Brazil - advice: quick tripJFK to Rio and Iguassu

We are planning a brief trip from New York to Brazil over the Thanksgiving weekend. Arriving in Rio on Thursday morning. We need to leave from Rio late Monday night for overnight flight back home (award tickets, so not much flexibility). Neither of us had been to the eastern side of South America and so could use some help.

Our original plan was simply to hang out on the beach in Rio but my partner is not much the beaches. In addition, being so close to a Iguassu falls and not trying for a visit seemed crazy.

Does the following itinerary seem feasible?

Arrive 10:30 AM on Thursday and take taxi directly to our hotel on the beach (Cashing points for that as well). Thursday and Friday on the beach. Saturday midday back to GIG and fly TAM Nonstop to IGU since the fares are cheaper then to IGR. Taxi to the Sheraton Iguassu for Saturday and Sunday nights. Monday, leave the hotel early, cross-border, spend some time on the Brazilian side, then back to IGU. Catch flight to GIG, and transferring to our flight back home.

I got lots of questions but she among them are:
1-does this, overall, make sense?
2-I've been hearing about $140 entrance fee into Argentina the US passport holders. Is this true in the overland crossing as well?
3-if, for some reason, I flight to IGU is late and the taxi does not make it before the park closes, can one still gaining entry to the hotel?
4-how much of a connection time do we need to allow between our arrival on TAM from IGU and the Delta Airlines international departure?

Naturally, we also like to hear about any other thoughts or suggestions. This is initially was going to be a low budget Combination mileage run and award ticket but, as you can see, is "growing on us".

Thanks for any and all suggestions!
Steve and John

Not only the Visa for Argentina but Brazil as well (if you do not already have.)

Assuming you already have the Brasilian Visa, you may/may not need one for the ARG side at the Falls. I believe, at least as of a few months ago, ARG was collecting the Visa fee only at EZE, and not other points of entry. I doubt that such a booth exists at Iguazu. But, I would ask on the TA Iguazu forum.

Yes, the trip is feasible. But, it is a heck of a lot of travel. As you know, Brazil is huge. And, your flts need to work out well. If it were me, and I had a few days only in Rio, I would stay in Rio. For a few days there is a lot of sightseeing that does not entail the beach. Indeed, half the fun of the beach in Rio is simply watching the world go by, and not swimming, sunning, etc. Plus you have shopping, eating, etc.

If you decide to head to Iguazu you likely can purchase a cheap side trip via a Brazilian travel agency that may make things easy for you. Good luck, Rio is great.

Does the following itinerary seem feasible?

Arrive 10:30 AM on Thursday and take taxi directly to our hotel on the beach (Cashing points for that as well). Thursday and Friday on the beach. Saturday midday back to GIG and fly TAM Nonstop to IGU since the fares are cheaper then to IGR. Taxi to the Sheraton Iguassu for Saturday and Sunday nights. Monday, leave the hotel early, cross-border, spend some time on the Brazilian side, then back to IGU. Catch flight to GIG, and transferring to our flight back home.

I got lots of questions but she among them are:
1-does this, overall, make sense?
2-I've been hearing about $140 entrance fee into Argentina the US passport holders. Is this true in the overland crossing as well?
3-if, for some reason, I flight to IGU is late and the taxi does not make it before the park closes, can one still gaining entry to the hotel?
4-how much of a connection time do we need to allow between our arrival on TAM from IGU and the Delta Airlines international departure?

Naturally, we also like to hear about any other thoughts or suggestions. This is initially was going to be a low budget Combination mileage run and award ticket but, as you can see, is "growing on us".

Thanks for any and all suggestions!
Steve and John

Here are the answers:

1. The above itinerary is not crazy, and perfectly feasible. In Rio, instead of just hanging on the beach I would strongly recommend a visit to Sugar Loaf cable car and another visit to Christ the Redeemer (get the tram upwards the mountain!), if you do not visit both attractions, you have not been to Rio! ;) You can do both in one full afternoon, and enjoy the amazing sunset from either one. As per beaches, I would recommend Ipanema beach. For restaurants head for Leblon.

