World Country Guide

Travel - International

Air
Brazil’s national airlines are TAM (KK), Varig (RG) and VASP (VP) and . Other airlines serving Brazil include: Aerolineas Argentinas, Air France, Alitalia, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, LAN-Chile, Lufthansa, Pluna, South African Airways, SAS, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal and United Airlines.

Approximate flight times
From London to São Paulo and to Rio de Janeiro is approximately 11 hours. From Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro is 14 hours. From New York to Rio de Janeiro is 10 hours. From Sydney to Rio de Janeiro is 20 hours.

International airports
Brasilia International (BSB) is 11km (7 miles) south of the city. Buses run regularly to the city centre (travel time – 30 minutes). Taxis are also available (travel time – 15 minutes). Airport facilities include left luggage, first aid, snack bar, post office, banks/bureaux de change, bar, restaurant, shops and car hire (Disbrave, Hertz, Interlocadora, Localiza, Locarauto and Unidas).
Rio de Janeiro (Galeão) (GIG) is 20km (13 miles) north of the city. Public buses operate 0530-2330 to the city (travel time – 40 minutes). There is an airport shuttle bus which stops at all major resorts and hotels, running every hour. Taxis are also available. Airport facilities include left luggage and lockers, bank, bureau de change, duty-free shops, a pharmacy and a small 24-hour hospital, restaurant, snack bar, car parking, tourist information, post office and car hire companies (Avis, Hertz, Interlocadora, Localiza, Mega-Rent-Car and Unidas).
São Paulo (Guarulhos) (GRU) is 25km (16 miles) northeast of the city. An airport bus runs every 30 minutes (travel time – 30 minutes). Taxis are also available. The airport provides the following 24-hour facilities: left luggage and lockers, duty-free shops, banks, bureau de change, pharmacies, restaurants, snack bar, post office and car hire (Budget, Localiza and Unidas).
Information on Brazilian airports can be found on the following website (www.infraero.gov.br).

Air passes
The Mercosur Airpass: Valid within Argentina, Brazil, Chile (except Easter Island), Paraguay and Uruguay. Participating airlines include Aerolineas Argentinas (AR) (however, flights on this airline cannot be combined with any others, as it has no agreements and its tickets are not accepted by other airlines), Austral (AU), LAN-Chile (LA), LAPA (MJ), Pluna (PU), Transbrasil Airlines (TR) and VARIG (RG), with the subsidiary airlines of Nordeste (JH) and Rio Sul (SL). The pass can only be purchased by passengers who live outside South America, who have a return ticket. Only eight flight coupons are allowed with a maximum of four coupons for each country and is valid for seven to a maximum of 30 days. At least two countries must be visited (to a maximum of five) and the flight route cannot be changed. A maximum of two stopovers is allowed per country.
The Visit South America Pass: Must be bought outside South America in country of residence and allows unlimited travel to 36 cities in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile (except Easter Island), Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Participating airlines include Aer Lingus (EI), American Airlines (AA), British Airways (BA), Cathay Pacific (CX), Finnair (AY), IBERIA (IB), LAN-Chile (LA) and Qantas (QF). A minimum of three flights must be booked, with no maximum; the maximum stay is 60 days, with no minimum, and prices depend on the amount of flight zones covered. For both air passes, children under 12 years of age are entitled to a 33 per cent discount and infants (under two years old) only pay 10 per cent of the adult fare. For further details, contact one of the participating airlines.

Departure tax
None.

Sea
The main port is Rio de Janeiro, which is used by many international cruise ships. Other popular ports include Manaus, Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador and Vitória. Passenger services are limited although Grimaldi Freighter do offer sailings from Europe. For more information about freighter services between the UK and Brazil, contact The Cruise People, 88 York Street, London W1H 1QT, UK (tel: (020) 7723 2450; fax: (020) 7723 2486; e-mail: cruise@dial.pipex.com; website: www.cruisepeople.co.uk). Most major international cruiselines sail to Brazilian ports, including: Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, Holland America, Mediterranean Shipping, Orient Lines, P&O, Princess, Seabourn and Swan Hellenic.

Rail
Limited rail services link Brazil with Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, although travelling by train is not a popular option. The main international routes include Rio de Janeiro–Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro–Santiago, Rio de Janeiro–São Paulo–Montevideo, São Paulo–Bauru– Corumba–Santa Cruz–La Paz, São Paulo–Antofagasta.

Road
It is possible to drive or take a bus to Brazil from the USA, but it is wise to check any changes in political status or requirements in Central America before travelling. It is also possible to travel from Rio de Janeiro to other Latin American countries. The journeys tend to be long; for example, from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires (Argentina) is 44 hours. For further information, contact Embratur (see Contact Addresses section).