Why Brazil
The country is fifteen times the size of France and covers four time zones: Rio and Manaus are further apart than Paris and Moscow. So you do not visit Brazil, you visit a region — and that is the first decision of the trip.
The south-east holds Rio, São Paulo and the colonial towns of Minas Gerais. The Nordeste has the beaches, Afro-Brazilian culture and Salvador. The Amazon and the Pantanal are two ecosystems that each need their own trip. The south has the Iguaçu falls.
Getting around
Flying is essential: the distances make the bus impractical beyond a few hundred kilometres, even though the network exists and is comfortable for medium journeys.
In the city, ride-hailing apps are the norm and cost little; they are also markedly safer than hailing a taxi. Rio and São Paulo have a decent metro on their main axes, and nothing beyond that.
Money
The Pix instant payment system has replaced a large share of cash and cards: it works by QR code, it is free and immediate, and it is asked for everywhere, right down to the beaches. It requires a Brazilian account, which a visitor does not have — hence the use of keeping a card and a little cash.
Prices vary enormously from one region to another: São Paulo costs double the Nordeste for the same thing.
Before you go
The voltage changes depending on the city, which is unique: 127 volts in Rio and São Paulo, 220 in much of the rest. A non-universal appliance plugged in at the wrong place burns out.
Safety is managed through habits rather than through fear: phone put away in the street, no visible jewellery or watch, a little cash kept separately, and you do not walk on the beach after dark. Brazilians apply these rules themselves.
Portuguese is not Spanish: Brazilians often understand Spanish without speaking it, and the reverse is not true. A few words of Portuguese radically change the welcome.