By Plane -- Most international airlines fly through São Paulo. Even those heading for Rio often change planes or stop in São Paulo first. The following airlines fly to São Paulo: AirCanada (tel 011/3254-6630) flies from Toronto; American Airlines (tel. 011/4502-4000) flies from Miami; British Airways/Qantas (tel. 011/6445-2021) flies from London; Continental Airlines (tel. 0800/554-777 or 011/6445-4208) flies from Houston and Newark; Delta Airlines (tel. 0800/221-121 or 011/6445-3926) flies from Atlanta; United Airlines (tel. 011/3145-4200) flies from Miami, Chicago O'Hare, and New York's JFK; and Varig (tel. 011/4003-7000) flies from Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York's JFK. São Paulo is served from other cities in Brazil by Varig (tel. 011/4003-7000); Gol (tel. 0300/789-2121); and TAM (tel. 0300/123-1000 or 011/3123-1000).
São Paulo has two main airports. All 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$500 of goods. Once you have cleared customs you can change money or traveler's checks or use an ATM to obtain cash in Reais (R$). 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 check 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). Sample fares: Congonhas Airport R$84 (US$35), São Paulo Centro and Tietê R$63 (US$26), and Jardims and Avenida Paulista R$74 (US$31). 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$10), and each route takes about 50 minutes. 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 to the south of Centro. The airport 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 Jardim cost R$28 to R$38 (US$12-US$16). A regular metered taxi can cost as little as R$20 (US$8.40) or as much as R$40 (US$17), 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$10), and the trip takes about an hour. Shuttles depart daily about every 30 minutes from 6am to 11pm, and then hourly overnight.
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.
