Tips for Travellers

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

                CLIMATE:

Because of its geographical location, seasons in Brazil are in the reverse period of the year compared to the United States (spring - September 22 to December 21; summer - December 22 to March 21; autumn - March 22 to June 21; winter - June 22 to September 21).

Plateau cities such as São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and Brasília have mild climates averaging 66ºF. Coastal cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador have tropical climates with warm temperatures offset by the constant sea breeze; the average temperature is in the eighties.

While most of the country experiences no significant seasonal variation because it lies within the tropics, in the Southern region temperatures during winter can drop below freezing.

Temperatures in the Amazon region ranges in the mid-seventies, while rainfalls total more than 118 inches a year.

                ELECTRICAL CURRENT:

Voltage is not standard throughout the country. Most cities, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Manaus, Salvador, use 110/127V electricity. Brasília, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Recife, and São Luis use 220V electricity.

                CURRENCY:

The Brazilian monetary unit is the Real (R$) (pronounced Rey owl). Official exchange rate is published daily in newspapers. Cash and traveler's checks are easily exchanged at hotel cashiers, banks, and travel agencies. Most hotels and shops accept foreign currency and international credit cards.

                WEIGHTS AND MEASURES:

Metric system is used throughout the country. Temperature is measured on Celsius scale.

                LANGUAGE:

Portuguese is the national language. It is the largest Lusophone country in the world, and the only one in the Americas.

                RENTAL CARS AND TAXIS:

Chauffeured or self-driven rental cars are available at all major airports and in most large cities. Taxis are plentiful in most cities throughout Brazil. Regular metered taxis can be hailed on the street. The taximeter will show the exact fare to be paid (fares are indicated in Brazilian currency: R$ - Real). Radio dispatched taxis can be called by telephone. Taxi drivers do not expected to be tipped, although the common practice is to tell the driver to "keep the change".

                BUSINESS HOURS:

Most shops in Brazil open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Shopping centers stay open as late as 10:00 p.m., including on Saturdays, and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays and most of the holidays. Banks open from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm Mondays through Fridays in most parts of the country, with slight regional variations.

                HOLIDAYS:

Holidays observed in Brazil:

January 1 - New Year

February - Carnival (dates vary): Fat Tuesday is the official Carnival holiday. However, the whole week is affected by Carnival. Most school children and college students are off from Monday to Friday, and many businesses extend the holiday from Carnival Saturday to Fat Tuesday (and some even include half a day on Ash Wednesday)

April - Easter (dates vary): Good Friday is a bank, office and school holiday in Brazil. Semana Santa is both a time for religious devotion and a secular holiday with intense travel.

April 21 - Tiradentes, a national hero, is commemorated on the date he was executed in 1792 for leading a conspiracy to break Brazil free from Portuguese rule.

May 1 - Labor Day

June  - Corpus Christi (dates vary):  A moveable feast, is celebrated all over Brazil with traditional Catholic rites and processions which have touristic appeal especially thanks to the decorated carpets created in the streets for the occasion.

September 7 - Brazil's Independence Day is celebrated with a great parade in Brasília.

October 12 - Our Lady Aparecida's Day (Brazil Patron Saint's Day)

November 2 - All Souls Day

November 15 - Proclamation of the Republic

December 25 - Christmas Day

                TIPPING:

Most restaurants and bars include a 10% service charge on the bill. It is customary to leave a bit extra for good service. When not included on the bill, 10-15% is the general tipping rule.

TIME ZONES:

Time in Brazil, since October 15, 2012.

  UTC−04:00

  UTC−04:00 / DST: UTC−03:00

  UTC−03:00

  UTC−03:00 / DST: UTC−02:00

  UTC−02:00

Brasília official time - BRT (UTC-03)

The main time zone of Brazil corresponds to the time at Brasília. All the other time zones are given as offsets to it.

Outside of summer time, it corresponds to UTC-03; during summer time, it changes to UTC-02, but this change is not followed by all states. It comprises the states in the Southeast Region, the South Region and the Northeast Region (except some islands), the states of Goiás, Tocantins, Pará, and Amapá, plus the Federal District.

Brasília time + 1 (UTC-02)

This time zone corresponds to UTC-02. It is followed by a few Atlantic islands on the east coast of Brazil (Fernando de Noronha, Trindade, Martin Vaz, Atol das Rocas, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks).

Brasília time − 1 (UTC-04)

Outside of summer time, this time zone corresponds to UTC-04; during summer time, it changes to UTC-03, but this change is not followed by all states. It is used in the states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, and Roraima, and since mid-2008, also in the state of Acre.

Daylight saving time

Daylight saving time (DST) starts on the third Sunday of October and ends on the third Sunday of February. Occasionally, in years when the Carnival celebrations fall on the third Sunday of February, DST's ending is postponed to the following Sunday. The clock is moved forward by one hour between the start and end dates, moving Brasília Official Time from UTC-03 to UTC-02; the other states that do not follow summer time observe a change of the offset to Brasília time.