Salvador - getting ready for more tourists

A recent trip to Salvador made me notice the city is getting great improvements on its urban infraestructure, espeacially compared to a decade ago.

Metro is being built to reach the ariport (SSA), scheduled to the end of 2017, so hopefully it will be posible for tourists to use it to new year´s eve and 2018 carnival. Few cities in Brazil have the metro or subway reaching the airport, so it will be a great advantage for tourists in Salvador, though regular taxis, uber and 99taxis are also available at the airport. 

Plus, many touristic places at Barra and Rio Vermelho, and espeacially the streets, squares and gardens by the sea were improved by the Municipality, making of it a great place for strolling while feeling the seabreeze. 

The city is becoming far more welcoming to tourists, though the downside is theft/pickpocketing, so I recommend to be very carefull with smartphones, cameras and wallets. Also, there´s still plenty of people trying to insistently sell local stuff; if you´re not interested, just say no (also insistently) and get away. Leave your valuable things at your hotel´s room safe box, and enjoy this formidable historic city, a result of mixed cultures of Brazil. 

Central Bus Depot - Rodoviária at Brasília

Central Bus Depot 

- Rodoviária at Brasília

View of National Congress and the Ministries´ Esplanade from atop Rodoviária

Absolutely not a touristic destination, the Rodoviária in the city center may be of interest for modernism lovers visiting Brasilia. 

Inside Rodoviária of Brasilia

It is located exactly in the cross of the main avenues of Brasília, the Eixo Monumental (where main civic buildings are located) and the freeway Eixo Rodoviário, linking both "Asas" extremes.  

A subway station and the bus depot of buses coming from the satelite cities  - as are named the cities surrounding Brasilia inside the Federal District -, some parking lots on its upper level and two popular malls complete the ensemble of the place.

Inside the Rodoviária of Brasilia

It seems like a scenario of a futuristic movie, with real people fighting day-to-day life. In fact, it is one of the few places where people can be seen walking in this car-made city.

View of the old TV Tower and both South and North hotels´ sectors from atop Rodoviária

From Rodoviária it is possible to take the subway to the Interestate Rodoviária, where buses to other brazillian states can be taken, after the metro gets off Asa Sul.

Though Brasilia in general is a safe city, this place requires more attention with valuable things, and should be avoided late by night. It is very close to both south and north hotel sectors. 

Campos do Jordão 1 - a winter escapade

Campos do Jordão, a winter escapade (1)

A hotel at Campos do Jordão, by night, at Capivari neighborhood.

195km (126 miles) away from São Paulo there´s the swiss style city of Campos do Jorão. Located in the highest peaks of Mantiqueira Sierra, which divides the northeast of São Paulo state and the south of Minas Gerais state, it is also halfway by car from the city of São Paulo to the city of Rio de Janeiro. 

The Mantiqueira Mountain Range, a view close to Campos do Jordão 

The altitude makes this city the coldest in São Paulo state, and people flock here during winter to feel the cold in a country mostly used to high temperatures.

Roads linking São Paulo to Campos are very good. You can eighter take the Presidente Dutra road, which links São Paulo to Rio, and follow the signs to Campos and then take the road that climbs up the Mantiqueira by the km 139 at Dutra. 

Another option is to take the Ayrton Senna/Governador Carvalho Pinto roads (named before as Trabalhadores), which is an extension of Marginal Tietê, the avenue which is at Tietê´s river margin at São Paulo. This path demands only going straight ahead from São Paulo´s east zone, taking tourists directly to the road over the Mantiqueira Sierra. 

I recommend Ayrton Senna/Carvalho Pinto, because this road is more modern, speed limits are a bit higher and they have less trucks and buses when compared to Dutra, as this road links the biggest brazillian city (São Paulo) to its second (Rio de Janeiro). 

Using a GPS can make this trip very easy, although signs are very clear at the roads. Both ways have tolls, both automatic and with people at the cabins, just mind of having cash. Remember only  BRL, brazillian reais, are accepted. The tolls demand about 15 to 20 reais (about 5 US dollars) each way São Paulo-Campos do Jordão.    

The city is also reachable from Rio, as it is almost halfway through Presidente Dutra road. 

The Araucárias, a typical pine tree in the mountains of south Brazil. 

