Air

DOMESTIC AIR SERVICES

Brazil has three major national carriers: Varig, TAM and VASP. At least one of these serves every major city. Varig also has two affiliates, Nordeste and Rio Sul, which fly to smaller cities.

Other airlines serving Rio de Janeiro and various cities in the southeast, south and northeast include Fly, Trip and Gol. Amazonia has a host of regional carriers including Penta, TAVAJ, Rico and Meta .

In general, VASP is the cheapest of the big airlines, though smaller airlines often undercut the larger ones, and the resulting price wars make going to a travel agent all the more worthwhile.

Overall, Brazilian airlines operate ef­ficiently, but schedules can change and it's always important to reconfirm your flights. Most airlines have national telephone num­bers for reservations and confirmations.

Fly (Tel: 0300-313-13 23; www.voefly.com.br )

Gol (Tel:0300-789-2121; www.voegol.com.br )

TAM (Tel:0300-123-10 00; www.tam.com.br )

Trip (Tel:0800-701-87 47; www.airtrip.com.br )

Varig (Tel: 0300-788-70 00; www.varig.com.br )

VASP (Tel:0300-789-10 10; www.vasp.com.br )

In order to secure a seat, book as far ahead as possible during busy seasons - from Christmas to Carnaval, Holy Week and Easter, July and August. At other times, you can buy tickets for same-day flights, with no added cost.

Embarkation tax on domestic flights ranges from US$1.50 at minor airports to US$5 at major ones. If it isn't already included in the price of your ticket, you have to pay it in cash (reais only) at check­in. The check-in clerks never have any change.

AIR PASSES

If you're combining travels in Brazil with other countries in southern South Amer­

ica , it's worth looking into the Mercosur.

For flights solely within Brazil , Varig, TAM and VASP all offer a Brazil Airpass, giving you five domestic flights within 21 days for around US$500. Up to four further flights can usually be added for US$ 100 each.

The Brazil Airpass must be purchased outside Brazil and to do so you need an international round-trip ticket to Brazil . You have to book your airpass itinerary at the time you buy it, and there are usually penalties for changing reservations. On most airpasses you're not allowed to visit the same city twice. Airpasses often include the domestic departure tax.

The VASP Brazil Airpass costs US$452 and travel must be completed within 21 days. You can buy it in conjunction with an international ticket on any airline.

TAM's Brazil Airpass can also be bought in conjunction with an international ticket on any airline. It's valid for 21 days and costs US$511.

The Varig Brazil Airpass provides the most destinations, but it is also the most expensive. It costs US$542 and must be bought in conjunction with an inter­national ticket on Varig or other specified airlines (American, British Airways, United and many others). It can be used on Varig, Nordeste and Rio Sul flights.

Boat

The Amazon region is one of the last great bastions of river travel in the world. The Rio Negro, the Rio Solomoes and the Rio Madeira are the highways of Amazonia, and you can travel thousands of kilometers along these waterways (which combine to form the mighty Rio Amazonas), exploring the vast Amazon basin traveling to or from Peru or Bolivia. Travel may be slow and dull along the river (with distances measured in days rather than kilometers), but it is cheap. And in the Amazon, apart from flying, bar­cos (large floating tubs which sputter along the river) are the only option.

Most passengers travel rede (hammock) class, which entails staking out a spot (get their early) on one of the decks and string­ing up your own hammock. The other op­tion is booking a camarote (cabin), which costs about double the hammock price. Cabins typically sleep two to four and allow more privacy than the overcrowded decks, but they are hot, stuffy and extremely basic.

Boats provide three basic meals a day (usually a variation of the same meal), and access to a toilet facility (make sure you're bunking far from it), as well as fresh water, but you are advised to bring your own snacks and bottled water.

Bus

Buses are the backbone of long-distance transportation in Brazil , and if you do any amount of traveling in the country, you'll become intimately acquainted with them. Bus services are generally reliable and cheap, and all major cities have frequent departures.

