Planning a trip to Sao Paulo

Getting Around

São Paulo has a convenient public transportation system, and many of its tourist-oriented neighborhoods are compact enough for a stroll. However, at night it's safest to take a taxi to and from your destination.

On Foot -- Though São Paulo itself is huge, many of the neighborhoods that make up the city are compact enough to be easily explored on foot. This is especially true of the more pleasant neighborhoods such as Centro, Higienópolis, Jardins, Vila Madalena, and Ibirapuera. During the day the city is quite safe; in the evening the safest neighborhoods are Jardins, Higienópolis, and the residential areas of the city. Best avoided are the quiet side streets of Centro, particularly the empty shopping streets around Praça Sé, Bexiga, and around Luz station.

By Metrô -- The Metrô is the easiest way to get around São Paulo. There are four lines: the North-South line, East-West line, and the line that travels underneath the Avenida Paulista. The fourth line sits isolated in the southwest of the city, and does not connect to the other three. The two main lines converge at Sé station, the busiest station of all. These two lines run daily from 5am until midnight. The line under Avenida Paulista meets the North-South line at Paraiso and Ana Rosa stations and runs daily from 6am to 10pm. It is usually a lot quicker to take the Metrô as close as possible to your destination -- even if it means a bit more of a walk or a short taxi ride -- than taking the bus all the way. Metrô tickets cost R$2.55. For more information contact tel. 011/3291-7800 or see the very useful website: www.metro.sp.gov.br. Note that the Single Fare (Tarifa Unica) program which allows riders to pay one fare and make use of Metrô, bus, and commuter rail is available only to São Paulo residents.

By Bus -- Good as Sao Paulo's Metrô is, there are some places you can only get to by bus. São Paulo buses are plentiful and frequent, but the city's sprawling layout and lack of landmarks can make the system hard to navigate. The routing information on the front and sides of the buses works the same as in Rio. A few useful routes are listed below (more are given with particular attractions and restaurants), but there will be many others running along similar routes. Buses cost R$2.55, and you pay as you board through the front of the bus. Bus drivers generally won't stop unless you wave your hand to flag them down. Some useful routes are:

• No. 702P, Belém-Pinheiros: From Praça da República along Rua Augusta, then north on Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima into Pinheiros.

The bottom line? If possible, we recommend going by Metrô, combined where necessary with taxis.

By Taxi -- Taxis are a great way to get around São Paulo, and an absolute must late at night. You can hail one anywhere on the street, and taxi stands are usually found on main intersections, next to malls, squares, and parks. To order a taxi at a specific time, call a radio taxi. Rádio Táxi Vermelho e Branco ("Red and White") can be reached at tel. 011/3146-4000 (www.radiotaxivermelhoebranco.com.br). Cost depends on traffic, so the following prices are only guidelines: From Centro to Avenida Paulista, R$20; from Avenida Paulista to Vila Olímpia, R$25 to R$35; from Avenida Paulista to Higienópolis, R$20.

By Car -- Driving in São Paulo is for the daring, the foolish, or the infinitely patient; traffic is always chaotic and frequently snarled and slow, particularly during rainstorms when the streets flood. Oh, and parking is expensive and difficult to find. São Paulo's appalling traffic has given rise to the world's largest fleet of civilian helicopters that ferry commuting executives in from their suburban homes.

Watch Out for Rogue Motorcyclists -- São Paulo has the highest number of motorcycles in the country, most of them used by couriers. Be careful; even when traffic is backed up motorcycles will ride at high speeds weaving in between stopped cars.

