Brazil Travel Guide - Transportation in Sao Paulo

Transportation

Getting there:

Plane:

International flights arrive at Guarulhos Airport ("Cumbica" by the locals), which is located approximately 20 miles north of the city.
The following airlines serve international flights into Sao Paulo:
American Airlines
British Airways
United Airlines
Delta Airlines
Continental Airlines
Varig

The domestic airport is Congohas Airport, and is located within the city, slightly south of Centro.
The following airlines serve domestic flights into Sao Paulo:
Varig
TAM
Gol
Fly

Bus:

There are four (4) bus terminals in Sao Paulo that are all connected to the metro. Rodoviaria Tiete is the main bus terminal, as it serves buses to and from Rio de Janeiro and most other major Brazilian cities. Connections are also available to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Barra Funda bus stop provides buses to Mato Grosso and Northern Parana.
Bresser bus stop provides buses to Mias Gerais.
Jabaquara provides buses to Santos and the south coast.

For contact information for the main airlines, visa and credit card information, and other phone numbers and websites, please see our Emergency Guide.

Within Sao Paulo:

Foot:

Sao Paulo has 11 million residents and so it is, needless to say, enormous. However, the actual neighborhoods themselves are quite navigable and compact: Higienopolis, Ibirapuera and Jardins inclusive. The only thing pedestrians should be wary of is crossing the busy streets: motorcyclists are more than abundant and are responsible of the highest accident rate for pedestrian-traffic accidents. Daytime Sao Paulo is perfectly safe to walk and explore on foot, while evening makes Jardins and Higienopolis the safest areas. Centro should be avoided at night.

Taxi:

This is your best bet for easy and safe transportation within Sao Paulo. There are three kinds of taxis: street cabs, radio cabs, and deluxe cabs. Radio cabs charge extra for the radio service, but are the ones to be called if you need to be picked up at a specific time and location. Taxis are mandatory for late night travel in order to cover the distances between neighborhoods, to avoid getting lost, and to be safe.

Subway:

There is a great subway system in Sao Paulo- considered one of the best in the world- that has three lines: an underground Avenue Paulista line, a North to South line, and an East to West line. The two cardinal lines run from 5 am until midnight daily, while the Avenue Paulista line runs from 6 am to 10 pm. Provided the traffic a-top is as crammed as it always is, the metro is the quickest mode of transport, though it should be avoided at night.

Bus:

Some areas are only accessible by bus (or taxi), as the train does not reach them. The bus routes are plentiful but confusing. Your best bet is to take the metro to the nearest stop and then catch a taxi to your destination.