Travelling to Brazil for the World Cup 2014

If you haven’t been to Brazil before, you might not realise how huge it is. It spans 4,395 km from north to south.

This means that you can’t just book a flight to Rio and then hop on a train. The rail options are very limited so it’s best to plan on air travel.

Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo is a common route and only 450 km apart, but most other cities aren’t so simple to get between.

Alongside Rio and São Paulo, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, and Salvador will all be hosting the 2014 World Cup.

With its geography spanning the Southern Hemisphere, the World Cup will be a winter game in Brazil. Fortunately, the climate is relatively temperate all year round.

The Northern part of the country is typically a bit humid but the Southern areas, like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, often hit 20-25 degrees with minimal rain.

The 2014 World Cup Cities

The World Cup is always a good time for a bit of a geography lesson. So, who exactly are the host cities this time? Well, Rio de Janeiro needs no introduction. It’s a world-renowned beach city packed with entertainment.

São Paulo is the birthplace of Brazilian football and the biggest city in the country. Ultra-modern Brasilia is an architectural masterpiece and World Heritage site.

Belo Horizonte may not be as well-known but it’s also one of Brazil’s major cities and a perfect combination of green and urban landscape.

At 1.8 million inhabitants, Curitiba is smaller than many Brazilian cities but no less cosmopolitan thanks to the multi-cultural population. Fortaleza and Recife’s beaches make them some of the country’s major tourist destinations. Manaus isn’t ocean-side but it’s one of the most amazing places to get a stunning view of the Amazon River.

Natal is known as the city of the sun because of its amazing weather. They have many as 300 sunny days per year – quite a nice break from England!

Salvador shows you a totally different side of Brazilian culture with a major dose of African influence. The city of Cuiabá takes you away from the dense urban areas and near the Chapada dos Guimaraes Mountains.

Getting Tickets to the Game

Brazil is a serious trek so no one is expecting tickets to the English games to sell out at once. Ticket prices are starting from £56. You can choose from three different classes of seats and pay according the seat location.

The current group of tickets are open for sale until the January 30, 2014. It’s a random selection drawing so you can register at any time during the open period.

The second part of phase two sales will be sold on a first come first served basis, which will commence February 26 to April 1.

The last minute sale phase will be from the April 15 to July 13, and will also be sold on a first come first served basis.

There are special ‘follow my team tickets’ available if you just want to watch England’s games. You can choose a package of three to seven matches. If England doesn’t make it, you can change teams and keep going to games with the same tickets.

Tickets are sold on the official FIFA website.

Package Tours or Independent Travel

If you want to really splash out on the World Cup, check out some of the amazing package deals going on right now. You can get a full package tour that will take to you Brazil, cover all of your hotels, and get you to every one of England’s games.

The package deals are sure to give you a once in a lifetime experience but they come with a major price tag. Tickets prices are starting around £6,995 for all-inclusive deals.

The benefit of a package tour is that you can buy it now and not worry about which city England will play in. While the package tours can be a great option, you can create your own holiday if they are a bit out of your price range.

If you do some searching around and plan early, you can find flights to Brazil for £1,000 or less if you are willing to have a layover or two.

You can also save by looking at alternative routes like Paris to Brasilia. British Airways and TAM are the best options for direct flights to Rio de Janeiro from Heathrow and they typically go for around £1,600.

Accommodation Options

You might be able to arrange a last-minute flight at a decent price but you will definitely pay more for a hotel if you wait longer. Hotels have started filling up before the gams even started.

Mid-range hotels are now going for around £400 in Rio. England’s first match will be against Italy on June 14 and will take place in the city of Manaus, in the Amazon region. They will then face Uruguay in São Paulo and then Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte.

Be sure to look at alternative accommodations like home rentals through local classified ads or websites like HomeAway or AirBnB. They can save you a lot of money, especially if you will be travelling in a large group. They have rooms starting at £20 for some World Cup cities.

If you have a British passport, you won’t need a visa to visit Brazil. The majority of countries outside of Europe, however, will need to plan in advance.

You’ll need to have your hotel and flight booked when you request the visa so it’ll be your last step. Figure out exactly what you will need to do, and expect delays just to be on the safe side.

The 2014 World Cup has been well anticipated and it’s not far off now. People from all around the world will gather in the city of God, and jet off to different cities to watch their team fight for the 2014 World Cup title.

England won their only World Cup title in 1966. So it’s definitely going to be a major event if they play well so make sure you don’t miss out!