Traveling to Brazil

Travel Note

Visas are required for US passports!

You need a visa to enter Brazil if you are traveling with an American passport as of April 2025! You do not need to visit an embassy or consulate in person. It is all done online via the website linked below, and then they will email you your visa after approval. Families can all apply within one application. Make sure your passports are not expiring soon! On the "document details" page, you should only need to upload: -scan/photo of your passport -a passport-style photo of yourself The rest of the documents are not necessarily required - if they need them later they will ask for them. If everything goes smoothly, you should get the visa approved in about 2 weeks. If you have any difficulties navigating the process, please feel free to reach out to us and we can help guide you. The link below will direct you to the official website to obtain a visa.

Travel Note

Info about Brazil

Weather Although it will be 'winter' here, the weather in July is usually sunny and high 70s during the day, with lows in the mid 60s at night. Be sure to bring your swimsuit (or buy a 'sunga' here) to check out the world-famous beaches! Currency The currency is the Real (pronounced "hey-all", plural "hey-ice"). The conversion rate is about 6 BRL to 1 USD. Most everywhere will accept Visa/Mastercard. The locals sometimes try to overcharge tourists - if you're buying some souvenirs, especially on the beach, bargaining is recommended. Time Zone Brazil is one hour ahead of the east coast during July (four hours ahead of the west coast). Safety Rio is overall a pretty safe place, but like any big city, you should still be smart. In particular, don't leave things unattended on the beach, be careful with your valuables/cell phones (especially when walking along the boardwalk and especially at night), and don't go into the favelas except with an organized tour. But in general Brazil is a safe country that has welcomed the world for both the Olympics and the World Cup within the past decade. Tap Water Like most Latin American countries, it's recommended to drink only bottled water. Tap water is fine for brushing teeth, but even the locals stick to bottled water for drinking. On a related note, sodas and beers are always served with a cup/glass - you'll never see a Brasileiro drink straight from a can or bottle. Você fala português? The language spoken here is Portuguese. Rio is used to tourists so some people, especially at hotels or tourist spots, will probably speak English. If you're a Spanish speaker, you may be able to get by with the basics, but understanding the spoken language can be difficult, especially with Rio's thick 'Carioca' accent. The website below has a good list of essential phrases for traveling.

Flight

Getting to Rio

GIG (Rio Galeão) is the main international airport in Rio de Janeiro. You could also search for flights into Santos Dumont (SDU) which is a smaller airport right in downtown Rio, probably connecting elsewhere in South America (e.g. GRU, the main airport in São Paulo). A flight from the US to Brazil typically is about 8-10 hours depending on where you're coming from. Round trip prices can range from $400 to $1000 per person depending on timing and where your origin is. Prices tend to be lowest about 3-5 months before traveling, so we recommend booking flights in the February-April time frame. If you are planning a longer Latin American trip, you may even find it cheaper to work in stops in other major cities on the way down/back, such as: Bogota, Colombia; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; Panama City, Panama; or Mexico City, Mexico. Some national airlines offer 'stopover' discounts where they offer lower fares if you spend a night or two in their country - especially Copa airlines via Panama City.

Rental Car

Getting Around Rio

Don't bother getting a rental car. Even if you plan on traveling around Brazil before/after the wedding, regional buses or flights are still probably a better option. The traffic within Rio is crazy and the streets can be confusing. Rio is pretty walk-able, but there is a also good subway system and there are ubers throughout the city to get to places further out. From the airport, we recommend taking an Uber to your hotel. They are plenty safe, and half the price of taking one of the taxis at the airport. (The taxi drivers will try to hard sell you on a taxi at the airport - just ignore them).

Hotel

Where to Stay

Our top recommendation is to stay in Ipanema (including Leblon and Lagoa), followed by Copacabana (including Leme). You'll be right by the beach and surrounded by bars and restaurants, and always near a subway stop. Ipanema is a quieter, residential neighborhood favored by locals, while Copacabana is more popular with tourists and can be very lively. The beaches in Rio are divided up by the 'Postos' (lifeguard stations) that line the waterfront - we will be staying near Posto 4 in Copacabana ourselves. See below for specific hotels where we've arranged discounts. Botafogo and Flamengo are fine as well, but you'll have to uber to the beach. Barra da Tijuca (especially Jardim Oceânico) is a newer, very nice neighborhood along a great beach, but is a bit further away from the rest of the city.

Hotel

Hotel Vermont Ipanema

To get a discount, use the code CASAMENTODABRUNA online, in case it is not working please email reservas@hotelvermont.com.br with your desired dates and the code CASAMENTODABRUNA. R$459 or around $85 dollars for two people

Hotel

Copa Sul Hotel

To get a discount, please email copasul@copasul.com.br with your desired dates and mention that you are attending to Bruna and Warner's Wedding. (Casamento de Bruna e Warner) The rate is R$380 (approximately $70) per night for two people.

Hotel

Hotel Arpoador

If you're looking for a upper-end hotel, check out the Arpoador in Ipanema. It's right along the beach and offers great sunset views from the rooftop pool!

Hotel

Grand Mercure Rio de Janeiro Copacabana

Another option for a very nice hotel, the Grand Mercure is over on Copacabana (also with a roof top pool!)