Getting There

Arriving

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. 011/2445-2945) 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. The American Express office is open daily from 7am to 10pm 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. 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. 011/2440-7070; www.guarucoop.com.br). Sample fares: Congonhas Airport R$92, São Paulo Centro and Tietê R$75, and Jardins and Avenida Paulista R$85. There are regular metered taxis, which are cheaper when traffic is good. When traffic backs up the prepaid ride turns out to be a much better deal. The Airport Bus Service (tel. 011/3775-3861) operates six different shuttle bus routes to Congonhas Airport, to Praça da República, to Avenida Paulista (stopping at major hotels along the street), to Itaim Bibi, to the Rodoviario Tietê (bus station), and the Rodoviario Barra Funda. Cost is R$30, 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 Airport (tel. 011/5090-9000), 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 25-minute taxi ride to Jardins or Avenida Paulista. There are two prepaid taxi services with booths near the exit doors at arrivals. Unlike in Rio de Janeiro, prepaid here is a reasonable deal. The cheaper, white Taxi Commun (ordinary taxi) charges from R$33 to R$38 for the trip to Avenida Paulista or Jardins. The Rádio Táxi Vermelho e Branco (the Red and White Taxi Company; tel. 011/3146-4000; www.radiotaxivermelhoebranco.com.br) charges about 15% more -- R$38 to R$45 -- but has slightly larger, slightly nicer cars. Regular metered taxis are also available, and will cost as little as R$24 or as much as R$40, depending on traffic.

By Bus -- São Paulo has three bus terminals (rodoviaria). All are connected to the Metrô system. Barra Funda (tel. 011/3392-2110), near the Barra Funda Metrô, serves buses to the interior of São Paulo, northern Paraná, Mato Grosso, and Minas Gerais. Jabaquara (tel. 011/3235-0322), next to the Jabaquara Metrô, provides transportation to Santos and the south coast. The Rodoviaria Tietê (tel. 011/3235-0322), 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.

Fast Facts

Area Code -- The area code for São Paulo is 011.

Banks & Currency Exchange -- Most banks are located on the Avenida Paulista. Banco do Brasil, Av. Paulista 2163 (tel. 011/3066-9322); Rua São Bento 483, Centro (tel. 011/3491-4008); and Guarulhos International Airport, daily 6am to 10pm (tel. 011/6445-2223). Bank Boston, Av. Paulista 800 (tel. 011/3171-0423; Mon-Fri 11am-3pm). Citibank, Av. Paulista 1111 (tel. 011/4009-2563; Mon-Fri 11am-3pm).

Car Rentals -- At Guarulhos airport are Hertz (tel. 011/2445-2801), Localiza (tel. 021/3398-5445), and Unidas (tel. 011/2445-2113). At Congonhas airport are Avis (tel. 011/5090-9300), Hertz (tel. 011/5542-7244), and Unidas (tel. 011/3155-5710). In the city are Hertz, Rua da Consolação 431 (tel. 011/3258-9384), Avis, Rua da Consolação 382 (tel. 011/3259-6868), and Unidas, Rua da Consolação 345 (tel. 011/3155-5710). Rates start at R$90 per day for a small (Fiat Palio, Ford Ka) car with air-conditioning and unlimited mileage. Insurance adds R$30 per day.

Consulates -- Australia, Al. Santos 700, ninth floor (tel. 011/3171-2889); Canada, Av. das Nações Unidas 12901, 19th floor (tel. 011/5509-4321); United States, Rua Henri Dunant 500, Chácara Santo Antonio (tel. 011/5186-7000); Great Britain, Rua Ferreira de Araujo 741 (tel. 011/3094-2700); New Zealand, Al. Campinas 579, 15th floor (tel. 011/3148-0870).

Dentists -- Portal do Sorriso (www.portaldosorriso.com; Mon-Sat 7am-9pm) has offices in Pinheiros (tel. 011/2626-0889) and Morumbi (tel. 011/3772-5941). Dr. Marcelo Erlich, Rua Sergipe 401, suite 403, Higienópolis (tel. 011/3214-1332 or 9935-8666). Both services offer English-speaking service.

Electricity -- Generally 110V; some hotels have both 110 and 220 volts.

Emergencies -- Police tel. 190; fire brigade and ambulance tel. 193.

