I am planning a trip to Brazil with my boyfriend. We hope to spend about six weeks travelling around, and want to know if we can fly to Rio for example, and back from another city ­ say Recife or Manaus? The only fares we can find at the moment are very expensive, with BA to Rio or Sao Paolo. Gillian Maguire, Hemel Hempstead

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Yes you can, and with Brazil being so vast, you can save a very big, time consuming, and sometimes costly, backtrack.

The best choice of flights from Europe is with TAP Portugal (0845 601 0932), which operates 67 flights a week to eight Brazilian cities.

Flights are mainly from Lisbon (with some from Porto also) and operate to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Recife, Natal and Fortaleza. TAP flies from Heathrow and Gatwick.

Fares start from £607 (although expect to pay up to £800 in the peak season), and you can open-jaw into one city and then back from another. Of course you'll have to fly via Lisbon or Porto in each direction.

There are some charter flights too, from Gatwick or Manchester to Salvador, from about £500. Book through the Charter Flight Centre (0845 045 0153), Travel Republic, or Dial a Flight (0870 333 4488).

British Airways (0844 493 0 787) and TAM (020 8897 0005) both fly from London to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo from about £800.

Looking at travelling long distances in Brazil, Gol is the most useful low cost carrier and has a very extensive network, and fares from just £35 one-way. Other low cost carriers to try include Ocean Air, and with websites only in Spanish - Webjet, and Trip.

Times recommends

• The Green Spaces Travel Awards, 2008 - the winners
• Britain's 12 best winter walks
• The insiders' guide to bohemian Paris