Sao Paulo Transportation

Getting There

By Air

The São Paulo International Airport is the larger of São Paulo's two airports. Located 28 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of downtown, it is sometimes also referred to as the Guarulhos Airport due to its location in suburban Guarulhos. All of the area's international flights operate from its terminals.

São Paulo International Airport (GRU) +55 011 6445 2945 http://www.infraero.gov.br/

Major airlines include:

Aero Mexico (+ 1 800 237 6639 / http://www.aeromexico.com) Air Canada (+1 800 776 3000 / http://www.aircanada.ca) Air France (+1 800 871 1366 / http://www.airfrance.com) American Airlines (+1 800 433 7300 / http://www.aa.com) British Airways (+1 800 247 9297 / http://www.british-airways.com) Continental (+1 800 525 0280 / http://www.continental.com) Delta (+1 800 221 1212 / http://www.delta.com) Iberia (+1 800 772 4642 / http://www.iberia.com) Japan Airlines (+1 800 525 3663 / http://www.japanair.com) Lufthansa (+1 800 645 3880 / http://www.lufthansa.com) Scandinavian Airlines (+1 800 221 2350 / http://www.scandinavian.net) Spanair (+1 888 545 5757 / http://www.spanair.com) United (+1 800 241 6522 / http://www.ual.com) Virgin Atlantic (+1 800 862 8621 / http://www.virgin-atlantic.com)

Buses operated by Airport Service (+55 011 6445 2505 / http://www.airportbusservice.com.br) provide reliable (the word reliable is the most important adjective when selecting public transportation in São Paulo) service to downtown (Praça da República), the Augusta Street Hotels Circuit, Congonhas Airport, the main bus terminal and various tourist and shopping districts. Buses run every 30 to 60 minutes and cost BRL21. Rides, depending on traffic, last 30-50 minutes. Other bus companies stretch out routes across the expansive sprawl of the outer districts and include:

Caprioloi Turismo (+55 11 6445 3506) and Expresso Brasileiro (+55 11 6445 2664).

When traveling by taxi opt for the blue-and-white Guarucoop radio taxis (+55 11 6445 3104). They charge a flat rate (usually around BRL100) and are far more reliable than the fleet of comum (regular) taxis that wander outside the arrival gates. The comum taxis are metered, and start around BRL4 and go up around BRL1.20 every kilometer. Rides, depending on traffic, last 30-40 minutes.

Rental car companies include:

Avis (+1 800 831 2847 / http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 800 527 0700 / http://www.budget.com) Hertz (+1 800 654 3131 / http://www.hertz.com) Localiza (+55 11 6445 2133) Unidas Rent-A-Car (+55 11 6445 2113 / http://www.unidas.com.br)

The Congonhas Airport (+55 011 5090 9000 / http://www.infraero.gov.br) (CGH) is just five miles from downtown. Service is limited to domestic travel. Some of the Brazilian airlines include:

TAM (+55 011 6445 4195 / http://www.tam.com.br) VARIG (+55 011 6445 3028 / http://www.varig.com.br) VASP (+55 011 6445 3019 / http://www.vasp.com.br)

The Airport Service (+55 011 6445 2505) runs shuttle buses to various downtown locations every 30 minutes. Cost: BRL21.

Taxis are easy to locate outside the arrival terminal. Radio taxis charge pre-paid fares, usually around USD15. Metered taxis can cost anywhere from BRL22-BRL60, depending on traffic. Rides to downtown last 15-20 minutes.

Rental car companies include:

Avis (+1 800 831 2847 / http://www.avis.com) Hertz (+1 800 654 3131 / http://www.hertz.com) Unidas Rent-A-Car (http://www.unidas.com.br)

By Train

Trem de Prata (+055 011 825 7022), a private company that operates out of a private terminal, chugs between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro three times a week. It is the closest representation São Paulo has to a main train service. Brazil's interior is accessed by a mix of independently owned train companies that operate out of Estação da Luz.

By Bus

There is no central bus carrier in Brazil; all international service from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay is managed by a variety of small companies. Terminal Tietê (+55 11 3235 0322), São Paulo's main station, handles all arriving and departing international traffic.

By Car

The Via Dutra (BR 116) slices through São Paulo in a north/south direction and is the main highway link with Rio de Janeiro. Its littered with tolls, but it's well paved and provides numerous call boxes in the event of vehicle breakdowns. The Rio-Santos Highway (BR 101) is slow, but more than compensates with its staggering coastal scenery. And BR 364 accesses the city from the northwest.

Getting Around Town

By Metro

Though limited in range, Sao Paulo's subway system, presents the fastest option for negotiating downtown. The blue line travels north/south and includes Terminal Tietê. The red line treks east/west. The short green line roams underneath Avenida Paulista. Subways operate between 5a-midnight.

By Bus

São Paulo's fleet of red-and-white buses cover all of downtown and beyond. Because of the metro's limited range, the buses are usually packed, especially between 5p-7p. Buses operate from 4a-midnight.

By Taxi

Yellow comums (standard taxis) are easy to locate throughout downtown. But, if possible, opt for a radio taxi. They are less prone to breaking down and the drivers are far more knowledgeable. Radio Taxi São Paulo (+55 011 251 1733) is very popular with tourists and accepts credit cards. Radio Taxi Vermelho e Branco (+55 011 251 1733) also has a good reputation.

By Car

Driving is not recommended. Congestion is constant and parking spots for a city of 15 million are absurdly sparse.

Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

São Paulo's visitor information booths are of limited use. They offer a free city map and a city booklet with limited sightseeing information (but 30 pages of ads for escort services). Staff will attempt to answer your questions, but there's little information to pick up and browse.

Both the city of São Paulo and the state of São Paulo provide tourist information at Guarulhos. The state info booths, SET (tel. 011/6445-2380), can be found in Terminals 1 and 2 in the arrivals section and are open daily from 7am to 9pm. The city's booth, CIT, is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 9pm. Booths in Terminals 1 and 2 are open daily from 7am to 7pm. CIT (at the airport or in the city) often has copies of the excellent free map, Mapa das Artes, which not only shows streets and subways but also gives the location of the city's most interesting public and private art galleries.

The CIT booths (Central de Informações Turisticas) are located downtown at Praça da República, in front of Rua 7 de Abril (tel. 011/3231-2922; daily 9am-6pm); and Avenida Paulista, in front of Trianon Park (tel. 011/3251-0970; Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm). The SET (State Information Booths) can be found at Rua XV de Novembro 347, Centro (tel. 011/3231-44-5), open daily from 9am to 6pm, and across from the Teatro Municipal in the Shopping Light, Rua Coronel Xavier de Toledo 23, Centro (tel. 011/6445-2380), open Monday through Friday only from 9am to 6pm.

Getting There

By Plane

Most international airlines fly through São Paulo. Even those heading for Rio often change planes or stop in São Paulo first. There are two main airports. International flights arrive at Guarulhos Airport (tel. 011/6445-2945), 30km (19 miles) northeast of the city. Paulistas will also refer to this airport as Cumbica. São Paulo has a duty-free shop upon arrival before clearing Customs, where you can purchase up to US$500 (£270) of goods. Once you have cleared Customs you can change money or traveler's checks or use an ATM to obtain cash in Reais (R$). The American Express office is open daily from 6:30am to 10:30pm and is located in Terminal 1 arrivals. The Banco do Brasil charges a US$20/£11) flat rate for traveler's check transactions and US$5/£2.70 flat rate for cash transactions. ATMs compatible with Visa/PLUS are in Terminal 1 arrivals.

From Guarulhos Airport to the city, travelers can either take a taxi or a bus. Prepaid taxi fares are available with Taxi Guarucoop (tel. 011/6440-7070). Sample fares: Congonhas Airport R$84 (US$42/£23), São Paulo Centro and Tietê R$66 (US$33/£18), and Jardims and Avenida Paulista R$74 (US$36/£20). One can also take a regular metered taxi; if traffic is good, these taxis are a little cheaper, but when traffic backs up the prepaid ride turns out to be a much better deal.

The Airport Service (tel. 011/6445-2505) operates four different shuttle bus routes: to Congonhas Airport, to Praça da República, to Avenida Paulista (stopping at major hotels along the street), and to the Rodoviario Tietê (bus station). Cost is R$24 (US$12/£6.50), and each route takes about 50 minutes (if traffic is good). Shuttles depart daily every 30 minutes from 6am to 11pm, and then hourly overnight.

Congonhas, São Paulo's domestic airport, is within the city limits south of Centro. It is used by seven national airlines for their domestic flights. From Congonhas it is a 15- to 20-minute taxi ride to Jardins or Avenida Paulista. Prepaid taxis to Centro or Jardins cost R$28 to R$38 (US$14-US$19/£7.50-£10). A regular metered taxi can cost as little as R$24 (US$12/£6.50) or as much as R$40 (US$20/£11), depending on traffic. The Airport Service (tel. 011/6445-2505) operates shuttle buses to Congonhas Airport, Praça da República, and the Rodoviaria Tietê (bus station). Cost is R$24 (US$12/£6.50), and the trip takes about an hour. Shuttles depart daily about every 30 minutes from 6am to 11pm, and then hourly overnight.

São Paulo Airport Woes -- Over the last year, the airport situation in São Paulo has been, to say the least, chaotic -- delays, cancellations, work-to-rule actions, and more. With every airline in the country using São Paulo as its hub, the small domestic airport of Congonhas has hopelessly outgrown its facilities; its short runways mean planes often can't take off or land in bad weather, which only adds to the chaos. Major renovations and runway repairs have been undertaken, but in the meantime the government has also imposed flight restrictions, and transferred a large number of domestic flights to the large international airport of Guarulhos. This has the advantage of plenty of space and modern airport facilities. The drawback is that Garulhos is located far outside the city limits, and São Paulo traffic can be a nightmare. On a rainy Thursday night around rush hour it took us a full 2 hours to drive from Congonhas to Guarulhos.

The upshot of all this is that if you have the option of booking a connection through another city, avoid São Paulo altogether. If you do have to connect through São Paulo, allow plenty of time for your connections (at least 2 hours, 3 if you have to shuttle during rush hour between Congonhas and Guarulhos. Finally, try to schedule your flight for early in the day, as delays to pile up and problems compound as the day goes on.

By Bus

São Paulo has four bus terminals (rodoviaria). All are connected to the Metrô system. Barra Funda, near the Barra Funda Metrô, serves buses to the interior of São Paulo, northern Paraná, and Mato Grosso. Bresser, next to the Bresser Metrô, provides buses to Minas Gerais. Jabaquara, next to the Jabaquara Metrô, provides transportation to Santos and the south coast. The Rodoviaria Tietê (for buses to Rio and connections to Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina) is by far the largest and most important bus station, located on the Tietê Metrô stop. Buses depart from here to Rio, and most major Brazilian cities, as well as international destinations. The general information number is tel. 011/3235-0322.