13 HOURS on Brazil’s Last Great Train Adventure

13 HOURS on Brazil’s Last Great Train Adventure

This video is in partnership with Holafly eSIM. Today we’re in BRAZIL for the 
first time on the channel and we’ll be riding 13 hours along the 
Vitória-Minas Railway – one of only two long distance train services 
in South America’s LARGEST country! There’s some absolutely stunning scenery and 
even a full dining car – so join me to find out what train travel is like in a region where 
Luxury Buses rule the Intercity travel scene. Welcome to Belo Horizonte – the 
capital of the state of Minas Gerais. Brazil’s 6th largest city has 
a population of two and a half million, and is the country’s 3rd largest metropolitan 
area, being home to 6 million people. I only spent one night here, but it 
was clear to see it was a well-kept, friendly, and relatively safe place. Especially the 120 year old São 
José Catholic Church which was located right next to my hotel in the city centre. It was particularly memorable for being 
very beautiful from both inside and out. Fast forward to 6am the next morning, and I called 
an Uber for the 1km (0.6mi) drive to the station. Yes, it felt safe here, but I still 
would rather spend $2 on a taxi, than walk at this time of 
day, and with my luggage. As the sun starts to rise, I arrive 
at Belo Horizonte Station around 40 minutes before the train’s 
scheduled departure time of 7am. There were already quite a few passengers 
milling around outside, along with many people hustling trying to sell everything from 
drinks, to chewing gum and even cigarettes. Step-free access to the station 
can be found down the far end, but otherwise you just queue here outside the main 
building before heading inside for ticket checks. There are automatic ticket machines 
here along with a staffed ticket office – but you’re going to want to buy 
in advance if possible. The trains can in theory sell out – but usually 
don’t – but more on that later. Then there’s the ticket check. I printed my 
eTicket, but I saw many other people just have them scanned on their phones 
– so that’s obviously fine too. The guy then pointed me in the direction 
of my seat. The train is formed of 4 Executive Class coaches and 5 Economy Class 
coaches where we’ll be travelling today. I had wanted to travel in Executive Class, but it was completely sold out 
with a large Brazilian tour group. Here’s an example of our loco for 
today – but I couldn’t get anywhere near it at any point in the trip 
– There were two of them though! Before we board, let’s check out our route. We depart Belo Horizonte and head east, then 
north east, as far as Governador Valadares, before turning south east, 
then south towards Vitória. Boarding is not level, with 
4 steps up from the platform, however wheelchair lifts are available in the 
accessible coach, which we’ll look at later on. Economy Class is laid out in a 2+2 configuration, with all forward facing seats. He is 
mine for the next 13 plus hours… Luggage can be stored on the vertical 
stacks at the end of every coach or on the large overhead racks 
which run above all seats. We depart on-time, at 7.00am. The full route from Belo Horizonte to Pedro 
Nolasco, on the outskirts of Vitória is 669km (416mi) in distance and is scheduled to take 
13 hours and 30 minutes of travel time – yes, this is not an express service in the slightest! However, it is cheap – with a seat in Economy 
Class costing 81 Brazilian Real (£11.07, €12.76, $14.96) or a seat in Executive Class costing 
116 Brazilian Real (£15.86, €18.27, $21.42). Now, unless you have a Brazilian ID card number, 
you can’t purchase through the official website. I was lucky enough to have a Brazilian friend 
who could purchase mine for me, thanks Luis, otherwise you’ll have to buy through a third 
party seller, at additional cost – or buy in person from the ticket office at 
the station a few days before travel. There were still quite a few seats left 
in Economy Class for my journey today. Now there is a WiFi network 
available on this train, however it is only a media streaming service 
and doesn’t allow for an internet connection. But luckily I have a great solution – Holafly 
eSIM, the leading eSIM provider covering over 200 destinations worldwide with over 61,000 
reviews and a 4.5 rating on Trustpilot! Holafly have regular, single country, regional or global eSIMs – but have now launched 
a SPECIAL new product, Holafly Plans, which is ideal for digital nomads, remote workers, 
frequent international travellers or cabin crew. This offers a data eSIM with a monthly 
subscription which covers 160 countries, either 25gb in the ‘Light’ plan, 
or an ‘Unlimited Data’ plan. No contract, cancel anytime. But if you sign up for 12 months, you get 22% OFF plus an additional 
10% OFF with my code: NONSTOPEUROTRIP This means a WORLDWIDE, UNLIMITED 
DATA eSIM from just US$45 per month! Just work or stream away – and 
even ‘Hotspot’ your friends or family too – This is certainly going to be 
handy for me on this 13 hour train journey! You can get 5% OFF regular eSIMs, or 10% OFF every 
Holafly Plans subscription – just click the link above, or in the description below and use Code: 
NONSTOPEUROTRIP at checkout and grab yours today! These trains are run by the Vale 
Mining Company as part of a public service to the communities 
they operate in and through. It’s a sad fact that this line and one other, 
in the North of Brazil, are the only two remaining long distance passenger services in the 
country – and both of these are operated by Vale. We will see some serious mining 
infrastructure along the route today, along with many freight trains – however our 
passenger train seemed to be given priority, which is very much the exception 
to the rule in places like the USA! OK, it’s time to check out the 
seats here in Economy Class. They were actually better than I expected, 
with a reasonable shape and OK padding. There is also a soft, winged headrest, adjustable armrests and a small 
recline, albeit just on the base. Legroom is very good. I’m 
6’1 and had plenty of space. There is the remnants of a seatback 
pocket, and a large, sturdy tray table. Each pair of seats has access to two 
power sockets, shared with another row. Up above is a TV showing cartoons with Portuguese 
subtitles, and all windows have curtains. Overall, a good product for the 
price. Nothing ground breaking although I’ll let you know how my 
back feels after 13 hours here! In this first part of the journey, 
we are passing through the Gandarela Mountains with some stunning views down 
over the dense forest and national park. The bridge we are about to cross, 
