Most of Brazil is tropical extending to equatorial in the Amazon regions. The bottom portion of the country has a very mild sub tropical winter. Seasons are exact opposites of the seasons of the Northern Hemisphere. | ||||||||
| WEATHER (SEE THE LATEST UPDATES IN REAL TIME) | ||||||||
| The mean temperature is 28º C (83 F) in the North and Northeast and 20ºC (68 F) in the south. In the summer, temperatures can reach highs of 40ºC (104 F) in Rio de Janeiro. | ||||||||
| TELEPHONE: | ||||||||
| From BRAZIL to the USA or Europe on a fixed phone dial 0021 + country code + local area code + telephone number. The country code for the USA for example is 1, while to the UK is 44. From the USA to Brazil, from a fixed phone, dial 011-55-area code-telephone number. The area code for Rio de Janeiro for example is 21. When dialing from Europe, dial 0055- area code-telephone number. |
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| Purchases | ||||||||
| Beyond just precious stones, summer style, especially casual and beach fashions, are followed all around the world and make great gifts. Handcrafted goods are also considered for personal purchases or for gifts. There is also to be found the famous Brazilian music available on CDs everywhere and of which most can only be found in country. |
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| Useful Information | ||||||||
| Water | ||||||||
| Tap water is not to be consumed directly from the tap. | ||||||||
| Tips | ||||||||
| – Most restaurants already include 10% service in the bill. It is normal however to still leave a little something extra for the waiter. In BRAZIL non è obbligatoria la mancia per i tassisti. |
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| Security | ||||||||
| Like all large cities of the world, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and a few others have a few zones where it is not recommended to venture. Your guide will always alert you, when arriving in the country, where those zones are. It is important to know that if you avoid wearing flashy and expensive watches and jewelry, nothing should happen. Danger in places like Rio de Janeiro have lamentably been highly exaggerated in that in the main tourist zones, crime is very very low and the presence of tourism police is always nearby. | ||||||||
| Taxi | ||||||||
| We recommend that one always use metered taxis when moving around the city. Taxis are easy to find, and found on almost every street in Rio de Janeiro. In other cities, the hotel or restaurant can easily help call a taxi for you. | ||||||||
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