What to Pack for Your Trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
What to bring is guided somewhat by the length of your stay and your planned activities. You should understand what is easy to find in Brazil and what is rare - what is legal and what is illegal. If you are planning to stay mostly in the Rio area, then you will probably not need hiking gear. You get the idea. I recommend traveling as light as possible without forgetting the items that are essential for your comfort, health, or enjoyment.
Often overlooked are a number of things listed on the Rio Holiday Brazil Packing List spreadsheet. These fall in the general category of “I wish I’d thought of that”. Things like a simple canvas bag for carrying beach stuff and enough paperback books to get you by. Don’t just assume that you can buy what you need there. Some things are cheaper in the US and some things are just hard to find in Brazil.
English Books and Magazines
You can get English language books and magazines in Brazil, but they will be hard to find and very expensive (try US$25 for a simple paperback). Carry what you think you will need.
At Rio Holiday: We have a small collection of books for your use during your stay.
Liquor
The amount of liquor that you can bring into Brazil with your baggage is limited to 2 liters. Also, because of security restrictions, you can no longer carry on liquids, which makes it difficult to shop in a US Duty Free Shop for liquor. The good news is that you can buy (almost) all you want at the government run Brazil Duty Free shop after you land in Rio. The prices are generally good, but not great. Note that you can’t go back to the store after you leave the secure area, so you need to do this while you are waiting on your bags. Liquors actually made in Brazil are very cheap, so don’t waste money at the Brazil Duty Free. These include cachaça (about $2.00 per fifth), Bacardi rum (about $8.00 per liter), and Smirnoff vodka (about $8.00 per liter). Johnny Walker is very popular in Brazil and many grocery stores carry it. Bourbon (naturally, it must be imported from the US) is expensive in Brazil with the exception of Brazil Duty Free,. where the selection is limited. If there is a duty free service on the airplane, it may have good prices for bourbon, scotch, cognac, and some of the more exotic liquors, and gets you out of the security problem since these items are delivered to you when you exit the airplane. Don't assume that you will be able to find your mixers in Brazil. For example, cranberry juice and red grapefruit juice are two rare items in Brazil, but are the major ingredients in some very popular cocktails in the US. You can take these items with you, but they are bulky, heavy, and may break in your luggage (they are not allowed in carry-on). However, I recommend that you enjoy the tropics while you are there and experiment with the abundant and delicious tropical fruit juices.
At Rio Holiday: For your convenience, we sell some liquor by the bottle and some by the dose so you don't have to mess with Brazil Duty Free. If you need something special, we can probably pre-stock the bar for you.
Prescription Drugs
Some drugs only available by prescription in other countries are available over the counter in Brazil. However, I recommend packing what you will need for the trip plus at least a week’s more. If your prescriptions include pain killers, amphetamines, tranquilizers, or other suspicious items, leave them in the prescription bottles that have your name on it. You are restricted in the amount of these medicines that can be in your carry-on luggage. See Airline Baggage for details.
Cameras and Film
A camera is essential for a trip to Brazil. If you have a film camera, film is readily available in Brazil, but it is more expensive than in the US. We recommend that you pack what you need. Keep in mind that some high speed film, usually above ASA 400, cannot be submitted to x-rays, no matter what the security people tell you. Hand carry this around security if you need this high speed film (or just use the slower speed and don't worry). If you have an electronic digital camera, you may want to bring extra batteries or even the re-chargeable nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) types. Bring more than one memory card if you can, although it may be possible to find a place that will copy your card to a writable CD so that you can use it again.
At Rio Holiday: We have a complete setup for the digital photographer. You can transfer your images to a CD or DVD and re-use your flash card. You can also send some photos in email to make your friends jealous. We sell AA batteries, both alkaline and rechargeable.
DVDs
If you are planning to take a DVD player or a computer that can play DVDs, you will want to pack the DVDs that you wish to view. DVDs sold in the US are called Region 1, while those sold or rented in Brazil are Region 4. Most DVD players sold in the US will NOT play Brazilian DVDs, and vice versa.
