Quote:
Originally Posted by leandergirl
Hi everybody, hope you are all well 
My Wife & I are visiting Sao Paulo, Belo & Rio in that order for around 5 days each & wondered if you kind souls have any tips or suggestions for us on things to do, see, eat etc
We are both 50 & are having a 2nd honeymoon if you would (ie) our 1st proper trip away from the kids 
We are fairly well travelled, Europe, USA, S Africa, Asia etc but never been to S America before, we're both British ex-pats living in Texas, baring in mind we will have to use public transport or hire a car what recommendations do you have for us please.
Is car hire reasonable or doable seeing we are in huge cities with heavy traffic?
Thanks in advance, peace out xx |
Hire a car is very reasonable, but I have to tell you guys that you might have problems with street manifestations that will likely occur during the World Cup. So, in my opinion, don't drive in the cities, you might get lost in the middle of the riots, and sinalization in traffic is really poor anywhere in Brazil; go to the matches and other places using public transport. I know it's very easy to get to the stadiums in São Paulo and Rio by the subway.
The road that links São Paulo to Belo Horizonte ("Rodovia Fernão Dias") is very fine, you can hire a car and drive by it, or take a bus. There's support by the concessionary that administrates the road all the road long, and restaurants, hotels, gas stations and mechanical workshops. It won't let down on you. The road that links Belo Horizonte to Rio sucks; you can take a bus, the travel doesn't take long, but don't risk yourselves with a car there. If you can, avoid the airports.
I know that at least in São Paulo during the entire month of June the city will be kind of desert, as a plane to reduce jam (the schools won't work, many people will take their vacations in their jobs, and the goverment offices
for sure won't be working...), so probably there will be considerably less bus on the streets (and now it seems that we will face a strike, so I really believe it will be hard to get a bus in São Paulo that don't lead to the stadium). My advice is: stay at a hotel in a neighbourhood where's safe to walk to the nearest subway station. In São Paulo, the "Linha Vermelha" (Red Line) of the subway is the only that have some stations in dangerous places. I don't know if you guys already have a reservation, but if you don't, Pinheiros, Vila Madalena, Vila Mariana and other places near those are OK to stay. Be prepared: it's very,
very hard to take a taxi in São Paulo. Believe in me: don't count on taxis. You just can't leave a concert or a football match expecting to find a taxi or manage to call to a taxi company... IT WON'T HAPPEN!!! Delete taxi as an option on your list for this World Cup!
The best thing you can do in São Paulo is to eat. Eat, eat, eat everything you can. Really, try our pizza, our italian food. I don't have idea of how a pizza tastes like in Texas, and I have chills even to imagine... You guys may be travelled, but the italian food in São Paulo is an unique thing. Eat street food, go to bars and eat portions of everything you can eat there. You also can go to a music concert of some brazilian artist.
I don't have idea of what you can do in Belo Horizonte... Are you staying in the city all the time? Small cities around it are lovely. You should take a day (or two, or three!) and drive to the "Serra do Cipó" and have lunch there, if the weather is warm you can swim in waterfalls, there are many there. The nature there is very beautiful. The road is OK, won't take 2 hours to get there. There are historical towns near Belo Horizonte too, you may like architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries, and they have good restaurants of typical food.
Oh, and if you like architecture, Belo Horizonte has a complex designed by Oscar Niemayer, "Pampulha", with a park ("Lagoa da Pampulha"), a crazy-looking church and a museum. If you like museums, you should go to MASP, in São Paulo. It has the greatest collection of brazilian art. If you like football, the Museum of Football in São Paulo will make you cry.
And in Rio, you should go to the beach!
P.S.: To drive in Brazil you will need an international driver's licence translated to Portuguese. You need to take that licence in the US and then translate it here in Brazil. It can take a while... But, to be sure, get information in a brazilian consulate there in the US. Maybe the process can be done in the consulate before travelling, or be agiled due to the World Cup.
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( England supporter ) 
