Brazil

We celebrated New Year's 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, one of the world's New Year's capitals, where tourists from around the world ring in the year on Copacabana. Rio is pure contrast: stunning beauty next to crumbling facades, immense wealth a few blocks from abject poverty. That's part of its magic, but it also means watching your phone and valuables and avoiding flashy brands or expensive accessories To save money but stay near the beach, consider Botafogo. Copacabana and Ipanema are legendary, but easily reached from Botafogo, where hotel rooms are generally cheaper. You'll wake up to views of Sugarloaf or Christ, depending on which way your room faces Sunsets: best enjoyed in Ipanema. Truly magical photos Christ the Redeemer: don't be fooled. When you get off the funicular, people will offer inflated tickets - don't fall for the scam; walk to the end, to the official ticket office with regular prices. Buy tickets online on the official website if possible - you'll save money and avoid headaches (why isn't it that simple? I'll explain further) If you can, get a Brazilian CPF. In Rio, a CPF (local tax ID number) is required for many payments. We couldn't even figure out how to pay for public transport without it, but kind locals helped us out. Forget a local SIM card and online payments almost everywhere Brazil's real gem is its people: incredibly welcoming and cheerful. In Rio we met Victor and Victoria, a brother and sister who became wonderful companions, helped us many times, and shared the local lifehacks here. But most Brazilians speak little English, so keep Google Translate ready, everyone is eager to help, so it bothers no one Worth knowing beforehand: Apple Pay isn't accepted everywhere. The main payment method is Pix, the national instant payment system. If you can, sign up for Pix before your trip As I said, Rio is all about contrasts: if you're not put off by homeless people and favelas instead of a picture-perfect postcard, you'll love the city