Step 1: Initial Selection of Possible Destinations

When deciding your itinerary the first things you need to consider are your budget and available time. This will determine how much of the continent you can cover, realistically speaking. To help you judge distances and time we suggest using Google Maps. Find your start point on the map e.g. “Recife, Brazil”, then select “Directions” and find your destination. The result will tell you the distance, route and estimated travel time by various modes of transport.  

If your time is limited, you probably do not want to spend most of it on a plane, and as a responsible tourist we suggest you also give some thought to the environmental impact of doing so.

If you have time, but a limited budget, a Brazilian Airpass or South American Airpass may help you cover more ground than you might expect. But, if you do a lot of miles, please do consider off-setting the environmental damage via the Brighter Planet scheme, or that of a similar organization.

In addition to time and cost, another consideration is depth. Do you want to skim the surface of a big area superficially, or really discover a smaller area? Once you have made some decisions you can move on to the next step.

In addition to time, timing is also important. Weather conditions vary considerably in Brazil as climate conditions vary a lot in different parts of the country, and at differenttimes of the year. So, depending on when you travel you may find it hot or cold in the south, and in the north there are periods of the year when rainfall is heavier than usual. The BBC offers good information about Brazilian Weather,  and the site has details of the average weather conditions for several cities in each of the regions of Brazil including Belem and Manaus (North), Recife (Northeast),  Goiania, (Center West), Rio de Janeiro (Southeast) and  Porto Alegre (South).

Continue to Step 2