Itinerary Brazil on 19/09/08

MH Itinerary: Brazil Coastal Travel_01

 

Route: Buenos Aires – Iguazu – Florianopolis – Sao Paulo – Rio – Bahia / Salvador – Rio – Buenos Aires

Hostels:

Iguazu: Hostel Bambu (dorms $21BRL / $9USD, privates $40BRL / $28USD).

Florianopolis: Backpackers Sunset (dorms $35BRL / $16USD, privates $45BRL / $21USD).

Sao Paulo: Casa Club Hostel Bar (dorms $35BRL / $16USD, privates $40BRL / $28USD).

Rio: Rio Hostel Ipanema (dorms $37BRL / $17USD, privates $120BRL / $56USD).

Bahia / Salvador: (dorms $25BRL / $12USD, privates $90BRL / $42USD).

Travel:

From Buenos Aires to Iguazu by bus: 17 hours, prices range from $166ARS / $49USD for regular buses to $210ARS / $62USD for the sleeper buses.

From Buenos Aires to Iguazu by air: 2 hours, price for one-way economy class is $497ARS / $147USD.

From Iguazu to Florianopolis by bus: 12 hours, information on price couldn’t be found on Portuguese websites.

From Iguazu to Florianopolis by air: Kayak and Portuguese websites didn’t offer any flight information.

From Florianopolis to Sao Paulo by bus: 11 hours, prices range from $67BRL / $31USD for regular buses to $145BRL / $68USD for the sleeper buses.

From Florianopolis to Sao Paulo by air: 1 hour, price for one-way economy class is approximately $150USD.

From Sao Paulo to Rio by bus: Almost 6 hours, prices range from $58BRL / $28USD for regular buses to $106BRL / $51USD for the sleeper buses.

From Sao Paulo to Rio by air: 1 hour, price for one-way economy class is approximately $109USD.

From Rio to Bahia / Salvador and back by bus: 28 hours each way, approximately $400BRL / $188USD for round trip.

From Rio to Bahia / Salvador and back by air: 4-5 hours, price for round-trip economy class is $479BRL / $226USD.

From Rio to Buenos Aires by bus: 38-42 hours, prices range from $324ARS / $96USD to $378ARS / $112USD, all are sleepers.

From Rio to Buenos Aires by air: 3.5 hours, price for one-way ticket is approximately $350USD.

Notes:

In most cases, Brazil’s best method of transportation is by bus. There are numerous Thorntree threads detailing how efficient, cheap, and comfortable most of the bus lines are. I’ve also got links here for the Brazilian bus companies that have English websites:

Auto Viacao 1001: http://www.autoviacao1001.com.br/en/

Pluma: http://www.pluma.com.br/engli/main.htm

Going by air is generally more expensive, but Rio to Bahia and back by bus is almost the same price as flying round-trip, so for that portion of the trip it’s much better to fly. The only real requirement is booking a couple of days in advance. The two biggest airlines in Brazil are:

TAM: http://www.tam.com.br

GOL: http://www.voegol.com.br/INT/Paginas/home.aspx

Lonely Planet’s Thorntree has some good information on routes and times, as well as specific companies to use in some of the more obscure places. Here are some links:

Brazil FAQ:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1586965&tstart=0

Brazil Branch:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=22