What does it take to go to a World Cup Travel Wise?

Discussion in 'World Cup 2010: Fans & Travel' started by daveag98, Jul 6, 2010.

  1. daveag98

    daveag98 New Member

    Jul 4, 2010
    Club:
    Portugal FC
    Howdy all, in 2014 the World Cup will be in Brazil. I have always wanted to go there just need to work on my Portuguese in order to meet some of my family that i have only seen once before.

    So my question to everyone who attended the 2010 or previous World Cups, is what do i need to plan a trip?

    I have a passport and 2010 Portugal Jersey...thats about as far as i have thought this out.

    Money?
    Time?
    Travel?
    Hotel?
    Tickets?
    Games?
     
  2. --X--

    --X-- New Member

    Feb 8, 2010
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    GPS if you intend driving
    I really loved having a data plan for my blackberry
    Unlocked phone to connect locally
    The first 2 and a half weeks gets you there for 80% of the games
    Save $150 per month and your there
     
  3. bunkmedal

    bunkmedal Member

    Feb 12, 2010
    Club:
    Cardiff City FC
    Hard to say what demand for tickets will be like in Brazil (obviously a lot higher than in South Africa, but as high as Germany?) however one thing I have learned from this World Cup is not to go hog wild buying any tickets you can get your hands on. You can pick and choose to a certain extent, so try and plan where you really want to go.
     
  4. daveag98

    daveag98 New Member

    Jul 4, 2010
    Club:
    Portugal FC
    I was wondering also about travel within the country to all the host cities, seems like you almost have to fly from one point to the next.
     
  5. danwang

    danwang New Member

    May 23, 2010
    New York, USA
    For US citizens, one of the things about Brazil that is different from most other countries is that a visa is required prior to entry. There is at least the processing fee of $140, possibly among others, depending on your situation.
    Does anyone know whether anything about this requirement will be done differently for the 2014 World Cup?

    As for domestic flights, look at information about the airports in the cities you plan to be in, and see what airlines are serviced at each one. Afterwards, look at the domestic airlines' web sites, and search for flights there. Flights on the smaller airlines often don't appear in the big search engines.
    In SA, this was the case with 1Time Airlines, with which I took 2 flights. They were the cheapest flying options I came across but I thought their service was great. One of the flights I took, they wore uniforms styled after soccer jerseys, and they also borrowed fan gear from passengers to wear during the flight (in this case, an Argentina hat and various Dutch apparel, including a big orange wig). It was interesting that you had to buy food or drinks on the flight, but the prices weren't bad.
     
  6. supaeagles

    supaeagles Member

    Feb 20, 2010
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    In response to 911, the US immigration fingerprints foreign nationals coming across all US international airports and even take a picture of their face. Brazil were disgusted and are doing the same to "only" Americans coming to Brazil. The visa fees that America charges to foreign visitors is now abt $160. Brazil charges the same to US citizens wanting visas to travel to Brazil.
     
  7. futmotard

    futmotard Member

    Sep 8, 2009
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    First thing that comes to mind is where to be based, considering Brazil is a very big country, am not sure if the travel done in SA by car could apply, a quick browse of Google earth:

    In total 12 host cities!!!
    Rio de Janeiro mostlikley will be where the opening game will be (Maracana stadium ) as well as other big games.
    Manaus located in the North West, distance to Rio is 4338KM , about 2.5 days by car.
    North East, we have Fortaleza, Natal and Recife.
    Fortaleza distance to Rio is 2609KM about day and half travel by car.
    Fortaleza to Natal is 494KM about 7 hours by car, to travel between these 2 cities.
    Fortaleza to Recife is 769KM about 10.5 hours by car, to travel between these 2 cities.
    Natal to Recife is 282KM about 4 hour by car, to travel between these 2 cities.
    Salvador located 788KM south of Recife about 10 hours by car, to travel between these 2 cities.
    Rio to Belo Horizonte 434KM, 5.5 Hours by car.
    Rio to Brasilia 1157KM, 14 Hours by car.
    Rio to Sao Paulo 454KM 6 Hours by car.
    And I'll stop here, looks like travelling by car might not be an option if attending several games, flights better be cheap.
     
  8. daveag98

    daveag98 New Member

    Jul 4, 2010
    Club:
    Portugal FC
    Thats kinda what i was looking at and can't find small planes that might fly out of one and into the other.
     
