🇧🇷 Brazil vs 🇦🇷 Argentina

Uber and local app 99 are the safest and most practical options for tourists; São Paulo and Rio have metro systems, while city buses are cheap but difficult to navigate.

⛔Avoid city buses in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo if you are carrying valuables — pickpocketing and robbery on buses are common, particularly at night.

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Buenos Aires has an extensive Subte subway and Metrobus BRT network, both accessed with the rechargeable SUBE card.

⛔Uber drivers in Buenos Aires sometimes ask passengers to sit in the front seat and avoid showing the phone screen at pickup to reduce confrontations with taxi drivers.

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Carry comprehensive travel insurance — private hospitals in major cities are excellent but extremely expensive, and the free public system (SUS) involves long waits.

⛔Do not rely on the public SUS system for emergencies as a tourist — without travel insurance covering private care, medical costs can be financially devastating.

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Private hospitals in Buenos Aires are excellent, but travel insurance with evacuation cover is essential — especially in remote Patagonia.

⛔If travelling to remote Patagonia or Tierra del Fuego, confirm your travel insurance explicitly covers medical evacuation — standard policies sometimes exclude it.

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Cannabis is illegal, littering carries fines, LGBTQ+ rights are legally protected nationwide, and Carnival period carries specific public behavior tolerances that do not apply year-round.

⛔Drug laws in Brazil are enforced, and foreign nationals caught with cannabis or other illegal substances face arrest, detention, and potential deportation.

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Cannabis is decriminalized for personal use, abortion has been legal since 2020, and Argentina's complex currency regulations affect how tourists handle money.

⛔Argentina's economic laws around currency exchange are complex and change frequently — exchanging money on the street (not at a reputable casa de cambio) exposes you to theft and counterfeit notes.

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The legal drinking age is 18, alcohol is inexpensive and widely available, but drink-driving is strictly enforced with a near-zero tolerance BAC limit.

⛔Brazil's drink-driving enforcement is serious — a BAC over 0.05% (or any measurable alcohol in some states) results in fines up to R$2,934, license suspension, and possible arrest. Use Uber or 99 after any drinking.

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Photography is generally unrestricted in public spaces, but avoid photographing in favelas unless on an organized tour, and always ask permission before photographing indigenous peoples.

⛔Displaying expensive camera equipment openly in crowded urban areas — especially beaches, bus stations, and street markets — makes you a target for theft. Keep gear secure and be discreet.

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Photography is generally unrestricted in Argentina; avoid photographing military and police installations.

⛔Photographing military installations, border crossings, or police checkpoints can result in detention and equipment confiscation.

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Shopping malls open seven days a week, banks are closed on weekends, and Carnival (February or March) shuts down most of the country for approximately five days.

⛔Traveling to Brazil during Carnival unprepared means facing extreme price gouging, fully booked accommodation, and chaotic transport — plan and book far ahead or avoid peak Carnival cities if you prefer normal tourism.

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Use Uber or local app 99 rather than hailing street taxis, especially in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo where unofficial taxis carry real safety risks.

⛔Never hail street taxis in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo — unofficial taxis ('pirate taxis') are linked to robberies and express kidnappings. Always use Uber, 99, or hotel-arranged radio taxis.

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Metered black-and-yellow taxis are reliable in Buenos Aires, and Uber operates well despite ongoing legal tension with taxi unions.

⛔Avoid accepting rides from unlicensed drivers who approach you inside airports or bus terminals — use only official ranks or pre-booked apps.

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Use ATMs inside shopping malls or banks during daylight hours — Bradesco, Banco do Brasil, and Caixa are most reliable for foreign cards, and Pix digital payments are now ubiquitous.

⛔Card skimming at standalone ATMs (especially on streets) is a real risk in Brazil — always cover the keypad when entering your PIN and check the card reader for tampering before inserting your card.

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Argentina's currency situation is critical — withdrawing from ATMs at the official rate loses significant value, so carry USD or EUR to exchange at legal casas de cambio for the far better blue rate.

⛔Never exchange money with strangers on the street ('cambio, cambio' touts) — counterfeit notes and short-changing are common risks; always use a reputable, fixed-premises casa de cambio.

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Claro, Movistar, and Personal sell prepaid SIMs at airports and phone shops; coverage is good in cities but patchy in Patagonia.

