We want to go for Carnaval or New Years. How far away are the parties?
Carnaval (this is the Portuguese spelling) is almost one continuous party, punctuated by various official events. This party is everywhere in Brazil. Most beaches have a virtually continuous party during the day, and at night, every bar and nightclub has a party of some type. Some neighborhoods have street parades as the various Samba Schools get geared up for the official competition at the Sambodromo. There are also a few famous events thrown in. Some are very expensive and cater to the social register, some are more oriented towards youth or young adults or alternate life-stylers or music lovers, etc. The Copacabana Palace Hotel Ball (on Friday night) is one of the most famous, but also the most expensive and snobby. Street parties are everywhere also and will be very cheap (beer for R$ 2,50) and many Brazilians that cannot afford the official parties manage to have a great time anyway. The parade at the Sambodromo is also very famous and is Sunday and Monday nights from 9 PM to abo
