Buses in Brazil
As the British never conquered Brazil there's no national network of trains and the traveler has to rely upon buses to get around. There are bus companies that serve the entire country but they're far from cheap. The distances are so great that if you want to travel the lenght of the country you might easily pay upwars of $200..
Prices of bus travel in Brazil varies depending on the company. The cheaper buses often work out better simply because they don't have the arctic air conditioning that gives you pneumonia on the expensive buses, and you won;t have to hold your sanity together in front of the in-service television - too cheap to actually pay for movies, they have their own programs made especially for the bus with presenters who think they're on their way to becoming celebrities.
If you don't understand Portuguese you'll be glad for once as these idiots give useful advice such as:
"If you're travelling with kids, why not carry some spare clothing in case they spill food over themselves - - because children are children, after all, hey?"
Don't panic if you see your bus driving off when you stop for lunch at one of the stations - it's common for them to refuel and get washed mid-journey.
Flights
With the buses charging the earth, sometimes it's worth checking out the prices of internal flights. It may cost around the same and save you 20 hours listening to tips from inane Brazilian celebrities. Again the air conditioning is absolutely merciless so carry a thick blanket with you.
Shared Taxis
Especially In the North East of Brazil you can get around by hailing shared taxis and mini-buses. They're faster and cheaper than buses and they go between the towns and villages on a regular basis.
Hitchhiking in Brazil
Although Brazilians are some of the happiest, most generous people you're lkely to meet on your travels, fear of banditry makes hitchhiking in Brazil pretty tough. In remote areas, bandits drop rocks thrown the windscreens of trucks to make them stop. Therefore drivers are rarely in the mood to take any chances with weird gringos.
It is possible to hitchhikie in Brazil but bear in mind that the media pumps out stories of mugging, drug trafficking and kidnapping every day of the week. The result is that there's a lot of fear buried beneath the smiles.
Buses
Buses run regularly all through the night in Brazilian cities but the rich are generally too scared to go on them. Again, the media loves to report all the stories of assaults where bandits have go on board with a gun and taken the passengers for all they have. Especially at night, many people will prefer to share a taxi or arrange for a friend to pick them up.
For the traveler on a budget though, the buses are an excellant way to get about and the conductors are friendly enough to help you find your stop. Their pay is lousy so make their day by giving them a real tip.
Taxis
Taxis are safe in Brazil but expensive. If you're out at night in a dodgy area of town it's worth taking one home though rather than chancing a walk along a dark street.
If your Portuguese is good then the taxi drivers are an excellant source of information and cultural background.