⛔Connectivity in remote Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego can be essentially non-existent — download everything you need offline and inform someone of your itinerary before heading into the wilderness.

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Brazil uses Type N plugs (two round pins plus a grounding pin) as its national standard, but voltage varies by city — São Paulo and Rio are 127V while many other cities are 220V.

⛔Brazil's split voltage system (127V vs 220V by city) is a genuine risk to electronics — plugging a 127V-only device into a 220V socket without a transformer will permanently damage or destroy it.

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Argentina uses a unique Type I plug (three flat pins in a triangle shape) at 220V/50Hz — most visitors need a specific adapter.

⛔Plugging a 110V-only device (some US hairdryers, older appliances) directly into an Argentine socket without a voltage converter will destroy the device and may cause a fire.

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Key scams to watch for include beach theft (arrastão group robberies), distraction pickpockets, express kidnappings in cities, and people posing as police officers.

⛔Express kidnappings — being taken to multiple ATMs to withdraw money — occur in Brazilian cities, particularly at night in isolated areas. Stick to busy, well-lit areas after dark and always use rideshare apps rather than walking to find a taxi.

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Watch out for the 'mustard' distraction scam, fake police officers, and street money changers offering counterfeit notes.

⛔Express kidnapping (secuestro exprés) — being forced to an ATM to withdraw cash — occurs rarely but does exist; avoid displaying expensive jewellery, cameras, or phones in busy or unfamiliar areas at night.

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Brazil has real and serious crime in major cities — stay alert, avoid favelas without organized tours, and take specific precautions on Rio's beaches and in city centers after dark.

⛔Robbery at gunpoint (assalto) does happen in tourist areas of Rio and São Paulo. Never resist — hand over valuables immediately. The standard local advice is 'entregue tudo' (hand everything over) and report it afterward.

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Buenos Aires is generally safe in tourist areas, but pickpocketing is common in crowded spots and certain neighbourhoods like La Boca should be treated with caution.

⛔Petty theft and bag-snatching spike in crowded areas like the Retiro bus terminal and along Florida Street — keep bags in front of your body and avoid displaying expensive electronics.

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Brazil's beaches are world-famous but rip currents (correntes) are a genuine danger — always swim at flagged beaches, never swim alone, and watch for seasonal jellyfish.

⛔Rip currents kill dozens of swimmers on Brazilian beaches every year — always check the flag system, swim near lifeguard posts, and never swim at unflagged or unpatrolled beaches.

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Mar del Plata is Argentina's main beach resort, packed in January–February; the Atlantic coast water is cold, and Patagonia's coastline is dramatic but frigid.

⛔Rip currents and strong undertow are present on exposed Atlantic beaches; swim only in patrolled areas and heed red or yellow warning flags.

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Drive on the right, an international driving license is valid, but avoid driving at night in unfamiliar areas and be prepared for chaotic urban traffic and highly variable road conditions.

⛔Never drive at night on isolated highways or in unfamiliar rural areas of Brazil — the risk of vehicle robbery, cattle on roads, and poor road conditions make night driving genuinely dangerous outside well-traveled routes.

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Drive on the right; an international driving licence is valid; fill up whenever you can in Patagonia where petrol stations are sparse.

⛔On Patagonian gravel roads, loose stones thrown by passing vehicles can crack windscreens — maintain a large following distance and check whether your rental insurance covers windscreen damage.

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Brazil is predominantly Catholic with a rich Afro-Brazilian religious tradition — cover shoulders and knees for all religious sites, and seek explicit permission before entering or photographing Candomblé and Umbanda spaces.

⛔Never enter a Candomblé or Umbanda terreiro uninvited or without explicit permission — these are active sacred spaces for practicing communities, and unauthorized entry is disrespectful and unwelcome.

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Argentina's huge size means dramatically varied climates — Buenos Aires is best in spring (September–November) and autumn (March–May), while Patagonia peaks in December–February.

⛔Patagonian weather is famously unpredictable and can change from sunshine to snow in minutes — always carry waterproofs and extra layers regardless of the forecast.

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Argentina's weak peso makes it extraordinary value for USD or EUR holders — wine, steak, and accommodation are all remarkably affordable if you exchange at the blue rate.

⛔The economic situation in Argentina is volatile and exchange rates can shift significantly — check the current blue dollar rate on a reliable source (like dolarito.ar) in the days before you travel.

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