Came a bit out of the blue but I may be calling into Brazil and I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas on Brasilia and Rio, I think I will be limited to just those two cities not exploring much further.

How long would people recommend for each? Initial thoughts are 2 days in Brasilia, 4 in Rio but if you think that is under selling them would be keen to know.

Any other advice greatly welcomed.

Seems a reasonable split given your interest in modern architecture but no more and, given the attractions in and around Rio, many (including myself) might only give Brasilia 1 full day. with, perhaps an extra half for the day you fly back to Rio? Really to see the main "iconic" buildings of Brasilia won't take more .

Thanks for that. Just wanted to check that there wasn't some kind of logistical issues that required more time in Brasilia.

Now I just have to familiarise myself with the delights of Rio a little more, do you have any recommendations?

Does anyone out there have any hotel/ accommodation recommendations for Rio?

We were forewarned, yet I am still staggered by the cost of accommodation there, it makes London look affordable. So with it probably having to be a big outlay I'm trying to make sure we at least get a good location.

I think I have ruled out the beach areas of Ipanema and Copacabana, as I don't think I can justify the costs of staying there when we aren't interested in access to sand.

But if anyone has any recommendations it would be welcome.

My last experience was as long ago as 1998 so I wouldn't want to recommend any particular establishment after all that time - things will have changed and my/our tastes might not be yours!

As regards location - both times I have been to Rio I/we stayed in the Flamengo/Botafogo area (next to each other). The former is "livelier" - I have checked the latest reviews of the area and neither gets bad ones and generally the view is that if you don't want to pay Copa/Ipa prices they are reasonable areas - and apparently "safe" - you will have to check further for yourself.

The great advantage is that they are on the metro route and have plenty of buses - also positioned between Centro and beaches and Sugar Loaf and Corcovado and Botanical Gardens etc!

I am surprised at your assessment re prices in Rio - I have just done some Trivago searches and, yes, some are well over £100 but there also seem to even be international chains available for c£80 per night (Eg Mercure Botafogo) and plenty of others at lower. For fun I checked the hotel we used in 1998 - The Paysandu in Flamengo - It is only 3*** and it wasn't fantastic (but ok) and who knows what it is really like today. It is a "venerable" hotel in Rio terms (see its History on its Web site here http://www.paysanduhotel.com.br/ ) The reviews are "mixed" (but they always are going to be in the mid range as you get those who are used to far better but find themselves in a 3***). Mrs Solivagant accepted it - only you know what Mrs Meltwaterfalls expects!
It is available at £47 double with breakfast on the day I looked. It doesn't have free wi-fi but if that is important to you then there appear to be other hotels in the area which do
http://www.expedia.co.uk/Rio-De-Janeiro-Hotels-Augustos-Paysandu-Hotel.h1143269.Hotel -Information?mdpcid=UK.META.TRIVAGO.HOTELSCORESEARCH.HOTEL&mdpdtl=HTL.1143269.B15.RIO %20DE%20JANEIRO&chid=efc07976-9af1-4206-bfa8-a83726477e1b_6130|1&mctc=5&chkin=1/3/201 5&chkout=2/3/2015&rm1=a2&eapid=111&tpid=3&paandi=true&interceptor=true

I would spend some time on Trivago for hotel deals and look at Tripadvisor for assessments of what areas are like but of course some reviewers there can be excessively negative!!

Oh I will have a look, I was struggling to get anything below £90 a night (a fair bit above our average non-Scandinavian budget) for when I was looking.

The beaches were turning up 3 star hotels in the £150-200 category.

Thanks for the run down on the areas, I'm just starting to get a sense of the layout, and a trip to the Library at lunchtime gives me reading for the commute home.

I stayed here in 2004: http://www.oveleiro.com/?page_id=3

Thanks for that Els, it actually turned up in my trawl last night.

Pointing out the Paysandu to you has reminded me of a little incident which occurred when we checked out from there. The bill included an unknown "Extra". Now, as a matter of principle and to avoid arguments at check-out, Mr + Mrs Solivagant NEVER take "extras" in hotels - the minibar stays unravished, the Pay TV channels unexplored and any drinks/meals taken are paid cash there and then with a signed receipt! It turned out that they were charging us for the (partly used!!) bar of soap which we had taken, as is our habit when departing a room, in a ritual which empties the Non-chargeable "goody trays" of their lotions and potions and milks/coffees etc. We do not regard this in any way as "stealing" (unlike for instance taking a coat hanger or dressing gown). They were provided for our use and we may use them later. Not, it appeared in 2* Brazilian Hotels. We, as honoured guests, had been provided with a fresh bar of soap and the management expected the remains to be left behind for the next guests!! I note that the Paysandu is now 3*** so maybe you get your own soap now!! In the short period of time between us leaving our room and descending to Reception the room maid must have checked our room and phoned down the news that the soap been taken!! Very efficient really. As it was, we opened one of our cases, rummaged in our toilet bag, returned the soggy bar of soap and our bill was reduced accordingly!! Do not let this event, by itself, put you off the Paysandu which has certainly received mixed reviews on Tripadvisor but these include some very positive ones also - and its location is very good!
At least it is far superior to a hotel we stayed at the other year in Hyderabad Pakistan. We had been moved on from our booked hotel because we were foreigners and the Police Chief had issued instructions that foreigners should not be accommodated as they might be attacked and he didn't want to take the responsibility. Well that washed his hands of us ....! The solution was to find a hotel in the adjacent "Cantonment". These areas, which exist in many Pakistani (and Indian) cities were, I had always thought, just "left overs" in title only from where the British lived but, in Hyderabad it appeared that the area was still under full control of the Pakistani Armed Forces and therefore the civilian police played no role. Now, since then there has of course been the recent attack on the school in Peshawar Cantonment entirely because, by so doing, the Pakistani Taliban was attacking the families of the armed forces. But at the time we accepted that a hotel there was certainly no less safe than one in the civilian area! On returning to our decidedly grotty room after a short term exit we needed to call "Room service" to discover why the electricity wasn't working. It turned out that they were watching our every move and, if you left your room for more than 10 minutes, someone came along, opened the fuse box, and turned the power off so you couldn't waste it by leaving your lights, TV or fan on - no A/C of course!! Whilst he was in our room we pointed out that it hadn't been well cleaned and that, among other problems, someone had left a very, VERY dirty comb on the dressing table. Came the reply - "Oh no Sir, THAT is the room comb sir!"
Ah, the joys of 2* hotels in developing countries!! Well I can assure you that the Paysandu is certainly rather better than that!