If you land in Brazil by the São Paulo International Airport - Guarulhos - GRU, it is even easier to rent a car and get straight away to Campos do Jordão, because both roads are linked with the airport road. Besides, by doing so, you could avoid about 30km of traffic jams inside São Paulo. 

The closest airport, however, is São José dos Campos (SJK), a city 89 km away from São Paulo, also crossed by Presidente Dutra and Ayrton Senna roads. This airport operates only (and few) domestic flights, so timetable may not be convenient, depending where from Brazil you could be comming. In the other hand, GRU is the most important airport in Brazil, whith the greatest number of both international and domestic flights in Brazil. 

Salvador (1) - Location

Salvador´s skyline, view from the Bahia de Todos os Santos (All Saints´Bay)

Salvador is in the middle of Bahia State coastline, at the northeast region of Brazil. 

The airport of Salvador (SSA) is one of the most busy in Brazil, and receives lots of international flights too, from Europe, the US and South America. 

Salvador da Bahia airport - SSA

Salvador da Bahia airport - SSA

But one must pay attention: don´t mix Salvador da Bahia with San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, in Central America. Be mindful of IATA´s code SSA before buying your airticket! It became famous in Brazil the history of an australian couple who was mistakenly sent by their tour operator to El Salvador instead of Salvador da Bahia during 2014 World Cup. 

As Salvador is located in one of the entrances of the Bahia de Todos os Santos (All Saint´s Bay), reaching Bahia´s south coast is harder by car, because cars must turn all the bay around, which is quite big; this turn-around can take very long time. 

Another option for cars is to take the ferry boat from another point of Salvador´s harbor to Itaparica, the island at the opposite entrance of the Bay. This ferry can also be taken by pedestrians, but you´ll need a car or a shuttle at Itaparica. 

The problem is that this ferry gets very, very crowded during carnival, end of the year and other brazillian holidays, making this option unadvisable at these times of the year. 

Aerial view of Salvador

Bahia´s south coast can be easily reached, as an option, through Ilhéus airport, a city 311km to the south. But Ilhéus is a smaller, domestic airport, so to foreigners it can be a bit difficult to get there unless you´re coming from another Brazillian capital. 

A good time for Brazil

A good time for (travelling to) Brazil

The devaluation of the Brazillian Real (BRL) is a good oportunity to foreign travellers come to the country. Now the exchange rate is around R$3.8 for each dollar, making prices really low, speacially for north-americans and europeans. 

Brazil air pass

Azul airlines is selling a Brazil Air Pass for foreigners untill november 30. I think this is the first time a local airline does so. 

There are two options: 

a 10-day pass for US$299 and 

a 21-day pass for US$399.

For more details, go to https://www.voeazul.com.br/en/home

For their full policy, go to:

http://www.voeazul.com.br/en/airpass?modo_desktop&utm_source=interna&utm_medium=none&utm_content=posicao1&utm_campaign=airpass&s_icid=divulgacao_interna_none_posicao1_paginainterna_none_none___25ago_airpass

Manaus, gateway to the jungle

Manaus, gateway to the jungle

The Sunset in The Negro River - yes, it is the Negro, almost an Ocean of fresh water

So, considering Manaus is a big city with a big airport (MAO), with direct flights to international destinations such as Panama (by Copa Airlines) and to Miami (by TAM), as well other companies and destinations in the world, it is a convenient place to be seated for a jungle experience.

So,visiting Manaus doesn´t demand people coming from the north hemisphere to go more south, to cities like São Paulo and Rio. But if you´re on a trip inside Brasil, there are daily flights from SP and Rio, and also from Brasilia, as well many other Brazillian cities.  

You can watch the sunset by the Negro in Manaus, or take a ride to Novo Airão, where river dolphins known as the Boto Cor-de-Rosa (the pink river dolphin) will be waiting to swinm with you. 

Nowadays this trip became far more convenient, as a huge bridge over the Negro river was built. 

There are one-day rides departing from Manaus harbor to visit the rainforest by boat, which is advisible if you lack time.

If you have more time, you can look for a jungle hotel, get a boat and sleep some nights inside the rainforest. Those hotels offer an all-inclusive stay, with rides through the igarapés for birdwatching, and to look after some other wild animals, as leopards and caymans. The hotels normally have suites hangging up over tall trees, over the river, to avoid the full of the river. 

