Travelling with kids is relatively easy in Brazil as they're
made to feel welcome in hotels and restaurants in a way that's not
always so in Europe or North America. South Americans hold the
family unit in high regard, and kids not only act as a cultural
ice-breaker between foreigners and nationals, but are also much
appreciated in their own right by Brazilians.
Travelling around Brazil takes time, so try not to be too
ambitious in terms of how much you aim to cover. Because of
frequent scheduled stops and unscheduled delays it can take all day
to fly from one part of the country to another. Long bus journeys
are scheduled overnight and can be exhausting. Children pay full
fare on buses if they take up a seat, ten percent on planes
if under two years old, half-fare between two and twelve, and full
fare thereafter. Newer airports have a nursery (
berçário) where you can change or nurse your baby and where
an attendant will run your baby a bath, great on a hot day or if
your plane's delayed. If you plan on renting a car , bring
your own child or baby seat as rental companies never supply
them and they are very expensive in Brazil. Cars are fitted with
three-point shoulder seatbelts in the front, but most only have lap
seatbelts in the back.
In hotels , kids are generally free up to the age of five
and rooms often include both a double and a single bed; a baby's
cot may be available, but don't count on it. It's rare that a room
will sleep more than three, but larger hotels sometimes have rooms
with an interlinking door. Hotels will sometimes offer discounts,
especially if children share rooms and even beds with siblings or
parents; the lower- to mid-range hotels are probably the most
flexible in this regard. If you're planning on staying more than a
few days in a city you may find it cheaper and more convenient to
stay in an apartment-hotel , which will sleep several people
and comes with basic cooking facilities. Baths are rare in Brazil,
so get your kids used to showers before leaving home.
Occasionally a hotel will provide a plastic baby bath, but bring
along a travel plug as shower pans are often just about deep enough
to create a bath.
Many of the mid- and upper-range hotels have TV lounges, TVs in
rooms, swimming pools, gardens and even games rooms, which are
often useful in entertaining kids. Most large towns also
have cinemas, the best often being the new multiplexes found in
shopping centres.
Food shouldn't be a problem as, even if your kids aren't
adventurous eaters, familiar dishes are always available and
there's always the ubiquitous comida por kilo option.
Portions tend to be huge, often sufficient for two large appetites,
and it's perfectly acceptable to request additional plates and
cutlery. Most hotels and restaurants provide high chairs (
cadeira alta). Commercial baby food is sold in
Brazilian supermarkets but is limited to a very small and expensive
range of Nestlé products - bring your own. If your baby is on
formula, bring enough with you as the Portuguese instructions on
locally produced powdered varieties may be difficult to understand
and, in any case, your baby may find a change unsettling. Pay
special attention to water and either bring a water purifier
or a travel kettle and boil mineral water rather than tap water.
Washing out bottles can be awkward, so it makes sense to bring with
you an ample supply of pre-sterilized disposable bottles (not
available in Brazil). Medium-category hotels usually have a
minibar ( frigobar) in the rooms where you can store
bottles and baby food, but where there isn't one you will be able
to store things in the hotel's refrigerator. A small cooler box or
insulated bag is a good idea and, while ice compartments of
frigobars are useless, you can always place your freezer
blocks in the hotel's freezer ( congelador).
In general, Brazilian infants don't use disposable
nappies/diapers ( fraldas), due to the high cost,
around $12 for twenty. Brands such as Pampers are sold in
pharmacies and supermarkets but it's worth bringing as many with
you as possible.
Health shouldn't be a problem, but before planning your
itinerary, make enquiries as to whether the vaccines
recommended or required in some parts of Brazil (in particular the
Amazon) are likely to have any unpleasant side effects for babies
or young children. For most of Brazil, the only likely problem will
be the strength of the tropical sun and the viciousness of the
mosquitoes: bring plenty of sunscreen (at least factor 20
for babies and factor 15 for young children) and an easy-to-apply
non-toxic insect repellent .