At Rio Holiday: We have a Region 1 (US) DVD player at the house and a limited collection of DVDs. Bring your favorites if you like. We also have an XBOX game with two controllers and Halo (1). Bring your favorite game.
CDs
Most types of CDs are available in Brazil, but again, South American music will be easier to find. Many people have pirated versions of popular CDs since a legal version of an American CD can cost a weeks pay. Take your own or savor the Brazilian music while you are there.
At Rio Holiday: We have a CD player at the house. Bring your favorite CDs or enjoy one of ours.
Tobacco
Readily available in Brazil, but American brands are expensive. Brazil is the supposed originator of the cigar and they are plentiful. On the other hand, they have cigars from all over the world, including Cuba.
Sun Protection
Essential and easy to find. About the same price as in the US. Go for the PABA free kind and take both a sun tanning variety and a sun block. The tropical sun fools even experts and it is very easy to ruin your whole vacation on your first day out.
Toiletries
Readily available and only slightly more expensive, assuming you are near a store and want the experience of shopping. If you are just going for a few days, it may be easier to just take what you need, as the Brazilian brands may be unfamiliar. Don’t take the warehouse size. It just weighs you down. If you are frugal minded, transfer to smaller bottles. Note that there are now restrictions on carry-on items that prohibit many toiletries. See the details at Airline Baggage.
At Rio Holiday: We provide 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, soap, moisturizer, tissue, cotton swabs, and cotton balls.
Pets
They require many special papers, shots, and a quarantine in most cases. You probably only want to do this if you are moving to Brazil. Even if you are willing to pay the high costs and wait away from your pet for months while they are in quarantine, it is actually possible to get your pet stuck in Brazil and unable to return to your home. See http://www.brazilhouston.org/ingles/petplnt.htm.
Swimsuits
You will want at least two. Also, a beach cover-up or t-shirt for when the sun gets too hot. If you don’t have these things, buy them in Brazil where it is probably cheaper.
Electrical Items
If you want to pack some personal electronics or electrical items like curling irons, be aware that most places in Brazil use 110 Volt AC electricity, just like the US and Canada. However, this is NOT guaranteed and will depend on the area and the hotel. The rub is that the most common type of outlet uses a European style round pin. Just to complicate matters, sometimes these round pin sockets are 220 volts and sometimes they are 110 volts and you can ruin whatever you plug in. The best advice is to be sure to check with your host to see what type of electricity they have.
At Rio Holiday: We have 110 VAC and a limited number of clearly marked 220 VAC outlets. We provide adapters to standard US flat blade plugs, so there is no need to pack an adapter or a transformer.
Lost Luggage Kit
A delay of baggage is not uncommon on international flights. Pack in your carry-on a few essentials that you may need if you have to wait a day for your luggage to arrive. Many of these things are already listed as carryon in the packing spreadsheet. Include underwear, a swimsuit, and those personal toiletry items that will pass airline security, e.g., no sharp scissors, metal nail files, etc. See the details at Airline Baggage.
At Rio Holiday: We have a small honor store where you can buy items like toothpaste and shaving cream. If you need something special, we can take you to the nearby drugstore.
Laptop Computer
Sometimes you just can't avoid it. You are on vacation but you need to keep up with critical email, or you want to watch your stock portfolio. Be sure to include your power pack, diskettes or writable CDs, a mouse, mouse pad, telephone cord, and international telephone adapter. Some places have LAN connections, in which case you will want your LAN cable. Some have wireless 802.11b or 802.11g. A detailed list of computer items can be found in the spreadsheet.
At Rio Holiday: Each house has a late model Windows XP PC with a multi-purpose color printer, copier, scanner, and fax. We also have high speed DSL so you can plug in your laptop if you prefer. This setup is all most people need to stay in touch with work or family. We also now have a free Vonage internet telephone for free calls back to North America and some parts of Europe.