Hospitals -- Albert Einstein Hospital, Av. Albert Einstein 627, Morumbi (tel. 011/2151-1233); and Hospital das Clinicas, Av. Doutor Eneias de Carvalho Aguiar 255 (tel. 011/3069-6000).

Internet Access -- Internet access in São Paulo is easy to find in bookstores and Internet cafes. The FNAC chain has stores in Pinheiros, Praça dos Omaguás 34 (tel. 011/3579-2000), and on Av. Paulista 901 (tel. 011/2123-2000). Both open daily 10am to 9pm, with Internet for R$12 per hour. Just off the Avenida Paulista there's the Monkey Lan House, Al. Santos 1217, corner of Pamplona (tel. 011/3253-8627; www.monkey.com.br; 24 hr.), for R$4 per hour.

Mail -- Downtown: Rua Florencio de Abreu 591, Centro (tel. 011/3229-0084), and Rua Haddock Lobo 566, Cerqueira Cesar (tel. 011/3088-1610). The branch at the international airport of Guarulhos is open 24 hours.

Pharmacies -- Pharmacies are called farmacia or drogaria in Portuguese. The following are open 24 hours: Drogaria São Paulo, Rua Augusta 2699, Cerqueira Cesar (tel. 011/3083-0319), and Av. São Luis 34, Centro (tel. 011/3258-8872); Drogasil, Rua Pamplona 1792, Jardim Europa (tel. 011/3887-9508). Most pharmacies will deliver 24 hours a day, usually for a small surcharge (R$4-R$10); contact your hotel's front desk to place an order at the nearest one.

Police -- Emergency number tel. 190. Tourist Police, Av. São Luis 92 (1 block from Praça da República), Centro (tel. 011/3214-0209), and Rua São Bento 380, fifth floor, Centro (tel. 011/3107-5642).

Safety -- During the day, the tourist areas are generally safe for walking; in the evening the safest neighborhoods are Jardins, Higienópolis, and the residential areas of the city. At night, it's best to avoid the quiet side streets of Centro, particularly the empty shopping streets around Praça da Sé and Bixiga. The area around the Praça da Luz is definitely to be avoided after dark. At night, traveling by taxi is strongly recommended -- don't rely on public transportation. The U.S. State Department has reported incidences of armed robbery and widespread pickpocketing in São Paulo, though this has not been our experience. As in any large metropolitan area with great disparities between rich and poor, it's wise to observe common-sense precautions: Don't flash jewelry or cash, and stick to well-lit and well-traveled thoroughfares.

Taxes -- The city of São Paulo charges a 5% accommodations tax, collected by the hotel operators. This amount will be added to your bill. There are no other taxes on retail items or goods.

Time Zone -- São Paulo is 3 hours behind GMT (as is Rio de Janeiro).

Visa Renewal -- Policia Federal, Superintendência Regional de São Paulo, Rua Hugo D'Antola 95, Lapa de Baixo (tel. 011/3538-5000; Mon-Fri 10am-4pm). The fee is R$69, and you may need to show evidence of sufficient funds to cover your stay as well as a return ticket.

Weather -- São Paulo's summers, December through March, are hot and humid. Temperatures rise to the mid-30s Celsius (high 90s Fahrenheit). In the spring and fall, the temperatures stay between the mid-20s to mid-30s Celsius (high 70s and 90s Fahrenheit). In the winter, June through August, it can cool off to a minimum of 15°C (59°F), but during the day temperatures can sometimes rise to the 20s Celsius (70s or mid-80s Fahrenheit). Those traveling to São Paulo between May and September should bring some cold-weather clothes, the equivalent of what someone would wear in New York or London in the fall. Most rain tends to fall in the summer (Dec-Feb); January is especially wet. When it rains heavily the city is prone to flooding, particularly the area around the Tietê River.

Parking

Some 17 million people make their home in and around São Paulo. It's a daunting number. But for all its ridiculous sprawl there's a charm to South America's biggest city, and getting around the areas of interest is neither difficult nor especially stressful.

