Planning a circuit + flights in Brazil

Hi everyone, Our travel plans to Brazil in October are moving forward. Now we're looking for the best way to put it all together. Starting from Montpellier, probably connecting through CDG, arriving in Salvador de Bahia, stopping in Belo Horizonte, then a flight to Rio, and the return trip. How can we manage to finalize such a circular flight? Thanks in advance for your tips. Best, Serge

Hi there! Well, if you arrive in Salvador, you can take a flight to Belo Horizonte and then to Rio. There are airlines like Gol and Latam that make it easy to get around Brazil. But keep in mind that when traveling from Belo Horizonte to Rio, there’s a good chance you’ll have to connect through São Paulo. The biggest hubs in Brazil are Brasília and São Paulo.

Hi there,

When you're in Salvador de Bahia, there are places to visit like Morro de São Paulo, Boipeba, and Itacaré for the beaches, and Chapada Diamantina for treks. After that, you can take a flight or bus to Belo Horizonte.

Hi there, We’re also leaving from Montpellier in early October, heading to Rio de Janeiro, then Minas Gerais, Recife, Olinda, ... and flying back from Salvador de Bahia. We’re currently looking for recommendations on which neighborhood to stay in in Rio? Alod

hi there, I haven’t set the dates for our trip yet. For Rio, nothing specific. Twenty years ago, I stayed for 4 days in Leblon. It was quiet but a bit out of the way—close to Ipanema and the botanical garden.

On another note, have you booked your domestic flights yet? Is it possible to do that from here? More to come. Best, Serge Rambal

Good evening, We’re also looking to book a hotel near Ipanema or Copacabana, close to a metro station. We’re planning just one domestic flight, from Belo Horizonte to Recife. I think I’ll book it directly on the airline’s website or via https://fr.trip.com/ Alod

Be careful, domestic flights in Brazil often cause online booking issues because they frequently—if not always—ask for a Brazilian ID number, WHICH YOU CAN’T GET, the famous CPF. So to work around this problem, I recommend trying to book through the site aviatur.com, where you normally shouldn’t have any issues.

Ok, thanks for the info. Do you know of a website for booking buses in Brazil? I came across this one: https://www.busbud.com/, is it reliable? Alod

So for buses, I’ve never booked online—I’ve always done it in person at the bus station ticket counter... so I couldn’t tell you :/

Ok, thanks for the info. Do you know of a website for booking buses in Brazil? I came across this one: https://www.busbud.com/en. Is it reliable? Alod

The site is reliable—I used it in 2020.

Otherwise, to compare transport options (and book tickets), I use Rome2rio (website or app).

Ok, thanks for your reply! Alod

Thanks for your feedback! Yes, we usually do it that way too, but in this case, the Rio de Janeiro–São João del Rey bus leaves from Rio’s bus station at 7:00 AM, and there are only three buses a day, so we’d prefer to book it in advance... Alod