Wedding Bela & Sven

If this is the first time you are flying to Brazil, we recommend the following itinerary:

Fly on Friday (19-Apr) or Saturday (20-Apr) and land in GIG (Rio de Janeiro) on 20-Apr. Leave the airport by Uber, go to your hotel, get ready & enjoy the night in Rio!

From Sunday to Wednesday, you can enjoy the beautiful beaches, and visit Christ the Redeemer, Museu do Amanha, and Sugarloaf... I am not from Rio therefore, I will not be giving too many suggestions, so I suggest checking a nice 4-day itinerary suggestion from a Taiwanese-American (see below link)

On Wednesday (if you want to attend the Football Match) or Thursday afternoon, take an Uber to SDU (Rio de Janeiro - Santos Dumond Airport), fly to Belo Horizonte, take an Uber to the hotel, get ready & enjoy our list of Events!

If you live in Europe and plan on flying directly to Belo Horizonte, based on our experience, TAP Airlines via Lisbon is the best and most comfortable flight connection. The main reason for that is that you will skip landing at very big airports like GRU (Sao Paulo) or GIG (Rio De Janeiro), having to collect your luggage, exit the boarding area, drop them off, and board again.

When landing in CNF (Belo Horizonte), a smaller airport, you just need to go through immigration, collect your luggages and exit the airport.

If you plan on flying earlier and enjoying a few days of Brazil before going to the wedding, we recommend flying directly to GIG (Rio de Janeiro) or GRU (Sao Paulo). Several airlines offer this service, Lufthansa / Swiss being our favorite, but Latam, AirEuropa, AirFrance, KLM, TAP, ITA, British Airways, and Iberia (...) are affordable options.

To plan internal trips from Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo to CNF (Belo Horizonte), we suggest that you fly (trains are nonexistent, and buses are not ideal options for foreigners, in our opinion). Several airlines offer this service, such as:

- Gol: www.voegol.com.br/en

- Latam: www.latamairlines.com/br/pt

- Azul: www.voeazul.com.br/us/en/home

Please note that when landing in Brazil after an international flight, you will land in GIG (Rio de Janeiro - Galeao Airport) or GRU (Sao Paulo - Guarulhos Airport). These are international airports.

When flying within the country (like Belo Horizonte), you may prefer to fly from SDU (Rio de Janeiro - Santos Dumond Airport) or CGH (Sao Paulo - Congonhas Aiport). These national airports are also closer to the city center.

We do not recommend you take any public transportation, not because it is dangerous but simply because the language barrier will be a challenge. Please take an Uber wherever you go, Uber Black being, of course, the best option.

There are areas of cities in Brazil where you can walk on foot, for example, in the Savassi neighborhood in Belo Horizonte or Copacana / Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, but please do not take expensive gadgets or cameras with you, avoid taking out the phone, or taking out money in the middle of the street. Just please be careful and do not give anyone a chance to rob you!

- Pampulha: it is a neighborhood with a beautiful lake that you can explore on foot. Igreja Sao Francisco De Assis is considered the masterpiece of the architectural complex of Pampulha. Mineirão is the most traditional Football Stadium in Minas Gerais, home to the Cruzeiro Team. It served as a venue in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup and it is, unfortunately, the stadium where Brazil lost against Germany in 2014.

Read more about Belo Horizonte City Tour in Pampulha - www.viator.com/tours/Belo-Horizonte/Belo-Horizonte-City-Tour-in-Pampulha/d26539-8753P36?mcid=56757

- Mercado Central: It is worth skipping breakfast or lunch to make sure you come with an appetite to Belo Horizonte’s Central Market. Spanning an entire city block, the market is filled with vendors hawking fresh produce, flowers, handicrafts, and traditional Brazilian cuisine. Follow the gorgeous smells that emanate inside, and you will quickly find your way here. Freshly roasted Brazilian coffee, churrasco sizzling on the grill, and sugary brigadeiros are just a few of the enticing treats that await. Consistently ranked as one of the world’s best central markets for its variety, quality, and accessibility, Belo Horizonte’s Central Market dates to 1929.

Read more: https://ccbb.com.br/#/

- Mirante Mangabeiras: Belo Horizonte is a city surrounded by mountains. The Mirante is a place where you can have a city view from the perspective of the mountains. Today, it’s a tree-lined boulevard of two wooden decks with jaw-dropping panoramas of the city, framed by the nearby hills and the distant mountains. The gazebo is about 34000 square meters, so there’s a lot of space for strolling. Get your camera, and start clicking. An easy way to get there is by Uber.

- Inhotim: The Inhotim Institute is home to one of the largest foundations of contemporary art in Brazil and one of the largest outdoor art centers in Latin America. It was founded by the former mining magnate Bernardo Paz in 2004 to house his personal art collection but opened to the public a couple of years later.

Inhotim is located in Brumadinho, 60 km from Belo Horizonte. The institute has a total area of 1,942.25 acres, mostly located in the biome of the Atlantic Forest.

For further information on the official website and how to get there, please check the website www.inhotim.org.br/

- Ouro Preto: Located just outside Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto is one of Minas Gerais’ main attractions. The city is essentially an open-air museum and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its tremendous importance in Brazil’s colonial history.

For tips on what to do in a day, check this link: www.viaretravel.com/en/1-day-in-ouro-preto   - Tiradentes: It is a Brazilian historical site famous for its participation in the Inconfidência Mineira. The town was named in honor of the martyr Tiradentes, who was executed in 1792 during the revolt against Portuguese colonial rule. Today it is a quiet town that attracts visitors who come to see the colonial mansions that once belonged to the area's sugar barons. The mansions, some more than 100 years old, are surrounded by lush gardens and shaded by huge trees.

For tips on what to do in a day, check this link: www.georges-backpackingguides.com/blog/complete-guide-tiradentes-brazil/

- Brasilia is the capital of Brazil

- Brazil is usually safe for tourists, but please always be careful. I will not lie, you might feel unsafe sometimes, but this is not a reason not to join our wedding. Read this, please www.alongdustyroads.com/posts/2017/3/19/tips-for-staying-safe-in-latin-america-travel

- Bring a universal plug. Brazil operates on a 127/220V supply voltage and 60Hz. For this region, the voltage is 127 v

- Almost everywhere accepts cards. You do not need to worry about bringing too much cash

- Use good repellent, we are a tropical country, and you might not be used to our "flies" and mosquitos

- We speak Portuguese, not Spanish, not "Brazilian". And even though it is similar, Portuguese is not the same thing as Spanish

- A pedestrian line or green light at a crossing does not mean it is safe to cross. Please always double-check before crossing the street

- Never drink tap water

- Pay attention to phones, do not use them while walking on the street. Never let phones on the table in restaurants

- Avoid/be careful when hanging your bag at restaurants

- Leave your passport at the hotel, always. But please always bring an ID along

- Do not take out your wallet while walking on a street

- People do not only shake hands when they meet. They might shake hands, but they will always hug and give kisses on the cheeks

- Give tips at restaurants. Most places charge an optional service fee, which revolves around 10% of the tab's total value

- Brazilians are often late for appointments

- Brazilians speak all at the same time

- English isn't spoken widely

- Enjoy the juice bars! We have the best juices ever, and they are very cheap