--- title: Yes, You Can Still Go to the World Cup Without Going Broke description: It's not too late to plan a trip to the 2014 World Cup, running from June 12 to July 13 in Brazil. Here are some tips for keeping the costs of flights and hotels down. authors: - name: kristenbellstrom url: https://money.com/author/kristenbellstrom/ at_money_since: 2014 articles: 5 covers: - Lifestyle - Investing - Retirement - Shopping former_staff: true published: '2014-06-03T21:45:20.000Z' modified: '2024-05-07T08:33:13.000Z' section: Lifestyle tags: - Airlines - brazil - buses - deals - Hotels - Soccer - Sports - sports fans - Team USA - Travel - World Cup word_count: 1165 canonical: https://money.com/world-cup-brazil-2014-flights-hotels-cheap/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![140530_EM_WorldCup_1](https://img.money.com/2014/05/140530_em_worldcup_1.jpg) *RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JUNE 30: Neymar of Brazil is pursued by Jordi Alba (L), Sergio Ramos and Cesar Azpilicueta (R) of Spain during the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Final match between Brazil and Spain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.* Let's be real: [World Cup 2014](http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/), which kicks off in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 12, isn't exactly a bargain hunter's paradise. That said, there are ways to attend without emptying your bank account—even this late in the game (err, match). In fact, FIFA, soccer's governing body, is releasing nearly [180,000 tickets for sale on Wednesday, June 4](http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=6/news=close-to-180-000-tickets-for-the-2014-fifa-world-cup-will-be-up-for-sa-2353399.html), with prices starting at a manageable $90. On the secondary market, Bloomberg is reporting that some tickets are going for [as little as $15](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-29/world-cup-ticket-prices-crash-amid-rush-to-complete-works.html). While it's possible to plan a last-minute trip to take in the world's biggest sporting event in person, it's wise to stop procrastinating pronto. Hurry up and submit your visa application ([it'll take some time](http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/16/4121824/visa-obstacles-hurting-world-cup.html) to be processed), check out [TIME's guide to the Cup](https://time.com/2801586/guide-to-the-world-cup-brazil-2014/), and use these tips to keep costs down. **Snagging Tickets** FIFA has been very clear that FIFA.com is the only legit place to buy World Cup tickets, and that seats purchased from a reseller may not be honored. However, if you can't score the seats you want through official channels, you may opt to take your chances on the secondary market. You'll find plenty of options on online reseller [Viagogo](http://www.viagogo.com/Sports-Tickets/FIFA-World-Cup-2014) (including that $15 seat to [Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran](http://www.viagogo.com/Sports-Tickets/FIFA-World-Cup-2014/FIFA-World-Cup-2014-Group-F-Tickets/E-553969)). Recently, the site also listed tickets for Team USA vs. Portugal on June 22 starting at $93. Can't find what you're after? U.S.-based reseller [Stubhub](http://www.stubhub.com/fifa-world-cup-tickets/) also has a World Cup section, though choices are geared toward later rounds, since the site is only offering tickets to buyers who are still in the United States. **Getting There** Fares to Brazil are definitely up there. In May, travel planning site Hopper found that flights from the U.S. during the World Cup were [up an average 38%](http://www.hopper.com/research/world-cup-travel-increasing-demand-us-brazil-2000/). To chase down a reasonable ticket, you'll need to time it just right. Don't even bother looking at flights on June 12 or 13, says Rick Seaney, CEO of flight-comparison site [Farecompare.com](http://www.farecompare.com/), noting that one-stop flights from New York City to [Rio de Janeiro](http://www.infraero.gov.br/index.php/br/aeroportos/rio-de-janeiro/aeroporto-internacional-do-rio-de-janeiro.html) on those dates are now starting at about $3,700. Leaving just a day earlier (the 11th), knocks that fare down to $1,800, while waiting until June 15 brings it down to $1,100. The tournaments lasts into July, after all, so it's not necessary to be there at the kickoff. Another option: fly into [Brasilia](http://www.bsb.aero/br/) or [Sao Paulo](http://www.gru.com.br/), both of which are typically cheaper than Rio. Seaney says Sao Paulo is especially affordable, with one-stop fares during the early stages of the Cup hovering around $1,200 from New York. If you're flying out of a smaller U.S. gateway, check out fares from a major South America-bound hub (Miami in particular), and then book a separate flight from your city to the international departure point. Sometimes by breaking up flights into sections, the total costs are significantly cheaper. And don't forget to factor in the cost of any short hops you'll need to take within the country. (None of Team USA's group stage matches are in the big cities.) In some cases, it might be a better deal to pay more for an international flight that will require less jetting around once you're in Brazil. **Where to Sleep** Believe it or not, there are still hotel rooms to be had. But at least in the most popular cities, the pickings are slim and the prices high. According to a [TripAdvisor analysis](http://www.tripadvisor.com/PressCenter-i6756-c1-Press_Releases.htm), which looked at data from early May, Brazilian lodging during the World Cup period is up an average 120% over the same time last year. The good news, says TripAdvisor's Brooke Ferencsik, is that hotel prices