10 questions about Brazil. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!?

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AlmostBrazilian

1. Dollar to Real right now is R$2.31 to $1 USD. Type “Dollar to Real” in Google to get the most current exchange rates.

2. It doesn’t matter. The airports are safe. Luggage with wheels is easier.

3. In Rio I would recommend staying in Ipanema as close to the beach as you can afford. There are lots of hotels. I stayed in a cheaper one 3 blocks off the beach that was simple but good enough for me.
In Salvador stay in Ondina, Barra or Graca neighborhoods. They are all close to decent beaches and pretty close to the Pelorinho.
In Porto Seguro I loved Terra Brasil. Porto Seguro has very good prices on hotels. During off season the price is very reasonable and it’s one of the nicest places I stayed in Brazil. Porto Seguro is one of my favorite places in Brazil.

4. You can take a bus from Rio to Salvador but it is a very long trip. I recommend getting a flight. From Salvador to Porto Seguro, you can sometimes find cheap flights but if not a bus is fine. I’ve done the Salvador to Porto Seguro trip twice on a bus. It’s about 12 hours. You leave in the evening and get there at like 7 AM. The busses have A/C and are pretty comfortable.

5. The seasons are the opposite since it is the southern hemisphere. January is probably the hottest month. You will have great weather in March. Sunny and hot.

6. If you have a specific hotel you want to stay in, get a reservation. If you are open to anything then it’s not necessary especially in Porto Seguro. When I went to Porto, I just asked the cab driver to take me to some hotels and we went to 3 or 4 before I chose one I liked (Terra Brasil).

7. I never had a problem. It’s good to know where the cabs hang out. There are always cabs at the bus station and airport. There are also places all over the city that they line up at. Especially at night, they will try to negotiate a price instead of using the meter. It’s usually cheaper if they use the meter so unless you know you are getting a good deal, insist they use the meter. If they say no, get out and get a different cab.

8. I brought a digital camera everywhere with me in Brazil. A girl we hung out with from NY had a Cannon Digital Rebel and never had a problem. As long as you stay in touristy places and are smart about it, you should be fine. There was a girl I knew that had her camera stolen out of her pocket in Salvador. She was dancing with some random guy in a Bar in the Pelorinho and he pick pocketed her while they were dancing. If you have a compact digital camera, bring that. You can always upload your pictures at internet cafés so are sure to not lose them.

9. At most restaurants it’s good to use a credit card. You get a good exchange rate and you don’t have to carry as much cash. For street vendors or small businesses, you need to have cash. Especially if you are negotiating a lower price for something. In Salvador, check out the Mercado Modelo for souvenirs but bring cash and never pay the first price they give you. It’s expected that you negotiate. If you don’t like the price, walk away.

10. In Rio I didn’t go to any clubs. But I heard that Dama de Ferro in Ipanema and Clandestino or Fosfobox in Copacabana are cool.
In Salvador, the Pelorinho has great night life. Especially on Tuesday nights. They often have drummers from Olodum on those nights. Try the African Bar in the Pelorinho or night clubs mentioned on wikitravel.
Porto Seguro has the “Paserella do Alcol” or Walkway of Alcohol at night. Drink stands open up along the street and people buy drinks and party right along the street.

Email me if you have more questions about those places. I've been to all three. I lived in Salvador for a year.

Adetola O

Do click on the links below, the links will answer 30% of your questions.

http://www.porto-seguro.info/

http://www.ipanema.com/rio/nite/e/

carolina

2. No!
4.Yes, u can
5. Depends of the area, but is probraly hoooot
6.yes, u can find someone, but is better make reservation
7.yes, but is better if u have a phone of someone
8. u have to pay attention!
9, cash, cause is cheapeer
:)

▒▒ Da Terra ▒▒

1. What is the exchange rate of U.S. dollars to Brazilian money now?
US $ 1.00 = RS$ 2.50

2. It is safer to walk around the airport with the luggage or on wheels
hand baggage?
Take a taxi at the airport and go to any hotel, leave your luggage at the hotel and walk the streets with only a little money.
Do not use jewelry and is not showing much for your camera.

3. Where are some good hotels to stay in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Porto Seguro? Do you have any recommendations?
There are great hotels in any of these places but I recommend that we not go to any of these three cities that quoted. You can go only passing when landing at the airport, then look for the agencies of tourism information and ask for them. The best seats are in smaller cities and not in large capital with major security problems.
In small towns you will be well treated and will have no problem with security. In Bahia, I recommend you go to Porto de Galinhas, Itacaré, Morro de Sao Paulo, near Porto Seguro is Arraial D 'Help. Avoid staying in big cities.

4. You can catch a bus from Rio to Salvador? And you can take a bus from Salvador to Porto Seguro?
You can, there are buses to all these places but yes, Salavador is far from Rio de Janeiro.

5. How the weather will be like in early March?
Early March is hot, cold comes only in May.

6. It is easy to find hotel rooms in Salvador and Porto Seguro after the carnival, even if you do not book in advance?
Yes it's easy, can come when you want there will always be where you stay.

7. It's easy to take a taxi cab any time of day until late at night?
Yes just call that the taxi will pick you up in the hotel at any time of day or night.

8. I would take pictures of Brazil. I heard that it is not safe to bring cameras away. I will be ok with the cheap disposable cameras?
You can come with your best camera that is no problem. The problem is you go into dangerous places alone. You must use the services of a tourist agency that tour guides will teach you where to go and where good is not good or you pass by.

9. It is better to pay by credit card or cash when you buy food and clothes?
Always with money, you arrive in Brazil and exchange their dollars for real and usually paying in money spent Brazilian.
Never pay anything in dollars here, use our currency, the real.

10. Would you recommend any cool clubs and bars in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Porto Seguro? And they are easy to access by bus?
As I said, I repeat, use the services of tourist guides but you can go into dangerous places, it is best to use a tour guide.

Thank you again ...

Available and is welcome to Brazil.

1 - R$ 2,29 = US 1
2 - Yes
3 -
4 - Yes
5 - Good weather - sun
6 - No - better in advance
7 - yes
8 - You can bring your own camera, it is safe
9 - Either cash or credit card
10 -

meg

1. Depends on the day, recently it is like 1 USD = 2,50 BRL

2. As long you are inide the airport, anyhow never leave unattendant

3. No recoomendations.

4. No. It is summer here so its way too warm.

5. Summer still

6. Have no idea

7. Have no Idea

8. Yes, safer.

9. I am not even sure that they will take you credit card over here, since it is issued abroad.

10. Have no idea.

Just Hollis

1. 1 Dollar=2 Reis

2. It doesn't matter. Just be sure to keep a good eye on your possesions at all times.

3. Sorry, I only went to Floripa.

4. erjgjnrgjnbdkjgb

5. It will be perfect. Fall time, but still very nice.

6. Probably not.

7.In the city in which I stayed it took 10 seconds to find a cab whenever we needed one.

8. I brought a $2000 nikon. It was perfectly safe but I tried not to show it off. A cheap disposable camera would be fine, but once you see how beautiful brasil is, you are probably going to wish you had something that would take better quality of pictures.

9.It depends on where you are going. It is very easy to pay by credit card, just the same as in the US. Just make sure you call your bank ahead of time and inform them that you will be traveling. If you are shopping in beachside shops and such, there is a chance they might not accept cards. I used my card almost everywhere I went, but I had cash on hand for buying things such as snacks on the beach, things from street vendors, etc....

10. Sorry, i dont know :(

hope i could help at least a little!

brazil_travel_advisor

looking for flights / accommodation in Brazil? go to www.brol.com

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