Touring Brazil and Argentina takes a lot of research.
Planning a trip to Brazil and Argentina depends primarily on three things; the length of the trip, the budget and whether or not you speak Spanish and Portuguese. It would take a lifetime to explore what both Brazil and Argentina have to offer fully, so it is necessary to first narrow down the regions and features you most wish to see before making reservations and itineraries. Traveling safely and smartly is the best way to enjoy South America's largest countries.
Instructions
1. Obtain your legal documentation. In order to travel to both Brazil and Argentina you must have a valid U.S. passport. Americans are required to obtain a travel visa in order to enter Brazil. The visa must be obtained ahead of time through the Brazilian Consulate General covering your state of residence. A Brazilian tourist visa costs $140 and is valid for 10 years from the date of issuance. Americans are not required to obtain a tourist visa in order to enter Argentina. Upon entering Argentina, however, a 90-day tourist visa will be entered in your passport at no charge.
2. Study basic Spanish and Portuguese phrases and purchase phrasebooks and dictionaries. Before heading to South America, know that English will not get you through in most situations. If you are not part of a guided tour group and have no Argentinian or Brazilian contacts, then you need to have some basic way of communicating Spanish and Portuguese as English is common only in the younger generations. Prepare yourself for situations in which to call a taxi, order a meal, get directions, ask how much something costs, ask the time and ask if a person knows speak English. There are many travel phrase books available at bookstores and travel shops.
3. Research the locations and transportation method most suitable to you. Brazil and Argentina are massive countries with diverse populations, cities, climates and attractions. It is impossible to see all of what both countries have to offer in one trip, so you have to do research and narrow down what you most want to see. Many Brazilian and Argentinian cities are interconnected by bus systems, however, and domestic flights can also be booked. The major tourism cities in Brazil include the infamous Rio de Janeiro, the colonial mining city of Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais State, Salvador in Bahia, the colonial beach city of Fortaleza in Ceara and Manaus in Amazonas, the largest city in the Amazon Rainforest. In Argentina, the European-style capital of Buenos Aires, the colonial city of Cordoba, and the wine growing province of Mendoza and backpacking in the mountainous regions of the Andes are all top touring destinations.
4. Budget your trip and make reservations. As with traveling to most countries, making hostel or hotel reservations ahead of time is the best way to go. In Brazil, an alternative to hostels and hotels are the bread and breakfast style poussadas that run cheaper than hotels though more expensive than hostels. Budgeting travel through Brazil and Argentina is favorable compared to many international destinations as U.S. currency converts to a much greater value in Brazilian Reals and Argentine Peso.
5. Prepare yourself for the culture change and be safe. Theft against tourists is high in Brazil and Argentinia, particularly in the heavy tourist areas of Rio and Buenos Aires. When visiting both countries, keep your guard up at all time. Never leave anything unattended at a restaurant or on the beach, always zip your bag or keep purse closed, leave your important documents such as passports in the hotel room lock box, carry travelers checks or visa cash cards with you daily instead of your whole wallet and never walk around alone at night.
Tags: Brazil Argentina, Spanish Portuguese, tourist visa, ahead time, Americans required, Americans required obtain