have edged down slightly in recent weeks, dropping from an average of $298 across the 12 host cities, to $275. Not surprisingly, TripAdvisor fingered Rio as the most expensive location, with the average per-night hotel rate now coming in at $464. To go cheaper, head to Sao Paulo, where the average rate is a relatively mild $192. The only problem: Sao Paulo doesn't host a U.S. group stage match. For that, the best deal is Natal ($281). Still, a recent search of TripAdvisor found plenty of rooms for less than that, including ten options for $116 to $260 per night on June 16, when the Americans take on Ghana. Prices get even lower when you start looking at apartment rentals on sites like [AirBnB](https://www.airbnb.com/). (Unless you happen to be looking at Brazilian soccer god Ronaldinho's place, which was [reportedly listed for $15,000 a night](http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/world-cup-2014-ronaldinho-puts-3601147) on the site.) Kevin Raub, a Brazil-based writer who's covering the event for Lonely Planet, recommends checking out Brazilian sites, like [Camaecafe.com.br](http://www.camaecafe.com.br/en) for Rio apartments rented by "artists and cool, creative people." For small inns called pousadas, [hiddenpousadasbrazil.com](http://www.hiddenpousadasbrazil.com/) still lists some affordable options. Finally, check [Roomertravel.com](https://www.roomertravel.com/event/world-cup-hotel-rooms). This site, which allows people and tour operators to resell hotel rooms they can’t use, recently listed the Rio Design Hotel from July 5 to July 11 for $208 a night; the hotel’s own site lists the property as sold out. **Getting Around** Brazil is a massive country, so chances are you’ll be doing at least some flying to get around. Hopper found it would [cost a minimum of $557](http://www.hopper.com/research/world-cup-travel-increasing-demand-us-brazil-2000/) to fly from Natal to Manaus to Recife to take in all three of Team USA’s group stage matches. To help keep flight costs down, don’t rely on flight aggregators or U.S-based travel sites, which can miss some fares. Instead, check airlines’ sites directly, says Alexandra de Vries, author of [Frommer's *Rio de Janeiro Day by Day*](http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rio-de-janeiro). The big ones are [GOL](http://www.voegol.com.br/en-us/a-gol/quem-somos/Paginas/default.aspx), [TAM](http://www.tam.com.br/), [Azul](http://www.voeazul.com.br/en/home), and [Avianca](http://www.avianca.com/en-us/). And as always, the more pain you can endure—layovers, pre-dawn flights—the better the chances you’ll get a deal. Buses are another good option. Lonely Planet's Raub recommends [Buscaonibus.com](http://www.buscaonibus.com.br/en) for researching bus routes and timetables. A warning: many of the bus company sites won’t allow you to book online using a U.S. credit card, so you may need to wait until you’re in Brazil to actually get tickets. Public transportation is the most affordable (and efficient) way to get around the bigger cities, but for times you do want a taxi, Courtney Scott, Travelocity senior editor, recommends loading up on apps. [Uber](https://www.uber.com/) recently launched in Rio, while Easy Taxi and 99Taxis are well established. **Paying for it All** Keep in mind that Visa is a World Cup sponsor, so the stadiums will accept only Visa cards and cash. ATMs can be “fussy with foreign cards,” warns Raub. Be prepared to visit a few before you find one that works. Card cloning can be a problem in Brazil, says de Vries, who recommends using ATMs located inside bank branches whenever possible. Also, when planning your cash strategy, remember that various banks cap daily withdrawals at different amounts. Be aware that "chip-and-pin" credit cards are widely used in Brazil. But don't panic if you don't have one, says Paul Irvine of Dehouche, a Rio-based travel consultancy, noting that few of his American clients have had a problem with their standard cards: "They're very usable." ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/world-cup-brazil-2014-flights-hotels-cheap/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Lifestyle", "item": "https://money.com/lifestyle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Travel", "item": "https://money.com/travel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Yes, You Can Still Go to the World Cup Without Going Broke" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/world-cup-brazil-2014-flights-hotels-cheap/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/world-cup-brazil-2014-flights-hotels-cheap/", "name": "Yes, You Can Still Go to the World Cup Without Going Broke", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2014-06-03T21:45:20.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/world-cup-brazil-2014-flights-hotels-cheap/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/world-cup-brazil-2014-flights-hotels-cheap/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-05-07T08:33:13.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "Yes, You Can Still Go to the World Cup Without Going Broke", "articleSection": "Lifestyle", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2014/05/140530_em_worldcup_1.jpg", "width": 4697, "height": 3180, "caption": "140530_EM_WorldCup_1" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "kristenbellstrom", "url": "https://money.com/author/kristenbellstrom/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/kristenbellstrom/#author" } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2014-06-03T21:45:20.000Z", "description": "It's not too late to plan a trip to the 2014 World Cup, running from June 12 to July 13 in Brazil. 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