Before you go
The practical half of planning a Brazil trip
Where to go is the fun part. This is the other part: the visa nobody realizes they need, whether the safety reputation is fair, how money actually works here, and what a trip really costs. One page per question, kept current, written from living here rather than from a press release.
Planning
The decisions you make first, in the order you make them.
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Best time to visit Brazil
Month by month, place by place. Brazil is a continent, so there is no single answer, and this is the tool that gives you yours.
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How many days do you need?
The honest answer for one week, two weeks and three, and why two destinations beats four.
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What a Brazil trip actually costs
Real ranges by style of travel, from someone who pays these prices in reais.
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Flights from the US to Brazil
Which cities have nonstops, which routes are seasonal, and when to book.
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What to pack
A checklist sorted by category and by how much it matters, including what you can just buy when you get here.
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Paperwork and health
The things that stop a trip before it starts.
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Visas and entry for Americans
Americans have needed an eVisa since April 2025. What it costs, how long it takes, and the mistakes that cost people their flight.
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Vaccines and health
What to ask a travel clinic, where yellow fever comes up, and why the pharmacies here are so good.
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Travel insurance
Medical versus cancellation, whether your credit card is enough, and the exclusion that catches people.
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On the ground
How the country works once you land.
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Is Brazil safe? An honest answer
What is real, what is exaggerated, and what I do differently in Rio than in Florianópolis. No fear, no denial.
Being written
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Money, cards, Pix and tipping
Cash versus card, whether you need Pix, and the card-machine setting that quietly costs you 3%.
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Phones, eSIMs and staying connected
eSIM or a local SIM, which carriers work where, and why WhatsApp is the whole country's operating system.
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Getting around Brazil
Domestic flights, overnight buses, Uber, and when renting a car is a mistake.
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Culture advice
The part that makes the difference between visiting and being welcome.
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Portuguese: what you need and what you do not
The twenty words that carry you, and why Spanish will not.
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Etiquette: what Americans get wrong
Greetings, punctuality, splitting the bill, and the small things people notice.
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Food and drink basics
How a per-kilo place works, what to order, and what to try before you leave.
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Pages marked as coming are being written now. The ones already up are dated, and I keep them that way.
Free · 29 pages
Free guide
Beginner's Guide to Brazil
A free 29-page guide to everything a first-time visitor should know before landing: visas, safety, money, getting around, where to go, and what to eat.
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