Brazil on a Budget

[Guest Mark]

Hotel internets are prohibitive and most along Copacabana are in tourist mode prices.

 

I walked the whole stretch of Avenida Copacabana as well as Prudente de Morais in Ipanema and the cheapest internet cafe is Cyber Place located in the basement of Clube Israelita Brasileiro, Rua Barata Ribeiro 489 (between Rua Santa Clara and Figueredo Magalhaes), Copacabana, Tel. 257-1963. The owner, if he is there speaks English fluently, being a former NYC resident. He can also give you the best restaurants for the price.

 

Ask for their discount coupons which they give now and then. The Clube also has a gym and pool and basketball courts. Clube Israeli is 4-5 blocks from Estacao or Rogers and right besides Galeria Menescal (an indoor street alley mall).

 

Please share your other budget tips.

[trilingual]

>Please share your other budget tips.

 

Thanks! That's a good tip. Here are some others:

 

1. Walk. Ride the bus or take the metro instead of taxis when it's too far to walk (except late at night and/or if the neighborhood is questionable). For shorter intercity trips, like Rio/SP or Rio/BH, take the bus. For comfort, use the slightly pricier "executivo" buses, or take the ovenight "leito" sleeper bus and save on a night in a hotel.

 

2. Eat at "por kilo/quilo" restaurants, where they weigh your food and you only pay for what you actually consume.

 

3. Shop for Brazilian music CDs at Lojas Americanas, which is almost always the cheapest place for the latest releases. If you can't find what you're looking for at Lojas Americanas, you can check the sales or promotions at the various small chain CD stores found everywhere in Copacabana or Ipanema, or at the shopping malls like RioSul. After exhausting those, you can fill out your shopping list at the more expensive (but worth it) Modern Sound in Copacabana.

 

4. Avoid the "frigobar" in your room. Buy snacks, bottled water/yogurt/fruit juice and fruit at the supermarket or Lojas Americanas; you can use the frigobar to keep them cool and fresh.

 

5. If you need to update your swimwear to Rio standards, or you new flip-flops or suntan lotion, or for all your other inexpensive fashion or cosmetic needs, check out (you guessed it!) Lojas Americanas. (It's a kind of Brazilian equivalent of the deeply missed Woolworth's.)

 

6. Check in somewhere like the Astoria or Apa, or rent an apartment, instead of staying at high-end hotels like the Caesar Park, Marriott, or Copacabana Palace.

 

7. Ask locals about other good buys and ways to save money. It's a great icebreaker; shopping and bargains are favorite Brazilian topics!

 

8. DON'T overpay/overpay the guys! Observe local rate scales. (See earlier endless threads for dissertations and discussions on this subject!)

 

Now, eat your heart out, Arthur Frommer. . . ;-)

[Guest Jake]

Speaking of bargain internet, I am sitting in an internet room that I discovered last trip. It is located at 374 Copacabana Ave, on the second floor, just north of Republica do Peru and just south of the Cocacabana Palace. The rates are 20 min - R$2, 30 min - R$3, 1 hour - R$5 and I was first stunned to be charged R$1 for 10 min. Not only that, but the owner speaks some english.

 

More on the REALLY fun stuff when I get back to the USA in a couple of weeks.

[+ Axiom2001]

I was just in this place on Monday; I noticed it while on the street on Sunday and decided to go in and make some emails to the US since I had to curtail my travels in Brasil (my thread about my experiences will be written within a few days). ...great rates for the time given you.

 

I couldn't use the equipment; the attendant assisted me once and offered to do it again, but in my state of frustration and embarrassment and mental confusion about other matters, I declined his offer. He was quite accommodating and declined to charge me anything. I graciously thanked him and descended the stairs.

 

...fine recommendation; it's not expensive! Thanks to Jake for giving specific geo directions to the place.