Distances in the amazonian states are huge, really huge. And there aren´t paved roads, so the rivers are the main ways to get inside the jungle and other smaller cities inside Amazonas state. Trips by boat can take days, and there are a number of options, since regular lines provided by local carriers, used by local people, tour operators and even cruises on yachts. Local carriers have big and slow boats with hammocks for passengers (if passengers don´t bring themselves their hammocks). Cruises may have all the luxury imaginable. It´s all about what one can afford and the kind of experience one is willing to have....

Brazillian Main Airlines (4)

AVIANCA

www.avianca.com.br

Avianca started operating in Brazil as a small carrier. Nowadays it has a fleet of new A319 and A320, all with flight entertainment. The food is the best among domestic flights.

Its flights can now earn points for LIFE MILES milleage program, which is used in AVIANCA International and Copa Arilines, as well other carriers in South and Central America. In this sense, AVIANCA is a good option for South and Central America travels combined with Brazil. 

AVIANCA itself flies from São Paulo (GRU) to Bogotá, where it is located its main hub. Copa flies from Panama to São Paulo, Rio, Porto Alegre, Recife and Manaus. 

AVIANCA tried a merge with TAP (the Portuguese airline), but in the end the group of David Neeleman, owner of AZUL and JET BLUE, was declarated winner of the dispute by the portuguese government.

AVIANCA operates in main terminals at brazillian airports, so no worries about going to some isolated terminal. 

Brazillian main airlines (3)

AZUL

www.voeazul.com.br

Azul, along with Avianca, has minor market shares, but a good net of flights along Brazil.
It is owned by David Neeleman, the owner of JetBlue in the US. As he has both nationalities, he could have an airline operating domestic flights in Brazil.

Azul operates mainly from Viracopos Airport (VCP), in Campinas, a 1 million inhabitant city in the rich countryside of São Paulo State, 92km away from the city of São Paulo. It operates mainly with Embraer (Emb 145, Emb 195) airplanes. The planes are smaller than Airbus and Boeings operated by TAM and GOL, but the internal lay-out is very pleasant and spacious. The fleet is quite new and silent.

Viracopos has been, for years, mainly a cargo airport, but Azul took advantage of its infrastructure and location to build a domestic flights´ hub. If your destination is the city of São Paulo, they offer a shuttle to the city, but it takes at least one hour in the road, and God knows how long in the traffic jam in the city. A taxi may be quite expensive.

In the long run, Viracopos is supposed to be the biggest brazillian Airport, if connected by a high-speed train to the city of São Paulo, as it is the only airport in São Paulo´s metropolitan area with free space, on its borders, to grow more. The airport has been renovated for the World Cup, speacially the passenger´s lounge.

Now Azul has started to operate international flights to Orlando (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL),
Azul is operating also in the international airport (GRU), but from Terminal 4, which is separated from the rest of the airport. In Brasilia it operates also in a separeted terminal. So, you´d better pay attention when flying Azul, because you can loose your flight if you get in the main concourse of those airports.

Azul is also investing on big and medium-sized cities in the countryside of Brazil, so you can reach other destiny´s than the States´capitals, already well served by GOL and TAM flights. Now Azul´s site is announcing direct flights from Cuiabá (capital of Mato Grosso State) to many cities in the country.

Brazillian main airlines (2)

GOL

www.voegol.com.br 

GOL was created as the first low-cost carrier in Brazil. Of course, it changed the industry in Brazil, but prices aren´t necessarily the best.

GOL stopped serving meals for free, but recently it has announced this service will be retaken. So far, you have to pay for sandwiches and snacks, just water is for free.

GOL flies outside Brazil just to south-american countries (Caracas, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Cordoba) and has flights to the US stopping in the Caribbean (Santo Domingo) or in Venezuela (Caracas). It doesn´t flies to Europe.

Nevertheless, GOL has agreements with Delta and Air France, so it´s possible to fly domestic GOL flights, as a complement of international flights bought in the websites of those companies.

GOL has a fleet of boeings 737-700/800 mostly.

It´s fidelity program is “Smiles” (www.smiles.com.br), which was inherited from Varig, the old international Brazillian carrier which has bankrupted. Gol bought what was left from Varig, and maintained its milleage program.

Nevertheless, GOL didn´t preserve the name and the international flights that Varig had.

