Brazil - Help me plan travel from US to Rio de Janeiro/Brazil

Hi,

My mother and I have an opportunity to visit Rio de Janeiro this May to visit friends and attend a conference.

Since both of us are unlikely to go back any time soon, we both would like to see some of the Amazon as well (I understand this is not near Rio)


We would leave from Los Angeles (LAX)
We would like to avoid longer flights ( > 7 hours)
Neither of us speak any Portuguese or Spanish
We have traveled internationally but not to South America and have current US passports.


While we are not really interested in doing "tourist" things (we are not visiting Rio for the beaches, nightlife, etc), given the language barrier, I would like to make it an "easy" trip and not make any plans that would be difficult for a tourist to do.

So no adventures deep into the Amazon, just enough so that this Americano can appreciate some of the forest and/or river. :)

Mostly I could use help planning flights and the Amazon part. One option it seems is to go through Panama City, but I have no idea how smart that is. Any assistance or advice is appreciated.

Thanks so much for your help!

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

We will try to help you.

First, are you planning to travel economy, business or first class? What Frequent Flyer programs are you in, and are you Elite on any other them?

Second, have you decided how much time you want to spend in each place? Do you want to go to Rio first and tour after, or vice-versa?

Third, do you want to see other places than Rio and the Amazon? There is a huge variety in a country almost as large as the continental US with four states larger than Texas. There are historical places with 17th and 18th century churches and buildings, mountains, rivers, an Everglades-type of slow river (the Pantanal) that is much larger than the US counterpoint and much more diverse, Iguaçu falls, Bento Gonçalves (our answer to Napa Valley, but smaller and much more rustic, but with some great garage wines to be found) and on and on.

If you choose Copa you will find the prices to be much cheaper than many other choices. For example, I just prices tow business class tickets LAX-GIG-MAO-LAX at $4771.20, which corresponds to the cheapest economy fare I could find of $3082. They use Continental OnePass and give a 25% premium on miles for flights booked on their website. All their flights are B737-800 and their Business class is comparable to US airlines domestic first class but not up to the flat-bed standards of international business on other carriers, but they are much, much cheaper. All, your flights would be 7 hours or less on Copa, some as long as 11 hours on other carriers.

Thank you for your help

1. I don't fly enough to get frequent flyer perks from any airline. Usually I always travel economy class and that is what I'm planning.

Seeing Copa's rates for business class, I am considering that however.

2. I think 4-5 days in Rio and then several days elsewhere in Brazil. The plan is Rio first and then tour, but that could be reversed if there is a good reason.

3. As much as I would like to see more of Brazil (and also visit Argentina and Peru) for this trip 2 destinations is enough. Given the limited time and money I would rather slow down and enjoy those 2 locations rather than rush to get to the next.

Thanks again. I'll reply again tomorrow with some questions - very late here :)

The Amazon is the worlds largest rainforest/jungle. And that is impressive in itself. But if you go there to see wildlife, you might want to consider going to Pantanal instead. More compact, and likely to spot a broader variety of wild animals. Pantanal is an area in the border area with Bolivia and Paraguay. It can easily be done as a sidetrip from Rio (TAM and TRIP flies from Rio to Campo Grande, TAM and Azul flies from Rio to Cuiabá).

-Maybe you need to talk to a travel agent. I gather you familiar are with sites that show flights (including flight times and prices) of many airlnes, such as Expedia, Kayak, etc. Have you looked at how many total hours of flying are involved? Obviously the total is far over 7 hours. Even ensuring no one flight over 7 hours would be tough, and could increase the number of stops (and the total flying time) for you. Korean Airlines flies non-stop LAX to Sao Paulo, which is an hour's flight from Rio (they don't fly that LAX-Sao Paulo every day). That option may involve the shortest total flying time, but the LAX-SP flight would be 11 or 12 hrs., I believe. So you'll change planes somewhere before getting to Brazil. But all flights from the U.S. airports to Rio (even Atlanta, Miami, Houston or Dallas) are over 7 hours.

If you're set on no flight over 7 hrs., I think the closest you could come is what you found, taking Copa Airlines form LAX to Rio with a change of planes in Panama City: 6 1/2 hrs. to Panama City, and just over 7 hrs. to Rio from there. Whether that's the best airlne to take, I don't know. Narrow-body 737s are used for both legs. I've never flown Copa. You might want to look at reviews on www.airlinequality.com.

-"Tourist" things is pretty vague. You don't want to go anywhere people who visit Rio go to? There's a reason tourists go there. So you're going to stick to the conference and visiting friends? Easy, then. Just go to Rio. We know you don't want to go to the Amazon (which is a long, long ways from Rio), but since we don't know what you do want to see, it's hard to give advice. You might at least take a tour in the Tijuca forest, just outside Rio. There are also historic towns, such as Tiradentes and Paraty, not real far away. But you don't seem interested in touring much. There is plenty to see in Rio itself (e.g.., Cordova, Pao de Açucar, Carmen Miranda museum). My best advice would be to scan through a guide book, such as that of the Lonely Planet series.

-Do note that if your conference is at the "Rio Centro" convention center, that's NOT in the "centro" of Rio, but out in the distant suburbs, beyond Barra de Tijuca.

-Between your friends and the conference, you should be able to get lots of tips on transportation, things to see, etc. Most large conferences offer options for tours of varying length.

-Don't forget to request your Brazilian tourist visa well ahead of time.

Thanks to both of you

I'm also considering going through Miami to Rio. At 8 1/2 hours, it is on the borderline. But it is an option.