Centro -- The old heart of the city stands around Praça da Sé, atop what was once a small hill circled by a pair of small rivers. Little remains of that original city; Paulistas take a manic joy in knocking buildings down almost as soon as they go up. The neo-Gothic Catedral da Sé dates to only 1912. Evidence of the city's age can be seen only in downtown's narrow and irregular streets. Rua Direita, São Paulo's original main street, leads through this maze to a viaduct crossing over a busy freeway that now occupies the Anhangabaú valley and goes into the "newer" section of the old town. This area, centered on leafy green Praça República, contains government buildings plus office buildings from the '20s to the '40s (and later). Back at the edge of the Anhangabaú valley stands the ornate Teatro Municipal, a Parisian-style opera house still used for concerts and theater. The Anhangabaú River, which once separated the two halves of downtown, was long ago filled and covered with a freeway, which in turn has been covered over by a broad and open city plaza -- the Parque Anhangabaú -- which effectively rejoins the two halves of downtown. Together, these two halves of the old inner city are known as Centro.

Higienópolis -- Immediately west of Centro is one of São Paulo's original upscale suburbs, Higienópolis. Though long since swallowed up in the city, Higienópolis remains a green and leafy enclave with some good restaurants and the city's Museum of Brazilian Art, also known as FAAP.

Liberdade & Bixiga -- To the south of Centro are two turn-of-the-20th-century working-class neighborhoods long adopted by immigrants. Due south of Centro is Liberdade, said to have the largest Japanese population of any city outside Japan. In addition to great food and interesting shopping, Liberdade is also home to the Museum of Japanese Immigration. Southwest of Centro lies Bela Vista, more often referred to as Bixiga. This is São Paulo's Little Italy. Bela Vista in turn butts up against São Paulo's proudest street, the Avenida Paulista.

Avenida Paulista -- Long and straight and set on a ridge above surrounding neighborhoods, the Avenida Paulista has rank upon rank of skyscrapers, the headquarters of the city's banking and financial interests. On the adjacent side streets are numerous hotels catering to business travelers. Halfway along the street is São Paulo's top-notch Museum of Art, known by its Portuguese acronym as MASP. Avenida Paulista marks the border between the old working-class areas and the new middle-class neighborhoods.

Jardins -- Extending southwest from Avenida Paulista are a series of upscale neighborhoods developed in the '20s according to the best Garden City principles and accordingly named gardens (jardins) to emphasize their green and leafy separation from the gritty urban core. Though each area has a particular name -- Jardim Paulista, Jardim America, Cerqueira Cesar, Jardim Europa -- Paulistas tend to refer to them as a group as Jardins.

What these areas offer is a bit of calm, some terrific restaurants, and the best shopping in São Paulo. Particularly noteworthy is the Rua Augusta, which intersects the Avenida Paulista at the Consolação Metrô stop and continues southwest through the heart of the Jardins. The few square blocks where Rua Augusta is intersected by Alameda Lorena and Rua Oscar Freire is the apex of the city's upscale shopping scene, São Paulo's Rodeo Drive.

Rua Augusta continues on straight through the Jardins, changing names as it goes to Avenida Columbia and then Avenida Europa and finally Avenida Cidade Jardim. At this point it intersects with Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima. Though a much less fashionable street, Avenida Brig. Faria Lima is home to a number of large shopping malls; the most important is Shopping Iguatemi. Following Avenida Brig. Faria Lima northwest leads to another Jardim-like area called Pinheiros; going the opposite direction leads to Itaim Bibi and then to a fun and slightly funky area of restaurants, clubs, and cafes called Vila Olímpia.

The Park -- The last key element to São Paulo is a green space -- Ibirapuera Park. Located immediately south of Jardim Paulista, Ibirapuera is to São Paulo what Central Park is to New York. It's a place for strolling, lazy sun-tanning, outdoor concerts, and the view to a couple of the city's top cultural facilities, including the Modern Art Museum and the São Paulo Bienal.