- About Sao Paulo
- Arriving Sao Paulo
- Vistor Information
- Sao Paulo City Layout
- Getting Around Sao Paulo
- Fast Facts: Sao Paulo

ARRIVING

Sao Paulo has two main airports. All international flights arrive at Guarulhos Airport (Tel: 011/6445-2945), 30km (18% miles) northeast of the city. Paulis­ tas will also refer to this airport as Cumbica. Sao Paulo has a duty-free shop upon arrival before clearing customs, where you can purchase up to US$500 of goods. Once you have cleared customs you can change money or traveler's checks or use an ATM to obtain cash in Reais (R$). 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 flat rate for traveler's checks transactions and US$5 flat rate for cash transactions. The ATMs are compatible with Visa/PLUS, located 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), to all of Sao Paulo , as well as to the suburbs and surrounding communities. Sam­ ple fares: Congonhas Airport R$65 (US$21), Sao Paulo Centro and Tiete R$52 (US$17), Cerqueira Cesar and Jardins R$62 (US$20), Avenida Paulista R$58 (US$19), and Liberdade R$53 (US$17).

One can also take a regular metered taxi; flag fall starts at R$3.20 (US$1.05) and goes up R$0.80 (US25d) per kilometer. If traffic is good, these taxis end up being a little cheaper, but some days traffic is so congested that the prepaid ride turns out to be a much better deal.

The Airport Service (Tel: 011/6445-2505) also operates four different shut­ tle bus routes: to Congonhas Airport , to Praca da Republica, to Avenida Paulista (stopping at major hotels along the street), and to the Rodoviario Tiete (bus sta­ tion). Cost is R$17 (US$5.45), and each route takes approximately 50 minutes. Buses depart daily about every 30 minutes from Gam to 11 pm , and then hourly overnight.

Congonhas, Sao Paulo 's domestic airport, is within the city boundaries due south of Centro. The airport is used by seven national airlines for their domestic flights. From Congonhas it is only a 15- to 20-minute taxi ride to Jardins or Avenida Paulista. Prepaid taxis to Centro or Jardins cost R$24 to R$32 (US$7.95­ US$11). A regular metered taxi can cost as little as R$20 (US$6.60) or as much as R$40 (US$13), depending on traffic. The Airport Service (Tel: 011/6445­ 2505) operates different shuttle buses to Congonhas Airport , Prao da Rep6blica, and the Rodoviaria Tiete (bus station). Cost is R$17 (US$5.45), and the trips takes about an hour. Buses depart daily about every 30 minutes from Gam to 11pm , and then hourly overnight.

BY BUS There are four bus terminals (rodoviaria). Which one you use depends upon your destination. All are connected to the metro system. Barra Funda, near the Barra Funda metro (Tel: 011/3235-0322), serves buses to the interior of Sao Paulo , northern Parana > and Mato Grosso. Bresser, next to the Bresser metro stop ( Tel: 011/6692-5191), provides buses to Minas Gerais. Jabaquara, next to the Jabaquara metro (Tel: 011/5581-0856), provides transportation to Santos and the south coast. Rodoviaria Tiete ( Tel: 011/3235-0322 for buses to Rio , and 011/ 1235-0322 for connections to Paraguay , Uruguay , and Argentina ) is by far the largest and most important bus station, located on the Tiete metro stop. Buses depart from here to Rio , and most major Brazilian cities, as well as international destinations.