2. Yes, there is entance fee to Argentina, but sometimes it is not charged, so is pure luck, why dont you stay in one of the many hotels on the Brazilian side? You are flying to IGU anyway, so I would simply stay on the Brazilian side for practical purposes.

3. I dont know the answer. Btw, 1 full day at Iguaçu is enough because the city of Foz do Iguaçu is not nice. So your program seems adequate.

4. Are you connecting JJ to DL in GIG or GRU? If you do your online check in, I would say 2h30 is enough. In GIG DL and JJ operate in different terminals; while GRU they operate in the same terminal. If you connect in GRU, make sure your flight is to GRU and not CGH which is Sao Paulo downtown airport. The same for Rio, make sure your flight is to GIG and not SDU.

Enjoy Rio!

Rgs,

THANKS for all the tips.

Actually, ended up switching things around (my partner, although a Delta Platinum, takes sleepers to fly, and so is fairly useless on flight days. Therefore, we are going to connect straight through from GIG to a GOL flight to IGU, then cab it to the Sheraton Iguacu. Two nights there, then IGU to GIG and two free nights at the Marriott in Copacabana, then home.

Will be sure to do more than just the beach in Rio! :D

Steve

THANKS for all the tips.

Actually, ended up switching things around (my partner, although a Delta Platinum, takes sleepers to fly, and so is fairly useless on flight days. Therefore, we are going to connect straight through from GIG to a GOL flight to IGU, then cab it to the Sheraton Iguacu. Two nights there, then IGU to GIG and two free nights at the Marriott in Copacabana, then home.

Will be sure to do more than just the beach in Rio! :D

Steve

Your switch makes sense, so you dont need to worry about the connection on the flight back. GOL operates in the same old GIG Terminal 1 which also serves DL. Note that DL pax use AF Salon business lounge in GIG.

Rgs,

If you are not staying at the Sheraton for the points, I would highly recommend the Orient Express property, Hotel das Cataratas. The hotel is just splendid now after the renovations. I stayed there in January and I didn't want to leave.

http://www.hoteldascataratas.com/

2. Yes, there is entance fee to Argentina, but sometimes it is not charged, so is pure luck, why dont you stay in one of the many hotels on the Brazilian side? You are flying to IGU anyway, so I would simply stay on the Brazilian side for practical purposes.

I understood Argentina's reciprocity fee is only collected for air arrivals at EZE.

I understood Argentina's reciprocity fee is only collected for air arrivals at EZE.

That is correct, but check the thread on the subject in the Argentina forum for the latest info.

As for the hotel I think the Sheraton is a good choice since it is within the park and provides easy access to the falls before the throngs arrive on buses. You don't want to miss the Garganta del Diablo on the Argentine side.

If you are not staying at the Sheraton for the points, I would highly recommend the Orient Express property, Hotel das Cataratas. The hotel is just splendid now after the renovations. I stayed there in January and I didn't want to leave.

http://www.hoteldascataratas.com/

Fully agree. The new Orient-Express Hotel das Cataratas is by far the best hotel in the Cataratas.

http://www.orient-express.com/collection/hotels/hotel_das_cataratas.jsp

Rgs,

Here are some photos of my trip in January.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x235/C010T3/4ec21ebb.jpg
Hotel das Cataratas

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x235/C010T3/f3f9d267.jpg
Falls seen from the entrance of the hotel

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x235/C010T3/6fd50f9b.jpg
Pool

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x235/C010T3/d7dced10.jpg
Sheraton Iguazú seen from the Hotel das Cataratas

Very nice pictures, thanks for sharing... ^
The location is amazing!

Rgs,

Yes, thanks for sharing as in June '09 I was sitting on a falls view room balcony at the Sheraton looking across at this hotel wondering what it was like and how its view was. Now I know. ^