[TheSlayer]

(08-21-2013 12:35 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

That's just crazy! 10K would be a bare minimum budget IMO to enjoy the WC in Brasil next year!

Who in here is going? Maybe we should have an RVF meet up there! Who's in?

For real, VC? I am trying to put together a crew but most of us think we can do it for 5-6k each? There is no way I could afford 10k right now. We were thinking of going for 10-14 days. Flights right now from Toronto to Rio are still in the $1800-$2400 (for June 2014) range which is not bad. Is accommodation really going to be that expensive? I was already looking at some places and it looked like we could make it work for around 5k. Unless they are going to increase the prices when you actually try to book.

Is the trip going to be worth it or it just going to be way too many people, way too crowded and way too expensive? After reading this thread, I am not so sure if I wanna go anymore.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Jacking prices to the stratosphere is very typical in Brasil. The way Brasilian businesses and biz people think at times makes no sense at all from a Western and more rational logical sense. For example, say you run a bar or restaurant or any other type of biz and say it's slow, less and less people are coming and buying. Any sane, western biz people who understands economy would simply review their marketing and offer promotions or lower their prices in order to get people back and to spending. But in Brasil, they do it a totally different way. There are not enough or no people coming at all? Ok, no problem, let's then increase prices to make up for the lost revenue.

I know it's baffling but that's how they operate. I've tried explaining to guys I know in Brasil and other business owners about that very concept, but they simply don't understand it or rather do not want to understand it. And with the allure of making a killing in the WC, they're greed and way of doing business is going to get them even more greedier.

Speaking of accommodations, I was watching a French documentary not longo about Rio and they were saying that people in the favelas are renovating or rather, giving a facelift to their shacks in order to rent rooms and beds there during the Cup. Want to know how much is the going price for a bed in a dorm in there? 200 Euros a night with a minimum 5 nights. I kid you not!

So if you're going to Brasil for the WC, you better have deep pockets. As Male Defined wrote above, budget about 3-4k MINIMUM PER week! I was budgetting about 10k for a month there myself, but speaking with my Brasilian friends there, seems that 20k would be more likely to do it for 1 month.

While the WC in itself is an incredible adventure, one being in Brasil, the coolest country in the world and in the country of football, it just doesn't get any better than that. I may still go as it's once a lifetime event, but I don't think I'll be there for the whole month. Two weeks more likely.

[TheSlayer]

Very interesting, thanks for the reply. So you think a two week trip is going to cost around 8k? That's still out of my price range. I do wanna go (even though I am not even a soccer fan really) because it is Brazil, it is the World Cup, it will be one giant party, lots of girls from all over the world but being young ( I am in my early 20s) and still trying to establish my career means that I don't have the deep pockets right now. I was budgeting for 5-6k but at 8k-10k I will have to pass on it.

At 4k a week I really have to question if it's worth it or not. Plus, we are all supposed to book together by end of September. By then I assume everything will be a little bit more expensive. I am sure the prices are only going to increase for the next few months until they level-off.

[Vacancier Permanent]

It's not all black and white. Are you going alone or with friends? If you're going with friends, then it can be cheaper as you'd be splitting the cost of the apart. But you better do it asap.

Also, which city in Brasil are you going to base yourself at? And are you going to be moving around within Brasil while there? If yes, know that even outside of those big events, it is not cheap to travel domestically. Brasil being a continent country, it takes not hours but days to travel by bus from one end to another. And flying, will cost as much as an international flight to Europe.

With 5-6k, you could swing it, but you'd be watching your money very carefully. A big chunk of it will be eaten by your accommodation. How long are you planning to be there?

[TheSlayer]

It's going to be a group of us, about 5-7 people. Most likely 5, I would say. We are thinking of basing ourselves out of Rio. The plan was to stay put in Rio and not move around much because of the transportation costs. We are planning to be there for 2 weeks although we discussed cutting it down to 10 days to save accommodation costs. If moving around is going to cost as much as international flights to Europe then we are definitely not going to be doing that.

From what it sounds like, 5-6k won't get it done. The thing with booking it ASAP is that when you have 5-7 people, it is always a mission to coordinate everything. That's why we figured we would book at the end of September after confirming with people either way.

[TheSlayer]

Double post.

