tourism
With 11 thousand kilometers of beach, from North to South; sunshine throughout the year and an excellent tourist infrastructure, Brazil receives more than 5 million visitors every year. Besides the numerous activities offered by the coastline, the country offers excellent options for the lovers of ecotourism and for radical sports and offers a diversified cultural heritage of the Brazilian nation.
Besides popular culture, the country possesses excellent museums and splendid historical cities, like “Ouro Preto ” – classified among the cultural patrimony of humanity by UNESCO.
SOME TRAVEL TIPS
Car Rental
The largest car rental agencies have offices in the main Brazilian airports and in large cities. Tourists can also rent a car from their travel agencies.
Taxis
Tourists can choose to use the common taxi service, easily found on the streets, or the radio-taxi service, also widely used. Preference should be given to the airport taxi services and to taxi ranks near hotels.
Tips
The majority of restaurants and bars include a 10%service fee in the check. It is common to leave a little bit more if the service was good. When not included, the general rule is a tip between 10%-15%. Taxi drivers do not expect tips.
Currency
The Brazilian currency is the Real (R$). Dollars and traveler’s checks can be easily exchanged at hotels, banks or travel agencies. The majority of the establishments accept credit cards.
Transport
Bus is the most popular means of transportation when traveling from one state to another. The main Brazilian airlines offering domestic flights are: Gol, Tam, Varig and Ocean Air. Also, there are more than 15 regional companies.
Communications
Communication to any part of the world can be done by telephone, fax or e-mail. To make an international call, dial: 00 + carrier code* + country code + area code (if any) + telephone number.
For international collect calls, dial: 0800 7032111
Carriers *Codes
Brazil Telecom 14
Embratel: 21
GVT: 25
Intelig: 23
Telefônica: 15
Telemar: 31
Language
The national language is Portuguese. Portuguese spoken in Brazil is different, in accent and intonation, from the language spoken in Portugal.
Weather
The weather is mainly tropical, with some variations according to the region. The annual average temperature is 28º C in the North and 20º C in the South.
Accommodation
With more than 28 thousand accommodation options, Brazil has a complete and diversified infrastructure that meets the most varied and demanding tastes.
Time zone
Brazil covers three time zones. Brazilia time is the standard time of the country, being three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (London). In the Summer, clocks go forward 1 hour in the majority of the Brazilian states (Daylight Saving Time)
To know all about tourism in Brazil, visit the EMBRATUR homepage: