Want to Travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in April or May. What are the best packages?

I want to travel to Rio de Janeiro to spend a week with my family. What are the best packages, pricewise? What are the best options to stay and to eat? Any must-sees? I am travelling from Chile to Rio any sugestions in terms of carriers?

If you are flying from Chile you can try either Lan Chile or TAM Brazilian Airlines. I think you are better off booking a complete flight and hotel package from a travel agent in Chile. If you are in the US, check www.go-today.com they have great deals for Rio and other cities nearby. Staying in hotels in Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon will make it easier for you to visit the city.

Visit - MUST
Corcovado (Christ Statue): Get there by taxi - The tram up costs R$36 for roundtrip up to Cristo Redentor, and it is definetly worth the view.
P茫o de A莽煤car - the Sugar Loaf mountains (one taller, the other shorter), Brazil's top landmark, with an aerial tramway to the top; unmissable. A ticket up is R$ 35. The buses number 591 and 592 bring you to the base station. You may want to take a helicopter ride ($150 US) it's worth every penny.
Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas - a large lagoon in the middle of South Zone, with great views to Corcovado and Ipanema and Leblon beaches; there are skating and jogging fields all around it

Go to the Beaches: (MUST)
You may drive along the shore and stop anytime you want visiting these beaches..get your speedos ready...if you dare...
Copacabana
Arpoador
Ipanema
Leblon
S茫o Conrado
Barra da Tijuca


Eat/Drink:
In Rio de Janeiro you can probably find something to fit any craving. A good approach to local food is "comida a kilo" - buffet style restaurants where you pay by the weight of the food on your plate.
Don't miss Brazil's national dish, feijoada (fay-zho-AH-da), made with black beans and pork. It is typically served city-wide on Saturdays. For connoisseurs of meat, nothing beats a good rod铆zio (all-you-can-eat steak houses). Porc茫o (Big Pig- Porkaum) has 5 restaurants around Rio. Go to the one in the "Aterro do Flamengo" is the BEST.

In most cafeterias (lanchonete; lun-sho-NETCH) you can have a pastel (pahs-TELL) or salgado (saw-GAH-do; local pastry) for less than R$2. Typical pastries are coxinha (ko-SHEEN-ya; chicken nugget shaped like a chicken leg). Also try p茫o de queijo (pawn-deh-KAY-zho; cheese baked dough).
For drinking, ask for guaran谩 (gwa-ra-NAH; soda made of an Amazon seed), mate (MAHTCH; sweet ice tea), 谩gua de coco (ah-gwa-djee-KOH-ku; natural coconut water) or caldo de cana (caw-do-djee-KAH-na; sugarcane juice). There is also a common fruit called a莽a铆 (ah-sah-EEH), with a dark-purple pulp out of which are made juices, and ice-creams. Typical cariocas eat it like cream in cups or glasses, mixed with granola, oats or other flakes. There are many specialized juice shops that sell a莽a铆, fruit juices (they make it as you ask, they don't store it ready, so you can ask them which fruit they have and may create a mix if you like) and some make sandwiches and other simple things to eat. These shops usually are cheap and hang fruits and the entrance or somewhere visible.
You MUST have a CAIPIRINHA (Kay-pee-ree-nya) made with Brazilan Rum "Cachaca" (Ka-chah-ssa) lime and sugar.

Buy/Bargain
At night after 7PM there's a crafts market on along Copacabana. It's very nice to walk around and get good deals on crafts, necklaces, t-shirts and other cool stuff. Don't forget to bargain, never accept the 1st price you get...

Have Fun!

Thank you. It was a very comprehensive response. It will definitely help me planning the Brasil trip and enjoying Brasil. Report It

to cut through the deals, you should check out http://www.travelcuse.com to book your trip. the site is an aggregator which means it takes offers from various online sites and shows you the best deals. good luck

In april, we have two holidays in Brazil.
Traditions with a litlle travel.
It麓s possible the cost is more expensive than May.