[champ]

(09-02-2013 06:47 PM)TheSlayer Wrote:  

It's going to be a group of us, about 5-7 people. Most likely 5, I would say. We are thinking of basing ourselves out of Rio. The plan was to stay put in Rio and not move around much because of the transportation costs.

I posted something similar in another thread, but it's relevant here. Rio is my favorite city in the world but it will be an absolute cluster fuck during the WC and not worth the outrageous costs (5-6k would be the absolute minimum for shitty accommodations, and 2nd rate partying).

Rio is the type of city where you don't need an event going on to enjoy yourself. A good friend of mine is the biggest Rio lover I know, he used to go there twice a month while living in SP and just moved there full time. He went there for Carnaval last year and afterwards told me it was the worst time to go as the tourists / crowds / prices / and overall disorganization take away from the Carioca vibe.

Aside from prices your going to have to deal with a shit ton of tourists (not the easily bangable tourists either, the type traveling with their high rolling boyfriend / husband), shitty service, scam artists in droves, traffic, and a lack of Cariocas (because half of them will get out of the city).

I'd recommend booking a trip to Rio a month before the WC as you'll probably have a better experience (Just read through MaleDefined's thread to get a perspective of what Rio is like outside of tourist season).

A possible alternative would be to pick a shitty second tier city (like the guy going to Cuiaba) where the overall festive vibe adds rather than subtracts from the place.

All that said I threw my name in the lotto for the finals. If by some miracle I win I'll be crashing on my buddies couch (if he doesn't rent it to some sucker).

[TheSlayer]

Thanks for the help, VP and champ. I have a much better understanding of the situation now. At this point it looks like I will probably not end up going. While I have no doubt that it will be an amazing experience, I don't think its worth it if I am spending 8-10k for two weeks. One of my main motivations was the girls but after what Champ said I will save my Brazil experience for a less crazier time and spend much less money while doing so. I tried telling my friends (without redirecting them to this thread) that it will be more expensive than what we are expecting and Rio may not be that much fun during the WC but they think I am talking out of my ass lol. They will find out once they actually start booking and then likely back out.

[Vacancier Permanent]

TheSlayer,
Don't give up just yet. IF you can get a decent place without paying through the nose, it would be possible to make it with your budget. 5-6k can be doable even during the WC, but you gotta be very careful with your money.

Also, if your crew is going to be comprised of 5-6 guys, you guys could team up and get a big 3 bedroom apartment. It would cost you guys about 4-5K for 2 weeks. Between you guys, it wouldn't be such a bad deal after all. You guys could sleep 2 per room (yeah it would suck for logistics in terms of bringing girls back, but gotta sacrifice some things). If you get a girl, there's a tons of motels, which are just for that purpose, to bang all around Rio and they are priced decently. Speaking of which, if you're adventurous and shameless, you could stay your entire stay in a love motel.

If you went outside of the WC or Carnaval, you could stay for an entire month in Rio and party it up like there's no tomorrow on that budget. Yeah, tough choice I realize, but keep in mind, the world up in Brasil will be probably once in our lifetime. And it doesn't get any bigger than that: the World Cup in the country of football!

Also, another thing I would suggest is instead of staying in Rio, try staying in smaller cities within 1-2 hours of Rio. Some can be in the hills like Petropolis, Teresopolis, others on small beach towns east of Rio like Cabo Frio, Buzios, Marica, or west of Rio to Angra dos Reies, Parati. All of which are within a 100kms of Rio and can be reached during match days in 1-2 hours driving. This might make you save money on accommodations. IF I were you and wanted to be based in Rio, I'd base myself in a smaller city outside of Rio in order to have a less crowded, less jaded people, more authentic experience while still being on the beach (way nicer beaches than anything within Rio!). Plus, very easily reachable to the Maracana for the matches.

If you want to absolutely be in Rio, then look into Niteroi, which is right accross the bridge from Rio, but where things are more local and thus, less expensive. But you'd need at least someone in your group who speaks at least some decent portuguese as very few people in these areas speak English. All in all, don't rule it out just yet!

How good is your portuguese? Is there anyone in your group that speaks the lingo? Btw, are you based in Toronto?

Another thing that I just remembered: don't look into Airbnb or Expedia or any site in English as they will be milking you like crazy. Instead, search on sites in Portuguese for the Brasilian market. I'm going to post a few links later.