El Ponte de Corrego Juca Vieira, is the most famous piece of infrastructure 
on the line, passing over the Caeté Valley. You certainly get a much better impression of it 
on the approach than when passing over it though! There are a total of 20 bridges and 
29 tunnels over this 669km (416mi) route – somehow I thought 
there would be many more! Toilets can be found in the vestibules of every 
coach. These are gendered, for some reason. However, the water worked, the soap was 
stocked up and the dryer was functional. There was a bin, and plenty of toilet paper 
available, along with baby changing facilities. On the whole, they were pretty clean, 
and stayed that way throughout the trip. We are now approaching the first 
major mine on the route, Gongo Soco, which is in the process of being wound down. It’s quite fascinating to get a 
close-up look from the railway at what goes on here – something that would 
normally be hidden from public view. This mine used to be one of the biggest gold 
producers in Brazil during the 18th and 19th centuries, but then transitioned to iron 
ore extraction throughout the 20th century. All onboard announcements 
are made in Portuguese only. Shortly after passing the mine, 
we stop at the nearest town, which houses and supports the workers. A large number of people both 
alighted and boarded here, and I suspect most were Vale 
employees and their families. We will make a total of 28 intermediate stops 
today between Belo Horizonte and Vitória. Whatever you like to look at, 
there are some very interesting #TrainWindowViews along this railway line. Everything from forests to 
mountains, and mines to rivers. And it’s not fast. Far from it. The line uses metre gauge (1000mm /3ft3in) track, 
and a such the speed is limited to a maximum of 70km/h (43mph) hence why this journey takes 
over double the time it would take most European Intercity services to cover the same distance. 
However, the ride quality is not too bad. OK, let’s check out the 
food options on this train. Firstly, you can bring your own from a local 
convenience store, as I did for breakfast. Secondly, there’s a couple of trolley services 
which roam the train – one with full meals, an the other with snacks and drinks for purchase. Or thirdly, you can visit the dining 
car – which is my preferred option! This serves a selection of hot 
meals which are prepared onboard, and there is a sit-down 
restaurant with table service. I went for the grilled chicken, 
rice, mashed potato and beans, along with a fresh orange juice and a coffee. The total price of all this was 40 Brazilian Real (£5.57, €6.38, $7.48) – which I thought 
was reasonable value, all things considered. There are good accessible and 
disabled facilities onboard this train too – much better than I expected. There are accessible seats, and 4 proper wheelchair spaces, 
all with 2 companion seats each. The train also features integrated wheelchair 
lifts, on both sides, at these doors. There is also an accessible toilet in the 
adjacent vestibule to all these. Great job Vale! Now here’s a look at Executive Class, 
which is laid out in a 2+1 configuration. These are large, wide and very 
comfortable armchair recliners. For the slight increase in price, I would 
definitely recommend trying to get one of these! It’s a shame they were sold out for my trip. Anyway back to my seat and time to stream 
some YouTube using my Holafly eSIM 🙂 We will shortly be approaching the most major intermediate stop on today’s 
route, Governador Valadares. This municipality is home to around 
280,000 people – and is located at the half way point today on the 
journey from Belo to Vitória. This area has been inhabited for over 
10,000 years, however its current day name was only inaugurated in 1937, after the 
governor at the time, Benedito Valadares. For much of the trip, we follow the path of the 
meandering Río Doce. It’s a beautiful sight! The ‘Sweet River’ runs for 853km 
(530mi) in South-eastern Brazil, from the Mantiqueira Mountains 
to the Atlantic Ocean. If you want AD-FREE early access to every 
video, great perks and to help me to do BIGGER & BETTER reviews, then become a 
Channel Member from just £1.99 per month. Just click the link above now, or the 
join button in every video, thank you! I don’t know what it is, but there’s something 
super relaxing about taking a long, but slow train ride – just gazing out of the window at the 
passing scenery and just enjoying it all go by. This is my first video from South America, however 
I have filmed 12 across 5 countries which will be released over the coming months – so be sure 
you’re subscribed so you don’t miss any of those. However, I you want to see my review 
on ‘El Chepe’ the spectacular Copper Canyon Tourist Railway in Mexico, 
then click the link above now. We have now crossed from Minas Gerais 
to Espírito Santo and I’ve just about summed up everything there is to see on 
this train and it will shortly be getting dark – so let’s fast forward a few hours 
and I’ll summarise this whole experience. I wasn’t really sure what to expect 
from this trip from Belo Horzizonte to Vitoría with Vale in Economy Class – 
but honestly I was pleasantly surprised! You don’t associate Brazil with 
long-distance trains – and indeed this one and its sister service in the 
north of the country are the only ones. However… I think Vale have done a good job 
to offer a European style daily service in each direction – even if it does take far too long. 
But they can only work with what they have! The staff were friendly, the train was clean 
and the seats were reasonable – but I would definitely recommend trying to secure Executive 
Class tickets for the small premium in price. It was nice to have a full dining car, including 
hot meals which were very reasonable in price. Overall, yes it was a bloody long day and 
most people will choose to fly even if it is 3 or 4 times the price – however the 
train is a good option for heading to any intermediate stops – or having a fun adventure 
through the beautiful Brazilian countryside. We finally arrive in Vitoria 
around 10 minutes early, at 8.20pm. My back is a bit stiff after 
over 13 hours in this seat, however it could have been far worse. 
I could have been on a UK Class 800. Have you been on any trains in 
South America before? If so, which ones and on which routes? How did you 
find them? Let me know in the comments below! I’m always open to new video ideas, so if you 
have something you’d like to see on the channel, then drop me DM on Instagram, BlueSky or Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe, thanks for watching 
to the end, and I’ll see you in the next video!

Go to https://holafly.sjv.io/YReJvq and use code NONSTOPEUROTRIP to get 10% on #Holafly plans

Today we’re in Brazil, and indeed South American for the first time on the channel!

We’ll travel from Belo Horizonte to Vitória on one of only two long distance services in the country dominated by Intercity bus travel – but are they actually any good? Come along with me and let’s find out together!

#SouthAmerica #Brazil #Vale #BeloHorizonte #Vitória #TrainWindowViews

Date of Filming: 23/8/25
Camera: GoPro Hero 12 Black
Operator: Vale
Departure: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Arrival: Vitória, Brazil
Cost: Economy Class 81 Brazilian Real (£11.07, €12.76, $14.96)
Executive Class 116 Brazilian Real (£15.86, €18.27, $21.42)

Here is the link to my review on Mexico’s ‘El Chepe’ Copper Canyon Tourist Railway:

Become a valued Patreon member to get access to great perks:
https://patreon.com/nonstopeurotrip

Become a valued YouTube channel member to get access to great perks:
https://www.youtube.com/nonstopeurotrip/join

A HUGE thanks to my Valued Patreon & Channel Members:
Mark Jaynes – amillionbookes – Geo Dov – Holdymar V Arndt Jr – Will Getz – Westy331 – Oliver W – eng91755 – Sam Jennings – Rick Sipes – Peter Harrison – Peter Tuck – Chris Winchell – Debbie Winchell – Severity One – Roy Parker – Peter Russ – Luke211286 – Test – Robert S – Co Akker – 太Reddit派了 – Djsaccess – Kilian – Teemu Lokka – Robert Heywood – Clark Olson – Sacha Reichmuth – Lois Johnson – Harry Hopkinson – Gene Bowker – John Doughty – Ingmar Vatvedt – Ana Lämä – Daniel Young – Shay – Joern Petersen – Thomas Shenstone – Anders Bergendorf – Fabricio Renovato – Dean Shaw – Patiperro Sobre Rieles – Her little – daanski82 – Maximilian Zwicker – Gary Gravelle – Lina Vainomae – Onur Ayçiçek – Regmount – m – John Michael Dornoff – Mark Johnson – Snowrita Levinthal – Roy Meister – Thomas Roell – Wayne H – Petr Mikoláš – Avirup Some – František Lukeš – Aaron ching – Ben Fraser – Elcapratama – Muhammad Nur Ihsan – Luigi – Oskar Purkiss – Soul Recovery with Awareness – Stuart Robertson – Clarence Moore – Gora Choudhury – paulvaultguy – Namık Kemal Doğmaz – The Insiderchannel – Sumit J – Daniel Rezeki Marpaung – Brian Ignacio Saavedra Vargas – Ian Stern – Adam Mezey – Adrian Buciu – RK – mhtheo – Sean Bowen – Symphony – naygoobs – Mikael Petersen – Dorothy Bird

00:00 – Intro
01:16 – Arrival at Belo Horizonte Station
02:30 – Boarding, Train & Route Information
03:56 – Departure & Pricing
06:05 – Vale Mining Company Info
06:45 – Economy Class Seat Tour
07:42 – Gandarela Mountain Views
09:00 – Passing Gongo Soco Mine
10:33 – Stunning #TrainWindowViews
11:16 – All the Food Options
12:24 – Train Tour
13:26 – Calling at Governador Valadares
14:10 – Following the Río Doce
15:40 – Trip Summary
16:58 – Arrival at Pedro Nolasco & Outro