You can drive to Brazil from 8 of the 10 South American countries with which it shares a border. These countries are Argentina, Bolivia, French Guyana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Due to the thick impenetrable rainforest of the Amazon basin, there are no road routes between Colombia or Suriname, so you’ll need to use an alternative route.
It’s also possible to drive to Brazil as part of a Pan-American road trip using the Pan-American Highway. Commencing in Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, the network of roads that forms the Pan American Highway runs all the way through to Ushuaia in Argentina. Depending on the route you want to take, you can use this road for the majority of your trip before turning off to enter Brazil via it’s numerous border crossings.
Where is Brazil?
Brazil is located in South America and is the largest country in the continent. It’s also the most populous with over 214 million residents. Brazil’s size and far reaching geography mean that it shares borders with all but two of the other countries of South America. Only Ecuador and Chile fail to share a common border with Brazil.
How to get to Brazil
There’s a whole multitude of different ways to get to Brazil. With 10 neighbouring countries of which 8 have open land borders, there’s no shortage of land options available. If you’re travelling by road and you’re in either Colombia or Suriname, you’ll need to travel into Brazil via a neighbouring country.
There’s also a huge range of different flight options available for Brazil. Various different airlines fly into a large number of different airports across the country. Note there’s very little in the way of budget air travel in South America, so anticipate paying higher costs than you would in other continents.
For those not in a rush, there’s also several options to travel to Brazil by river. We’ll take a look at each of the different travel options below.
Brazil by Road
Argentina
There’s 5 major border crossings between Brazil and Argentina. The most common and popular among travellers is located at Puerto Iguazú given it’s close vicinity to Iguazu Falls. The other major crossing is at Barracão, half way along the border between the two countries. Both of these border crossings allow international vehicles to transit to and from Brazil.
Bolivia
There’s a single border between Bolivia and Brazil. Located between the towns of Corumbá (Brazil) and Puerto Quijarro (Bolivia), it’s a relatively straightforward crossing. International and domestic vehicles are permitted to cross here. It’s best to arrive early as it can be very busy.
French Guyana
There’s just a single border crossing between Brazil and French Guyana. It’s located at the town of Oiapoque (Oyapock in French). After obtaining exit stamps, most visitors take a short boat ride across the river, before completing immigration formalities on the other bank. However there’s also a bridge at this location, which is open periodically if you’re travelling with your own vehicle.
Guyana
There’s a single border crossing between Brazil and Guyana, located between the towns of Lethem (Guyana) and Bonfim (Brazil). Separated by the Takutu River, this is the only official border between the two countries. Immigration offices are located either end of the Takutu Bridge, which is the only way to travel between the two countries.
Paraguay
There’s a host of different border crossings between Paraguay and Brazil. One of the busiest crossings is Pedro Juan Caballero in the centre of the country, however the most popular for visitors is at Ciudad del Este. This town straddles the Paraguay/Brazil border and is home to the spectacular Iguazu Falls. Visitors mainly come here to see the falls from one side before crossing the Bridge of Friendship to view from the other side, before continuing their journey on. The bridge accommodates both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Peru
In the west of Brazil there is a remote border crossing with Peru. It’s known as the Iñapari Border Crossing and it’s between the Brazilian town of Assis and the Peruvian village of Iñapari. While the road is paved on both sides of the border, the crossing is a very, very long way from anywhere meaningful in either Peru or Brazil.
Uruguay
There’s multiple border crossings between Brazil and Uruguay, all of which support international vehicle arrivals and departures. The most popular and convenient crossing is close to the Atlantic coast at the town of Chui (Brazil) / Chuy (Uruguay). It’s conveniently located for travellers coming from Montevideo and heading towards Port Alegre.
Venezuela
Despite a substantial 2200 km border between Brazil and Venezuela, there’s only one border crossing between the two countries. It’s located next to the Brazilian town of Pacaraima. The closest town in Venezuela is Santa Elena de Uairen. This is a very remote crossing that’s a long way from any major centres in either Venezuela or Brazil.
