Rio de Janeiro

Assaí / Atacadão — wholesale — cheapest by far

Pão de Açúcar — premium, full-range

Extra / Carrefour — big weekly shop

Feira (street market) — produce, cheap and fresh

Best: Apr – Oct (dry) / Dec–Feb for beach heat · Wet: Nov – Mar

Fees: Use Banco24Horas, Bradesco, Santander or Banco do Brasil; many other machines block foreign cards or charge heavily. ~$5–6 typical.

Limits: Often capped around R$1,000–1,500 (lower at night for security).

Best machines: Banco24HorasBradescoSantander

Vaccines: Routine, Hepatitis A, Typhoid. Yellow-fever shot is recommended for much of Brazil incl. Rio state — get it 10 days before travel. Dengue present; repellent.

Health: Bottled/filtered water. Tropical sun on Rio and Floripa beaches is fierce — sunscreen and hydration. Excellent private hospitals in big cities. Watch the surf: strong currents on Atlantic beaches, swim between the flags.

Tap water: ⚠️ Big-city tap is treated but most drink filtered/bottled; on the coast and islands, bottled.

Safety: Rio rewards street-smarts: enjoy the famous beaches and sights by day, keep phones and jewellery out of sight, carry only what you need ('beach money'), and use Uber/99 rather than walking unfamiliar areas at night. Favelas only with a reputable guide. Florianópolis is markedly calmer — a laid-back island of beaches. Standard big-city and beach-town sense covers both.

For most short tourist trips, citizens of the US, UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia and New Zealand either enter visa-free or get a simple online authorisation (an eVisa or eTA) before flying. Typical visa-free stays run 30–90 days. Some countries want a visa arranged in advance, and a growing number ask you to fill an online arrival or eVisa form even when 'visa-free' — so always check the official portal for your exact nationality before you book.