  9. GolDeLetra

    GolDeLetra New Member

    Dec 2, 2009
    Club:
    Bahia Salvador
    Brazil 2014 is not going to be a world cup for the budget conscious. Internal flights in Brazil are expensive and time-consuming. Traveling by train is not an option and distances among cities are far too large for driving. In South Africa I managed to get from one side of the country to the other in a little over two hours. Things have changed in the last few years, but generally speaking it is virtually impossible to travel within Brazil without connecting in Rio or Sao Paulo. Roughly 80% of the Brazilian domestic airline market is dominated by two players (TAM and Gol). The new players have been stealing market share from the majors in the last few years, but they are not going to be in a position to challenge the majors in four years. Airport infrastructure is a real problem and something that is really concerning the organizers of the cup. People should expect delays, flight cancellations, chaos, and confusion.
     
  10. futmotard

    futmotard Member

    Sep 8, 2009
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Thanks for the input GolDeLetra, hope Air travel gets sorted out, 4 years to go, it could have a major impact on people travelling from abroad. Am sure locals will fully support the games, in Brazil it is a religion after all, however would be weird to see a stadium full ( or not ) of people where the support is only from locals.
     
  11. supaeagles

    supaeagles Member

    Feb 20, 2010
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    The Brazilian unit of currency is the Real (R$ or BRL), made of 100 centavos. Notes are issued in denominations of R$100, R$50, R$10, R$5 and R$1, while coins come in denominations of R$1, and 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 centavos. As at October 2006, 1R$ was equal to US$0.46, GBGBP0.25 and EUR0.37.

    The cost of living in Brazil is low for those who have an overseas income or earn foreign currency. However, local salaries are very low, so if you are employed by a Brazilian company and earn Reals, you may find your living costs to be fairly high. In 2005 the minimum wage was R$300, and most workers are paid less than double this.
    Restaurant meals are usually good value, and the service and food are generally good, whether you opt for local or international cuisine. Maids and other domestic help are also available at very low cost. The cost of real estate is low compared with many western countries.

    Typical prices include: Litre of petrol R$3.10
    Loaf of bread R$1.50
    5kg rice R$17.00
    1kg potatoes R$2.48
    12 eggs R$5.89
    1.5 litre of bottled water R$2.50
    Glass of local draft beer R$2.70
    Restaurant meal from $5 to R$50

    A service charge of 10% is usually included in a restaurant bill. It is normal practice to leave a tip of around 10% in hair salons, but taxi drivers don't normally expect a tip, while petrol pump attendants do.
    US dollars are widely accepted in larger hotels, restaurants and stores in the main cities and towns. It may be helpful to carry currency in small denominations in Brazil, as it is reportedly sometimes difficult to get change from large notes.

    1 USD ~ 1.76 Brazilian reals
     
  12. benn

    benn New Member

    Jul 12, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    this is all amazing information! thankyou everyone! i already made a request to my family to take a family trip to brazil in 2014! how far in advance did everyone book thier hotel? and when are tickets for the games available. thank you!!!

    CONGRATS SPAIN!!! www.allstarsoccermoments.com (sofunny!!)
     
  13. futmotard

    futmotard Member

    Sep 8, 2009
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Maybe we should start/merge this thread into something more apropriate as it is under:
    World Cup 2010: Fans & Travel
    and we are specifically talking about Brazil 2014?
     
  14. atomicbloke

    atomicbloke Member+

    Dec 7, 2009
    Berkeley, CA
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    We should also have a Fans and Travel section for Euro 2012 and Copa America 2011.
     
  15. supaeagles

    supaeagles Member

    Feb 20, 2010
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    bloody hell.. i totally forgot copa america was next year. thanks for reminding

    Brazils gonna be very busy starting 2013

    2013 Confederations cup
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    2015 Copa America
    2016 Summer Olympics
    :D

    We need to have new forums related to Brazil 2014. I think there is already one though in the fifa world cup forum but i cant find it.
     
  16. Furnaccio

    Furnaccio Member+

    Feb 19, 2008
    New York, NY
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    i started a thread for Euro 2012 already - if you go to the europe section, you'll see Euro 2012 and i started a thread titled "travelling to poland/ukraine" or something like that. only 1 person has responded thus far.

    but would like to get a dedicated group of soccer fans from the US to go.

    i enjoyed the WC and would like to make a trip every 2 years to euro/copa america and world cup

    please check out my thread!
     
  17. shares

    shares New Member

    Mar 18, 2010
    Sydney
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    Try and vary your trip and allow plenty of time to meet the locals !
     