I wasn't clear what I meant by "tourist". Surely many tourists visit Rio for the weather, beaches and resorts which do not interest me so much. But I want to do other "tourist" things like sightseeing and sampling some local culture.

Also, I'm a "tourist" in the sense of wanting to stay to activities that are easier for tourists to do, and not overestimate my abilities to navigate in Brazil or communicate in Portuguese :) I will probably look for a guidebook now.

I think we really want to see "the Amazon". Whether it is warranted or not that is what I have always read about and seen in photos growing up.

From what I can tell either Manaus or Belem are the places to see the Amazon. Unless I fly from Manaus to Panama City or backtrack to Rio/Sao Paulo, how do I get back? I don't want people to spend time searching airlines for me, but if anyone knows anything?

And any suggestions for seeing the Amazon once arriving there? I am also open to suggestions for seeing Rio. I don't want to put a burden on friends to show us around though I'm sure they will suggest some things also.

Thanks to both of you

I'm also considering going through Miami to Rio. At 8 1/2 hours, it is on the borderline. But it is an option.

I think we really want to see "the Amazon". Whether it is warranted or not that is what I have always read about and seen in photos growing up.

From what I can tell either Manaus or Belem are the places to see the Amazon. Unless I fly from Manaus to Panama City or backtrack to Rio/Sao Paulo, how do I get back? I don't want people to spend time searching airlines for me, but if anyone knows anything?

And any suggestions for seeing the Amazon once arriving there? I am also open to suggestions for seeing Rio. I don't want to put a burden on friends to show us around though I'm sure they will suggest some things also.

-TAM flies non-stop from Manaus to Miami. A friend took it a few weeks ago. A little over 5 hours. Delta used to fly non-stop to Atlanta, but I'm not sure if they still do.
-I reiterate my suggestion to look at a guide book (both regarding Rio and the Amazon). Puts you in a much better position to decide what you want to see, and which tours best fit your needs.
-You want to see the Amazon. What else, besides the river? As noted, it's not the place to see wildlife. I think, overall, Manaus would be a better base than Belem, but don't expect to see that much from the city itself. There are lots of tours, from day trips on land and/or boat, to multi-day boat trips to jungle lodges (including high-end). Guide books such as those published by Rough Guide Lonely Plane tand others normally have suggestions for local travel outfits. It's really best for you to first look at what you might enjoy. We can all give our personal opinions, but your interests may not be the same as mine. Even look at any optins listed by your conference. Whether or not you go on those particular tours it could give you some ideas.

I don't know if you've made your decision by now, but I would try to avoid flying coach on the Copa flights. I have flown LAX-PTY in coach many times, and PTY-GRU twice with them. They're not terrible, per se - they're pretty organized, actually - but the prospect of two back-to-back 6+ hour flights on a 737 with 31-inch seat pitch and no personal IFE, with only a one hour layover in Panama (an airport with shockingly few food and drink options, though it's getting better) should scare you off. I haven't taken it, but I would do the Korean Air flight in a second.

Copa also flies to Manaus from Panama, but you'll have to spend the night in Panama on the way back to LAX because you can't make the connection.

I would avoid Miami if you can. To this traveler, the Miami airport combines the worst of the USA and Latin America, and the AA flight between LAX and MIA is long and miserable.

I haven't been to either (planning a trip now), but my understanding is that Belem is the more interesting city by far (the Ver-o-peso market being the #1 attraction), but Manaus has better infrastructure for international tourists. I am leaning strongly towards Belem, but that's largely because I've been to the jungle before and I think it's more interesting for cultural reasons.

As a Carioca living in the Los Angeles area, I must say that I have taken almost all the possible ways to get to Rio from LA. My favorite ones are LAX-DFW-GIG and LAX-IAH-GIG. It will give a leg longer than 7hrs, but in my opinion it's worth it, especially since it can get you back in LA at a decent time on the return.

Regarding your trip, there are so many wonderful things in the state of Rio (Paraty, Buzios, etc...) that depending on the amount of time that you have, it may be worth just staying there.

Thanks to both of you

I wasn't clear what I meant by "tourist". Surely many tourists visit Rio for the weather, beaches and resorts which do not interest me so much. But I want to do other "tourist" things like sightseeing and sampling some local culture.

Also, I'm a "tourist" in the sense of wanting to stay to activities that are easier for tourists to do, and not overestimate my abilities to navigate in Brazil or communicate in Portuguese :) I will probably look for a guidebook now.



If you're even a little-bit adventurous or inquisitive you can have a great time in Rio as a tourist. I was in for 12-days January of this year and spent a lot of time in Centro - more than the time I spent in either Copacabana or Ipanema (other than to sleep in Copa).

To get an idea of some of the things you can see and do when away from the popularly-promoted attractions have a look at the photos I uploaded to an online album, which you can access when you click on the link that follows:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/579615169kLJhNA

To the OP, if you do not speak Portguese then traveling outside of the main cities will be a problem without a guide. Spanish would do you know no good.

While Miami is a hectic airport it is more or less a good halfway point between LA and Brasil although the MIA/GIG leg will be about 8.5 hours. If you fly AA I would suggest buying a day pass at the AA Admirals Club that you can use at LAX and then at MIA. At MIA you would have a chance to shower and change which is a godsend when traveling long distances. On the return, if you fly out of GIG and buy another day pass you can shower and change at GIG before leaving (good idea since you will likely check out of your hotel in the morning but flights back to the US leave late at night).

There are many very dangerous parts to Rio and in crime is much worse than the US even in tourist areas. I suggest you spend some time reading threads here on FT or elsewhere. You will also need to get a Visa ahead of time before traveling to Brasil (cost is $180 I think now but good for ten years). There are no airport Visas.