Brazil by Air
There’s a huge number of both domestic and international airports in Brazil. The biggest and busiest of these are Brasilia Airport, Belo Horizonte Tancredo Neves Airport, Recife Guararapes Airport, Porto Alegre Airport and Salvador Bahia Airport.
Between these airports they offer direct flights to other South American countries, North America, Africa, Asia, Australasia and Europe. They also service a network of smaller domestic airports, as well as some remote landing strips in the Amazon basin.
Brazil by Boat
It’s possible to travel to Brazil by boat from a number of different locations. However all of these services only offer passenger services and do not carry vehicles. If you’re travelling overland with a vehicle, you’ll need to use on of the numerous border crossings by road.
The first of these river crossings has been detailed above and is between French Guyana and Brazil. While a large bridge also exists at the border and connects the two countries, most travellers continue to take the short boat ride across the river.
Peru is another neighbouring country where you can sail into Brazil. The Amazon River connects Peru and Brazil and it’s possible to sail all the way from Iquitos in Peru to Manaus in Brazil. The series of ferries you would need to take via Santa Rosa, Tabatinga and Jutai would take around 60 hours in total.
Can you Drive to Brazil from the U.S?
You can drive to Brazil from the U.S. by using the network of roads collectively known as the Pan American Highway. This route will take you through Mexico and the countries of Central America before crossing from Panama into Colombia. This part of the journey is the most troublesome and costly as you can’t drive from Panama into Colombia. The impenetrable Darién Gap region means you need to ship your car from Panama to Colombia. Further details on how to travel to South America are featured in our blog post.
Once in Colombia, you’ll need to decide whether to head east into Venezuela or south into Peru. The decision is likely to be influenced by your final destination as the distances involved are significant. The table below shows the driving distance from major U.S. cities to major Brazilian cities.
Starting Point | Destination | Driving Distance | Driving Time |
New York | Manaus | 6627 miles | 140 hours |
Los Angeles | Manaus | 6257 miles | 134 hours |
Chicago | Manaus | 6083 miles | 132 hours |
New York | Salvador | 9637 miles | 204 hours |
Los Angeles | Salvador | 9267 miles | 198 hours |
Chicago | Salvador | 9093 miles | 196 hours |
New York | Rio de Janeiro | 9283 miles | 196 hours |
Los Angeles | Rio de Janeiro | 8913 miles | 190 hours |
Chicago | Rio de Janeiro | 8739 miles | 188 hours |
Can you Drive in Brazil?
Any foreign national is permitted to drive in Brazil for up to 180 days providing they hold a valid driving licence from their home country. In addition to the driving licence, they must also:
- Have a valid passport
- Be 18 years old or over
There is no formal requirement for an International Driving Permit (IDP), however it might make things easier if you’re stopped and you have one. Alternatively a translation of your home driving licence would also be useful.
Is it Safe to Drive in Brazil?
There’s no denying that Brazil is one of the most challenging countries to drive in. The countries sheer size and scale mean that it encompasses a whole range of different road conditions. While the major highways that link the main cities tend to be in good condition, inner city and rural roads can be much more challenging.
The good news is that with proper planning and the right precautions, you can mitigate a lot of the risk associated with driving in Brazil.
The following are the biggest challenges when driving in Brazil:
- Armed robbery / car jacking – This is an issue that is generally isolated to the busy centres of large cities. To mitigate the risk try to avoid driving in downtown areas and definitely don’t drive in these areas at night.
- Poor road conditions – this is mainly relevant to remote rural areas but also some poorer urban regions. Be mindful of potholes and other hazards.
- Huge traffic jams – major urban centres such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasilia can suffer from horrendous traffic jams. The frustrations caused by these traffic jams can often prompt drivers to undertake risky or reckless manoeuvres
- Trucks – Brazil is a country that’s rich in natural resources and you’ll see a lot of very large trucks on the road. In Brazil truck drivers have a reputation for poor driving and lack of awareness of other vehicles. Proceed with caution when passing a truck, particularly on rural roads.
- Lack of road signs and marking – Trying to maintain Brazil’s extensive road network is quite a challenge. This means that not only can roads be of dubious quality, but also road markings will often be absent. In rural settings road signs are often non-existent, which provides another challenge.
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