Estado de Minas Gerais Travel Forum

Hi,
I am going to be staying in Santos Dumont for a few weeks and really want to visit Ouro Preto, the Itacolomi Park, Sao Thome das Lettres and Sao Joao del Rei

It looks like it might be easiest to drive to these places than go by bus. So I was hoping for some advice on

1) How easy is it to drive around and how long might it take to get to these places ? (I am used to driving in the UK and the USA)

2) Where is the best place to get a car ? The airports at Belo H and R de J seem to be the only places in the area with car hire

3) Should I just see if I can find a guided tour that goes through the area ?

I have never been to Brazil before and as a geologist am really excitied about seeing Minas Gerais so I would appreciate any help you can give me

Thanks

Well, there are certainly buses between these location. Brazilian buses are pretty comfortable and relatively convenient.
Driving or taking the bus, I would arrive with a good, detailed map in hand, purchased at home.
Generally, it is not recommended for first time visitors to be driving around on their own. (See this recent post which talks a bit about the general situation as well as the main topic of distance: http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-346493-1-1-Travel-0-0-Sao_Paulo-discussion.html)
The roads and conditions do not in any way resemble the U.S. or U.K.

1) It's not very easy for a foreigner to drive around in Brasil, some roads aren't well signaled and other are in bad condition; in a city is worst, you have to ask people most of the times and people in the countryside don't speak English, although they're very helpful. I advise you to buy a good road map, for example Guia 4 Rodas guide of the year and study the places before you go.

2)Localiza ( to hire a car ) has agencies in Juiz de Fora, Barbacena and Conselheiro Lafaiete, I don't know which one is closer.

3)In general there are guided tours to Ouro Preto from Rio ( Cidades Historicas de Minas ), for other places is less common;

It´s very hard to a foreign drive in Brazil, some roads aren´t good and is very easy get lost..

Drive is easer than bus for a brazilian, but if you never been in brazil before, must be harder drive than get a bus....

If you like historic places, you must go to Estrada Real. http://www.descubraminas.com.br/estradareal/default.asp

I like to give you and advice: For travelling to Ouro Preto, the largest historic city, is better to do it by bus because the city is better to know walking and there is not a lot of parking sites. You can take the bus in Belo Horizonte Rodoviaria, there are a lot of buses every day and they take u right to Rodoviaria in Ouro Preto from there u can take a local bus to Plaza Tiradentes and begin your walking tour. Its a great experience.

I agree with others in the Forum. It is to hard to drive in Brazil, specially for american or european people. Try the buses. I had traveled a lot in Brazil as foreigner and I prefer it.

On my first trip to Brazil, in 1998, I rented a car at the airport in Belo Horizonte and drove to Ouro Preto. Most of the trip is on a good four- to six-lane thruway. The exit to Ouro Preto is well marked. The road to Ouro is two-lane, winding, and hilly.

In Ouro Preto I hired an English-speaking guide at the tourist office in Placa Tiradentes, the town's main square. He sheperded me around Ouro and to Congonhas and Mariana.

I can't imagine how I'd have seen as much taking a bus (or buses). I recommend it: Brazilian drivers may be reckless by U K or U S standards, but certainly no more so than drivers in Italy or parts of France.

One tip: buying the maximum insurance is a good idea. A rock thrown up by a passing truck on the thruway shattered my driver's side window. Because of the insurance I was not charged for the damage.

By the way: 1) the Minerology Museum in Praca Tiradentes ought to be of special interest to you. 2) The thruway from Belo Horizonte will also take you to Sao Joaao del Rei and as far as Rio de Janeiro.

By the way, it is a very long bus ride from Belo Horizonte to the part of the state you want to explore. The one time I took a bus from BH to Sao Lourenco (near the cities you want to see) it took about 7 hours. Just be aware of that.

I'd go through Rio -- it's much closer to that part of Minas.

Did anyone read the part of the OP's post where he states the exact town where he is staying (Santos Dumont) and then look at a map before giving advice?

Thanks for the information. I think I will decide when I get there and have had a chance to see both the buses and the roads,

H. Kerbey