going through brazil on the way to bolivia

November 6, 2005 2:46 PM

Going to Bolivia next summer, and interested in spending a week or two in Brazil on the way. How feasible is this?

I am going to Bolivia next summer to do research for my masters thesis, and I was thinking of potentially flying to Rio or Sao Paulo instead to spend some time - then taking a bus/train/flight to Cochabamba (where i will be), or La Paz. Has anyone done anything like this? Any suggestions for flying to Brazil cheaply?

Flying to Bolivia was quite a bit more expensive, so i was thinking that I could come out at roughly the same prices by trying this - and see Brazil some in the meantime. How much should a Brazil flight cost? (from NYC)

posted by jare2003 to travel & transportation (5 comments total)

jare2003, we seem to keep running into each other. You're looking at Brazil's lower season, and if you look at Varig's (click on "internet bargains") prices you'll see about $500-600 round-trip from JFK depending on your exact dates - and yes, I did price tickets for specific dates and get those prices. As another point of comparison, I just paid $700 for tickets for January round-trip from BOS on American. If you come in through Brazil you will almost certainly arrive in São Paulo before going on to Rio, but for most people Rio has much more to do.

One additional cost to add in for Brazil as a US citizen is the visa, which is $100 if you can do it at the consulate and $125 or so if you have to do it by mail. You have to do this after buying your plane tickets but before arriving in Brazil.

The Lonely Planet Brazil has lots of information on the border crossings, if you were to do that by train/bus, but I can't answer that part from first-hand experience.

(Tag-along question: Can anyone give me an idea what I should pay for airfare from Rio to Buenos Aires, and where I would go to find such fares? This can be purchased from Brazil or the US.)
posted by whatzit at 3:04 PM on November 6, 2005

(Also if you're looking for more specific stuff on Rio, I've posted at length about it here and will be spending the winter again in RJ, SP and TO for work. Not that anyone else ever goes to TO... So feel free to get in touch by email.)
posted by whatzit at 3:34 PM on November 6, 2005

Brasil to Bolivia overland will be long, uncomfortable and possibly dangeruous, so fly if you can afford it. Or go overland if you're the adventurous type.
You might also fly into Lima, get on a bus to Cusco and hang out there (and Machu Picchu, of course), before catching a much less harrowing bus to La Paz and on to Cochabamba.
posted by signal at 5:25 PM on November 6, 2005

GOL has cheap flights from Santa Cruz de La Sierra to Rio and Sao Paulo.
posted by tyamada at 5:42 AM on November 7, 2005

Oh, it also has flights from Rio to Buenos Aires. The fares vary a lot, but I found a one-way ticket for R$ 369.43 which is about US$166
posted by tyamada at 5:48 AM on November 7, 2005