To follow are some helpful tips submitted by Friends from around the world. We welcome any additional information you may have which you feel would be helpful to those travelling to Abadiânia.

Visas for US Citizens

[Information submitted by David mail@davidpurchas.com ]

For US citizens you will need a visa, for information go to www.travel.state.gov to see up to date info. Also see the Brazillian embassy website www.brasilemb.org

For other non EU and EUcitizens see www.braziltravelnews.com/visas.html

It is also a good site for general info...enjoy

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[Information submitted by Al]

For visa application forms and detailed visa information visit www.brazilianvisas.com

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[Additional Information re Visas]

Brazil Fiesta Tours and Visa Service
San Francisco California USA
Phone (415) 986-1134 (800) 200-0582
FAX (415) 986-3029
Email AlexM@BrazilFiesta.com
Website www.brazilfiesta.com

Discover Brazil Tours
Miami, Florida USA
Phone (305) 382-9443 (800) 524-3666
FAX (305) 382-9446
Email Eliane@discoverbraziltours.com
website www.discoverbraziltours.com

[Information submitted by Maarten (maartsam@together.net)]

For those of you who do not want to keep much cash on hand, you can get Brazilian Reals in Anápolis,(about 40 Km from Abadiânia, Taxi fare Brazilian Reais about 40 round trip) using your ATM VISA or MC card. The ONLY Bank where I did find:
(a) No waiting line
(b) Friendly help for the use of the ATM machine, since the machine "speaks" Portuguese ONLY,.
is a Bank called HSBC.
At the Bank Real, The Bank of Brazil and another bank of which I do not remember the name, I found long waiting lines and ultimately no help or ATM machines that honored my ATM Visa and my European Meastro card (both with CIRRUS Logo).
The Bank of Brazil was interested to exchange Euros for Brazilian Reais, but did not accept US Dollars.

Please be aware that Credit Cards issued outside of Brazil are often NOT accepted as form of payment in areas with few International Tourism. In Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo you can pay for your Hotel with the (foreign country issued) credit card, but in Anápolis it is very different. In Abadiânia I did not see any use of credit cards, including in the Pousada's.

Also, while I was still in Abadiânia I could not buy an Airline ticket from TAM (second largest Brazilian Airline; Varig being the Largest) using my VISA credit card. Only CASH worked."

[Information submitted by Vicky]

Yes, I was able to make a reservation via GOL. I don't know how this is going to work at the end but I can share with you what I found out.

First of all, I think GOL airline is definitively the least expensive domestic airline in Brazil. I was able to receive sale price from Rio to Brasilia city for R$178 (Reals). It was a sale price. Normal price was approx. R$268. Another airline that can provide you will less expensive domestic air ticket is VASP. Their tickets are less expensive then VARIG.
Examples of prices from RIO to BRASILIA:
GOL - approx. $90 Canadian
VASP - $190 Canadian
VARIG- $240 Canadian

These prices was given to me about 3 weeks ago (early 2003).

If you want to make reservation via GOL, you have to know that you will not be able to purchase your ticket through the website (www.voegol.com.br) because the system will ask for the "CPF" number, which is a Brazilian ID document.

However, you can contact them by phone: 55 11 4331-6895(from outside Brazil) or 0300-789-2121(within Brazil) and then ask for a supervisor to attend you (a supervisor is usually the one who speaks English). The supervisor will make your reservation just the same way you would do through website. Your reservation will be put on hold until the date of your preference, so you can pay it in cash at the airport in their check-in counters.

You can call GOL airline from 08:00 am to 11:00 PM Brazilian time. Before you call GOL, check the website to find out which plane you would like to take. I think there is a flight number so you can give it to them when you call. And please remember that you have to pay cash for your ticket. No foreign credit card will be accepted.

Also, please remember that when travelling with GOL you are only allowed to take one suitcase per person with maximum of 20 kg and 1 carry-on baggage.
If you have more, then there will be additional cost.

[Information submitted by Maarten (maartsam@together.net)]

The new experience I had goes like this: Instead of flying to Brasilia I flew to Goiania, which is much closer to Abadiânia than Brasilia (The cab fare from Brasilia is now R$150. From Goiania it is R$100) and there are plenty of connections from Sao Paolo to Goiania. At my return I even got a direct flight into Sao Poalo International Airport, that left at 7 PM from Goiania (Varig)

In Goiania I took a cab to the Goiania Main Bus Terminal (R 11). There I asked for the bus to Abadiânia ( It is the speed bus to Brasilia) It took only one hour, the (luxurious) bus stopped twice along the highway and dropped me off at the highway in Abadiânia ( bus fare R$9.50). From there I walked (600 yards) to the Hotel. (I never check luggage, only use the largest allowable carry-on on wheels). It was an interesting adventure to see the landscape from a bus and also see at the bus terminal that Brazilians "move" by bus. I did see beds and mattresses loaded, as well as large equipment like a table saw.

After 12 days in Abadiânia I walked back to the highway, caught the bus to Anapolis (R 2.50). In the Anapolis Bus Terminal I switched to a bus to Goiania (R$4.50). The Cab fare to the Airport was again R$11.