  18. --X--

    --X-- New Member

    Feb 8, 2010
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Originally Posted by --X-- [​IMG]
    GPS if you intend driving

    Why ? I drove 4500kms in SA without GPS. As long as you have a good sense of direction and sound maps at various points GPS is excessive.
    Good on you for driving 4500kms without a GPS,I've done the same in Europe.
    I had never used one till a week before I got there and I've gotta say it was brilliant-took ALL the hassle out of navigation in a foreign country.I now use it back home and have discovered quite a few speed cameras I never knew existed
    It was the best thing I took to South Africa



    The first 2 and a half weeks gets you there for 80% of the games
    But the last 20 days get the better fixtures !
    Meanwhile you've missed the first 2 games that your country plays in the group stage-good thinking,not to mention the atmosphere of all the different nations supporters.
    The best value is definitely at the start,and since 95% of people can't afford 5 weeks off or the later rounds then why not go to 10 matches and enjoy the full flavour of the world cup at the right price



    Save $150 per month and your there
    This depends on the level of travel required, the country involved and the time left to save..
    Obviously he's talking about Brazil and NOW


    You picked the wrong bloke ,next time find someone that hasn't actually got a clue:p
     
  19. shares

    shares New Member

    Mar 18, 2010
    Sydney
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    "You picked the wrong bloke ,next time find someone that hasn't actually got a clue:p"

    Hm really strange.. -x- ..you seem to have taken my post as an attack on you.

    I was proferring an alternative view which you seem to frown upon.

    GPS

    I believe this, like anything else, is merely a tool [and a modern gimmicky application which in 90% of cases is overkill] and thus can be replaced with other tools [ planning, guide books relevant maps for instance].

    "The first 2 and a half weeks gets you there for 80% of the games
    But the last 20 days get the better fixtures !
    Meanwhile you've missed the first 2 games that your country plays in the group stage-good thinking,not to mention the atmosphere of all the different nations supporters.
    The best value is definitely at the start,and since 95% of people can't afford 5 weeks off or the later rounds then why not go to 10 matches and enjoy the full flavour of the world cup at the right price"

    If you read the site some more you will find a lot of people found the later games more interetsing AND the different nation supporters are still around.



    "Save $150 per month and your there
    This depends on the level of travel required, the country involved and the time left to save..
    Obviously he's talking about Brazil and NOW "

    So you are suggesting he needs USD 7200 say? Anyhow he asked the question in a general way so I answered it in a general way. The point is you need to know what you plan to do BEFORE you can budget anything.
     
  20. --X--

    --X-- New Member

    Feb 8, 2010
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Read the site more:eek:-there will be thousands laughing at that
    I would have met more forum members from here and others forums than anyone else here while in SA because I organised all the forum meets.
    You might want to sit around with a heap of maps for hours everyday working out which roads are toll roads,where you might get carjacked,where speed cameras are-I don't.
    Paid $150 for a GPS that covers the whole world except eastern Europe.I no longer have to buy driving maps for anywhere I travel.Its hardly overkill,it takes 20 seconds to set the address and you can then concentrate on driving without any navigation problems.
    I stand by everything I said-most people go to the group stage to watch their team 3 times and allow enough time in their program for the R16 match.Unless you are a Brazil or German supporter you don't actually expect you're team to be there.If they are,many will extend.
    The majority of supporters from 16 teams are on the plane before the quarter finals
    This is the reality of most people,certainly the vast majority that went from here-how do I know? Because I was one of the few that was prepared to help ad infinitum on questions about 1-ticketing,2-budget,3-travel checklist
     
  21. whiskerxx

    whiskerxx Member+

    May 30, 2006
    .....you missed out English! :D:D

    Ooohh, how we dream!
     
  22. shares

    shares New Member

    Mar 18, 2010
    Sydney
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    I was going to let this debate die BUI I had some spare time on my hands..

    I do not want to get into a long winded argument so do not intend saying anything more beyond this.

    1. You believe GPS is essential, I do not.

    2. I think RESEARCH is the first requirement for any trip.

    3. There are arguments for the start of a WC, the end of a WC and all parts in between . What you choose is personal preference.
     
  23. --X--

    --X-- New Member

    Feb 8, 2010
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    I'll say just 1 obvious thing
    TSTs start in group games
    Unless you're rich or lucky you will not see the matches you want for later rounds unless you get a TST.

    It just dawned on me that you're team wasn't in the world cup otherwise you'd want to be there for your teams group games
    I suppose there are many people that take a totally different route once their team hasn't qualified.Of course you would want to go to the later rounds then
    Sorry mate,I just assumed you went there following a team that was playing like most of us
     
  24. VICM

    VICM New Member

    Jun 1, 2006
    The country is too big to do too much travelling.

    It would be two weeks for me, two centres, R16 to final. Go to whatever games I could.
    Salvador and Rio. Final will be in Rio I expect.
     

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