Edit: Actually this has inspired me to make a post on my blog about how to get a decent apart in Rio without paying through the nose for it, even during popular times like Carnaval or the WC. And I may post it in here as well, so stay tuned!

[TheSlayer]

(09-02-2013 10:23 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

TheSlayer,
Don't give up just yet. IF you can get a decent place without paying through the nose, it would be possible to make it with your budget. 5-6k can be doable even during the WC, but you gotta be very careful with your money.

I see. To be honest, 6k was my upper limit but I think it is definitely going to cost that much now. I wouldn’t mind going on a tight budget but it sounds like it will be very difficult to do WC for 2 weeks for only 6k.

(09-02-2013 10:23 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Also, if your crew is going to be comprised of 5-6 guys, you guys could team up and get a big 3 bedroom apartment. It would cost you guys about 4-5K for 2 weeks. Between you guys, it wouldn't be such a bad deal after all. You guys could sleep 2 per room (yeah it would suck for logistics in terms of bringing girls back, but gotta sacrifice some things). If you get a girl, there's a tons of motels, which are just for that purpose, to bang all around Rio and they are priced decently. Speaking of which, if you're adventurous and shameless, you could stay your entire stay in a love motel.

Yeah, we are looking at apartments and hopefully those are cheaper than hotels. What exactly is a love motel? Sounds shady lol.

(09-02-2013 10:23 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

If you went outside of the WC or Carnaval, you could stay for an entire month in Rio and party it up like there's no tomorrow on that budget. Yeah, tough choice I realize, but keep in mind, the world up in Brasil will be probably once in our lifetime. And it doesn't get any bigger than that: the World Cup in the country of football!

Also, another thing I would suggest is instead of staying in Rio, try staying in smaller cities within 1-2 hours of Rio. Some can be in the hills like Petropolis, Teresopolis, others on small beach towns east of Rio like Cabo Frio, Buzios, Marica, or west of Rio to Angra dos Reies, Parati. All of which are within a 100kms of Rio and can be reached during match days in 1-2 hours driving. This might make you save money on accommodations. IF I were you and wanted to be based in Rio, I'd base myself in a smaller city outside of Rio in order to have a less crowded, less jaded people, more authentic experience while still being on the beach (way nicer beaches than anything within Rio!). Plus, very easily reachable to the Maracana for the matches.

If you want to absolutely be in Rio, then look into Niteroi, which is right accross the bridge from Rio, but where things are more local and thus, less expensive. But you'd need at least someone in your group who speaks at least some decent portuguese as very few people in these areas speak English. All in all, don't rule it out just yet!

That’s exactly my point. For that much money, I could take a vacation some other time and do a lot more. Hmm, pretty sure nobody in my group speaks Portuguese.

(09-02-2013 10:23 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

If you want to absolutely be in Rio, then look into Niteroi, which is right accross the bridge from Rio, but where things are more local and thus, less expensive. But you'd need at least someone in your group who speaks at least some decent portuguese as very few people in these areas speak English. All in all, don't rule it out just yet!

How good is your portuguese? Is there anyone in your group that speaks the lingo? Btw, are you based in Toronto?

Another thing that I just remembered: don't look into Airbnb or Expedia or any site in English as they will be milking you like crazy. Instead, search on sites in Portuguese for the Brasilian market. I'm going to post a few links later.

Edit: Actually this has inspired me to make a post on my blog about how to get a decent apart in Rio without paying through the nose for it, even during popular times like Carnaval or the WC. And I may post it in here as well, so stay tuned!

You are getting a +1 from me all this help. I am open to any area outside of Rio it means better quality for girls and a little less money.

[champ]

Why don't you spend the week before the WC starts in Rio then a second week in another WC city?

You get to experiece Rio without the shit show (I imagine the vibe will be pretty good with the anticipation of the WC but without the prices) and still experience the WC. All the games in Rio are already oversubscribed so chances are you'll have to scramble just to watch a game there.

As far as Portuguese, start studying now. Even rudimentary Portuguese will quadruple the number of girls you can talk to. Download pimsleur and start doing a lesson a day for the next 3 months and sign up for an account on livemocha.com. Livemocha will also double as your pipelining. The only two girls I've ever slept with from meeting online (in the same day on my first trip to SP) were from livemocha.

