Expert: Sandra - 5/18/2009

Question
Hi Sandra,
Myself and another woman plan to visit Brazil this Fall/Spring for 3 weeks.  
We are both in our 50's.   Can you give me an approximate cost (not including
air fare to Brazil) staying in moderately priced hotels, not budget like a Motel
6 please. What would you guess we would spend on food..vegetarian food.  
Approximate entrance fees to museums and tourist sites?
The plan is to get intra Brazil flights which I understand for 4 flights the cost
is about $400-500.
Thank you!!
Karen

Answer
Congratulations, Karen, on your travel plans. I know you will fall in love with Brazil, as many people do, and be planning to come back to see more of the country even before the first trip is over.

Hotel and restaurant prices vary according to location. In other words, the bigger cities like Rio and Sao Paulo, as well as some of the more popular and/or chic beachside towns, can be more expensive than elsewhere in Brazil. Also prices vary with the season and with holiday periods, Carnaval and Reveillon being the most expensive. Since you mention "this fall/spring", I assume you may mean September/October.

I would estimate that, in Rio, a moderate hotel would be about U$100-150 per night. There are, as well, modest,  clean, comfortable little pousadas and safe, cheaper hotels that might be around R$120-160 (approx. U$60-80). You should be looking at the neighborhood of Ipanema preferably, and then Arpoador and Copacabana. (btw, A good online resource for getting to know Rio, and getting an idea of sightseeing prices, is: www.ipanema.com) Comfortable pousadas in smaller towns might start between R$50-$90.

Meals can vary. There is excellent "street food" for R$1 (and I have never gotten sick!). A fancy restaurant in Rio can run upwards of R$100 per person with drinks. A good value is the "por kilo" type restaurant, mostly available at lunch, where you pay by the weight of the food you take. They usually have a large variety of choices, and are a good option for vegetarians in a country that loves its meat dishes. Larger cities usually have vegetarian restaurants, but you will probably have to go out of your way to find them.

Before you invest in an air pass, check the prices for individual flights on the routes you want on GOL airlines (www.voegol.com) or Webjet or some other bargain domestic carriers. It may come out cheaper still.

If you have any further questions, such as on specific destinations, please post again. I'd be glad to help. Happy travels.