Budget Travel Guide to Brazil

Brazil is as sexy as the day is long. They have the Carnival, just one of many festivals, the most entertaining football team, dancing and partying the night through. Then there's the Amazon rainforest, the beaches, the colonial architecture from back in the day when the Portuguese were taking over everyone's countries to pinch their gold and an amazing array of wildlife.

Budget Accommodation in Brazil

It should be possible to get yourself a bed for around the US$10 mark, even in the main tourist areas. There are youth hostels in Brazil, run by the Federação Brasileira de Albergues da Juventude, who have a list. Pousadas are guest houses, hotel familia means sharing meals with the family and possibly the bath too, and hotels are categorised according to quality. They usually always include breakfast in the price.

A Traveller's Budget for Brazil

Because Brazil is reasonably large, fifth biggest in the world in fact, interior air travel is often the most practical way to go, but definitely not the cheapest. There are some airpasses available which might offer a bit of a saving, worth looking into. Bus services run long distance and the buses fall into three categories from comum, slow local transport which stops frequently, executivo, which are safer and faster as they don't stop to pick up on the way, they're also more comfortable and of course slightly more expensive, and leito or semi leito which are overnight services. Expect to pay more for these.

To eat cheaply take advantage of your accommodations breakfast, ask for the prato feito in restaurants, eat in lanchonetes where you pay first, or try to find a pay by weight place where you can also get thin according to how tight your budget is.

Activities for the Budget Traveller

Spending time in Rio de Janeiro, at the Carnival or otherwise

Drinking cocktails on Copacabana beach to a mental soundtrack of Wham!

Trekking, in national parks, outside Rio, Sau Paulo and various other places

Surfing anywhere along the 7000+km coastline

Hang gliding and Paragliding, there are a few spots, the most well known is Pedro Bonita at Rio

White Water Rafting - in various rivers in San Paulo state.