GOL operates mostly from São Paulo international (GRU, Terminal 1) and domestic (CGH), Rio international (GIG) and domestic (SDU), Belo Horizonte (CNF) and Brasília (BSB). 

Brazillian main airlines

TAM (Transportes Aéreos Mercosul)

www.tam.com.br

TAM started as a small carrier in São Paulo state, and now TAM has the biggest fleet in Brazil. It is also the brazillian main carrier of international flights. Its hub is São Paulo International Airport (located in Guarulhos, GRU Aiport www.gruairport.com.br), from where it flies to Europe (Milan, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Bracelona), the US (Miami, New York, Orlando) and almost every south-american country (Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Bogotá, Lima). TAM flies also to Mexico City and Cancun (a recently opened flight) from São Paulo International - GRU. TAM has flights to Europe and US from Rio (Galeão, GIG airport). TAM also provides some international flights to the US from Brasília (BSB airport) and Manaus.

TAM merged with the chilean airline LAN, forming the LATAM group. They became the biggest airline group in South America; now both companies share flights and the milleage program. Because of that, the Brazillian merger´s authority demanded TAM to leave staralliance international milleage program. So, TAM joined the oneworld milleage program.

It´s own milleage program is called TAM Fidelidade, which was expanded for other business in Brazil, trhough Multiplus Fidelidade www.multiplusfidelidade.com.br

TAM´s fleet is mostly composed by Aribus A319, A320, A321, and recently TAM bought the A350W for international flights. It operates some Boeings 777 on international flights.

LATAM group has recently annouced that it intends to build another hub in one of the following three cities, in the northeast region of Brazil: Fortaleza, Recife or Natal. Due to its strategic position almost in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the northeast region of Brazil was put in the companie´s future plans of providing new connections with Europe.

TAM´s international flights, allied with LAN´s net and its vast domestic flight network, can make things easier when travelling to Brazil.

Flying to and inside Brazil

Travelling inside Brazil, specially if you want to go to one state to another, will demand you take an airline. The country has a similar size as the US and Europe, but there´s no high-speed train and distances are huge. Roadtrips can be done, but only if you will have time or if you will stay in the same state or region. Furthermore, I´ll write about roadtrips. The Amazonian states can´t be visited by car, so you´ll need to get a some-days-long boat trip if you want to avoid the airplane there. Nevertheless, it is always possible to rent a car in the main airports, but you must check if the place you want to go is reachable by car, specially in the Amazonian states (Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Roraima and Rondonia).

For all state capitals there are daily and regular flights from São Paulo, Rio and Brasilia. Starting in other cities and depending on where you intend to go, may demand a conection. Big and medium sized cities in the countryside also have airports with regular flights.

Basically, in Brazil there are four main airlines which provides national service: TAM, GOL, AZUL and AVIANCA. TAM and GOL have the biggest marketshare and are always fighting for the leadership in domestic flights. AZUL and AVIANCA have smaller marketshare and less number of flights, but their service is good and can be both excellent options for less expensive flights. But be aware they can operate in terminals separated from the main terminal in big airports. In the next posts I´ll write about each one of them. All their sites can be switched for english, spanish and other languages.

There are some regional carriers which goes to smaller cities, like SETE BRASIL and PASSAREDO.

All four main carriers provide online check-in and have their apps too, for smartphones. They also have automatic machines ("totems") in the airports for check-in and other services. TAM and GOL, when you check-in at those machines in the airport, generally offer an earlier flight, if available. This is verty practical in case you´ve arrived too early in the airport.
But you can still check-in the old way, if you want to talk to the companie´s personnel....and take the line.

Domestic flights allow you to check, without extra costs, 1 piece of luggage weighting 23kg (50lbs).
International flights from Europe, US and Asia generally allows 2 pieces weighting 32kg (70lbs). However, it is always advisable to check your airline luggage allowance rules, which can also vary according to the ticket you´ve bought

(above: TAM and GOL planes at BSB, Brasilia International Airport)
Hand luggage policy is similar to Europe and US, but some airline personnel in some airports may demand you to check your luggage if they think it is too big for carrying on. Generally, sharp, cutting and piercing objects must be checked, as well as bottles over than 1 liter. 
In the next posts I´ll make some comments on each big-four airlines.