[kaka]

(09-02-2013 10:23 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Another thing that I just remembered: don't look into Airbnb or Expedia or any site in English as they will be milking you like crazy. Instead, search on sites in Portuguese for the Brasilian market. I'm going to post a few links later.

Edit: Actually this has inspired me to make a post on my blog about how to get a decent apart in Rio without paying through the nose for it, even during popular times like Carnaval or the WC. And I may post it in here as well, so stay tuned!

Please help with this issue. I have been looking at accommodations on airbnb, and while it will be me and my cousin trying to split an apartment, the owners skyrocket the price when you contact them about the availability.

I am staying there for one month if it helps.

[paninaro]

I'm not budgeting $10k. Right now, tickets from the US to Cuiaba (where I plan to go) are pricing at about $2k. The trick I'm finding is that the flights from the US to Rio and Sao Paolo are filling up, but you can get direct flights from the US to other cities and transfer or buy a domestic ticket, like from the US to Brasilia or Salvador and then continue from there.

Also so far what I've found is $300-400/night for a house so split that among 5 guys and it's not too bad at all, though this is in Cuiaba not Rio.

Rio is going to be crazy expensive due to lack of housing, and I also agree with another poster that you can go to Rio on a normal weekend and still have a blast. That (and the fact I've been to Rio twice before anyway) is why we're targeting a 2nd-tier city.

As for actually physically obtaining the tickets, I believe this year FIFA will let you pick them up in advance, from their ticketing centers. My plan is to arrive a day before our first match, so there will be plenty of room for delays or any lines, and at that point pick up all our tickets (venue-specific). I plan to stay nearly 2 weeks -- leaving a day after the last match in Cuiaba.

If you're into soccer, this is an event worth experiencing. It's probably the only time in our lifetimes the WC will be held in Brazil. We already know the host countries through 2022, and the next one by tradition will be in Europe (2026), so the earliest it could come back outside Europe is 2030, and I doubt they'll go back to Brazil that "quickly". Besides, we'll all be old by then

[Vacancier Permanent]

Here are some links for sites in Portuguese, which may be cheaper than the ones in English targetted at the gringos market:

http://www.aluguetemporada.com.br/ferias...ade/r29875
http://www.riotemporada.net/copacabana/3...y.com.br/?
http://www.hoteis.com.br
http://www.bestday.com.br
http://www.goldenimoveis.com.brhttp://www.rederiodeimoveis.com.br

These should be a good place to start. I'll ask my friends in Brasil tomorrow for any local recommendations they could provide and if any, I'll post them here.

[kaka]

(09-04-2013 01:32 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Here are some links for sites in Portuguese, which may be cheaper than the ones in English targetted at the gringos market:

http://www.aluguetemporada.com.br/ferias...ade/r29875
http://www.riotemporada.net/copacabana/3...y.com.br/?
http://www.hoteis.com.br
http://www.bestday.com.br
http://www.goldenimoveis.com.brhttp://www.rederiodeimoveis.com.br

These should be a good place to start. I'll ask my friends in Brasil tomorrow for any local recommendations they could provide and if any, I'll post them here.

I really appreciate the help! Yes, if your friends can help, that would be awesome too. So far, I've been getting host's responses on Airbnb and they want to charge about $15k-18k for one month. RIDICULOUS! I told them no thank you, but I'm not a dumb ass

[Brosemite]

(09-04-2013 01:32 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Here are some links for sites in Portuguese, which may be cheaper than the ones in English targetted at the gringos market:

http://www.aluguetemporada.com.br/ferias...ade/r29875
http://www.riotemporada.net/copacabana/3...y.com.br/?
http://www.hoteis.com.br
http://www.bestday.com.br
http://www.goldenimoveis.com.brhttp://www.rederiodeimoveis.com.br

These should be a good place to start. I'll ask my friends in Brasil tomorrow for any local recommendations they could provide and if any, I'll post them here.

In other news, I appreciate this because aluguetemporada is giving me a PLETHORA of good options for visiting Floripa if I want to stay near Jurere during a special event. Mad props!

[kaka]

Btw, rep point for VP +1

Thank you for the work and post you have given this forum. Yes I am new, but that is because I was waiting for my account to be activated, so I've admired your threads/posts.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Glad this has been helpful guys!
I'll post more as I get some recommendations from my Brasilian friends in Brasil.

Stay tuned!