Road quality varies from well-paved roads in the south, to decent highways along the coast, to ravaged stretches of pockmarked terrain in the northeast in­terior. In Amazonia the handful of long­distance roads in the region are among the worst, with very few exceptions such as the good paved road from Manaus to Venezuela .

There are three main classes of long­distance buses. The cheapest, comum, is fairly comfortable with reclining seats and usually a toilet. The executivo provides roomier seats, costs about 25% more and makes fewer stops. Leitos, the leer jets of the bussing world, can cost twice as much as comum and have spacious, fully reclin­ing seats with pillows, air-conditioning, and often an attendant serving sandwiches and drinks. Overnight buses, regardless of the class, often make fewer stops.

All big cities, and most small ones, have one central bus terminal (rodoviaria, pro­nounced 'hoe-doe-vee-ah-rhee-ya'), often located on the outskirts of town. Usually you can simply show up at the station and buy a ticket for the next bus out, but on weekends and holidays (particularly from December to February) it's a good idea to book ahead. Some travel agents in major cities sell tickets for long-distance buses, which can save you a time-consuming trip out to the bus station.

Bus fares average US$2.50 per hour in comum: the six-hour Rio-Sao Paulo trip costs US$15/32 in comum/leito, and the 20-hour trip from Rio to Florianopolis is US$45/80 comum/leito.

Car & Motorcycle

Brazilian roads can be dangerous, espe­cially busy highways such as the Rio to Sao Paulo corridor. The number of fatal­ities caused by motor vehicles in Brazil is estimated at 80,000 per year. Driving at night is particularly hazardous because other drivers are more likely to be drunk and road hazards are less visible. Another peril is the police, who rarely lack reasons to impose fines.

All that said, driving can be a convenient way to get around Brazil . A small four-seat rental car costs around US$35 a day with unlimited kilometers (US$45 with air-con). Maximum insurance runs another US$20 a day. Ordinary gasoline costs around US$1.20 a liter. Familiar multinationals dominate the car-rental business and getting a car is safe and easy if you have a driver's license, credit card and passport and are over the minimum age (25 with most firms, 21 with others). You should also carry an inter­national driver's license.

Renting a motorcycle is as expensive as renting a car, and riding one poses a serious risk to your health. If you do rent one, be sure to get an off-road bike.

Hitching

Hitchhiking in Brazil , with the possible exception of the Pantanal and a few other areas where it's commonplace among locals, is difficult. The best way to hitch is to ask drivers when they're not in their vehicles - for example, by waiting at a gas station or a truck stop. But even this can be difficult. The Portuguese for `lift' is carona.

Local Transport

BUS

Local bus services are frequent and cheap, and their routes are usually extensive. Many buses list their destinations in bold letters on the front, making it easier to identify the one you need. This comes in handy when you see your bus, since drivers don't stop unless someone flags them. To hail one, hold out your arm and wave them down.

Typically, you enter the bus at the back and exit from the front. The price is dis­played near the money collector, who sits at a turnstile just inside the entrance and provides change for the fare (usually about US$0.50). You'll have difficulty getting a bulky backpack through the narrow turn­stile, but try to avoid lingering in the back - where pickpockets and thieves are more likely to be. Avoid riding the bus after llpm and at peak (read packed) times: noon-2pm and 4-6pm in most areas.

TAXI

City taxis are reasonably priced, and are quite useful for avoiding potentially danger­ous walks and late-night bus rides, or if your baggage is too bulky for public transport. Most meters start around US$1 and rise by US$1 or so per kilometer (prices increase at night and on Sunday). Make sure the driver turns on the meter when you get in. Some­times the fare is fixed - typically on trips between the airport and the city center.

If possible, orient yourself before taking a taxi, and keep a map handy in case you find yourself being taken on a wild detour.

The worst place to get a cab is where the tourists are. Don't get one near one of the expensive hotels.

TRAIN

Passenger train service has been scaled down to almost nothing in recent years. One of the few remaining lines runs from Curitiba to Paranagua, descending the coastal mountain range. With unforget­table views, it's worth the trip.