[JohnnyAppleSeeds]

I am one of the many who love this sport and Brazilian women, although I have yet to get the flag, who said they were going to this World Cup as soon as it was announced. The price gauging put a damper on that but tips in this thread and the recent WCQ'ers have me again thinking I cannot miss this as I will regret it for the rest of my life.

My question to VP and others is how much do you think prices will start to fall as the tournament progresses, if at all? Housing, food, travel, etc...

I'm asking because if I do go I will apply for a ticketing package that includes the Final and stay the month. Do it right ya know...

[kaka]

I have a feeling that pricing (airline tickets) will begin to rise as we get closer and closer to the copa. It's already about $1800-1900 roundtrip at this moment. After reading some blogs about the world cup in SA, some have mentioned that hotels charge such a high price that they have trouble filling their capacity, so when it gets closer to the cup, they're willing to lower the prices slightly. Now, I'm not an expert, just telling you what I've read, it could be true or false.

But logisitics are very important. Yes, SA was a great event, but I'm sure everyone is going to be flocking to Brasil because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity (last WC in Rio was 1950) and I think the majority of the fans would prefer going to a WC in Brasil over SA, because of the culture of soccer there.

I have already put in my bids for the tickets with my mates, and now, we're just looking to book our apartment and flight. There's 3 of us, so it helps cut costs down a little.

If you're in doubt and don't mind spending maybe 6-9k on this event, I would go. You will have the opportunity to go to another WC in your lifetime, but not a WC in Brasil again...

[paninaro]

(09-13-2013 11:59 AM)JohnnyAppleSeeds Wrote:  

My question to VP and others is how much do you think prices will start to fall as the tournament progresses, if at all? Housing, food, travel, etc...

I'm asking because if I do go I will apply for a ticketing package that includes the Final and stay the month. Do it right ya know...

Food and travel I think have mostly reached their peak. For food, realize that still the majority of people in any city are locals and they need to eat. Prices won't go up much. Brazil has great buffets (damn, can't remember the name now) so you can eat on the cheap without issue.

For plane tickets, I think again they've already reached their peak for the most part. WC is big, but there is also in general plenty of travel to Brazil. Prices I'm seeing from the east coast US to Brazil are in the $2k range and I just don't seeing it going much higher than that in the next few months.

As far as tickets go, that's a different story. Right now, if you buy a ticket, you pretty much don't know who's playing the match and there's a discount for that uncertainty. Once they draw the teams, matches like England - Brazil could skyrocket in price, while North Korea - Latvia will not. It's a gamble.

[JohnnyAppleSeeds]

Went ahead and booked my flight, 6 weeks total in Brasil. I'm going to Rio for a week before the tournament due to cheaper airfare and the desire to experience it before the World Cup crowd comes in.

Hopefully I get the TST7 tickets I put in for!

Now it's time to start saving and get back to studying Portuguese.

[kaka]

JohnnyAppleSeeds, any thought into booking your accomodations? One week before the event is actually a good idea, provide it you have the spending power for another extra week. Wise choice bro

Also, how do you plan on following a team if you do get the TST7? That's an insane amount of logistics work no?

[JohnnyAppleSeeds]

Kaka, I was thinking about booking something for that 1st week before the WC in Rio soon and then waiting for the draw to figure out the rest. During the World Cup I will most likely go the hostel route although I do have a friend 40 minutes north of Rio so we'll see.

As far as the TST7 goes yeah it will be a shit ton of travel once inside Brazil but fuck it, once in a lifetime right? I'm also looking at it as a good way to see a good portion of the country.

I'm figuring on about $1,500 for travel costs inside Brazil which is more than my flight there... Time to start saving dough.

[Safado]

Here are some more places where you can find apartments in Rio

http://www.zap.com.br
http://www.imovelweb.com.br
http://www.rederiodeimoveis.com.br/
http://www.vivareal.com.br
http://classificadosdorio.globo.com/
http://www.crasesigma.com.br/
http://www.standardimoveis.com.br
http://www.precisaoadm.com.br/
http://www.lucrum.com.br/
http://www.interativaimoveis.com.br/
http://www.wmartins.com.br/
http://www.novomundoadm.com.br/
http://www.administradorarenascenca.com....ilino.html
http://www.machadodesouza.com.br
http://www.farmconsultoria.com/index.asp
http://www.rioflathunter.com
http://www.facebook.com/groups/temporadarj/