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GETTING TO SÃO PAULO
Many
international airlines have direct flights to São Paulo – the city is
Brazil´s best served
by international and domestic flights.
Three
airports operate in São Paulo´s Metropolitan Area: GUARULHOS
or CUMBICA INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT,
CONGONHAS AIRPORT
and CAMPO DE MARTE AIRPORT.
GUARULHOS and CONGONHAS airports have hourly regular flights to
and from Rio de Janeiro.
The
service is called “ponte aérea Rio-São Paulo”
(Rio-São Paulo flight
bridge) and tickets can be bought at domestic companies TAM, Gol, Ocean
Air and
Azul desks.
The
city is
also very well served by inter-cities and inter-states bus lines, but
not all
lines have comfortable cars. Coaches of late-night bus service to and
from Rio
de Janeiro (known as “ponte rodoviária Rio-São Paulo”
- Rio-São
Paulo road bridge) are comfortable, air-conditioned, with on-board
toilets and
executive reclinable seats.
São Paulo State concentrate Brazil´s best roads,
most of them managed by private companies (Concessionárias)
and by the
SP State Road Administration Dept. (DER-SP). In other States
roads are
built and managed by the Federal Road Administration Dept. (DERSA)
or by
the local State´s Dept.
Maintenance
quality difference is quite dramatic between the Federal roads and the
Private
and State roads in São
Paulo.
Toll rates are expensive compared to rates applied in other States, but
road
travelling in São Paulo
is usually a safe and comfortable experience. As good roads encourage
travelling, São Paulo’s
became Brazil´s busiest - so drive carefully, use the seatbelt
and take the
usual precautions to avoid accidents.
BY AIR
GUARULHOS or CUMBICA
SÃO PAULO INTL. AIRPORT (GRU)
Official name: Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo /
Guarulhos “Governador André Franco Montoro”
Adress: Rodovia Hélio Smidt, no nº - Guarulhos / SP
Distance
from downtown São Paulo:
25 km or
15,5 miles
Tel.:
55
(11) 2445-2945
Main
street/road access: Via Dutra (São Paulo-Rio Interstate) and
Rodovia Ayrton
Senna
International
companies: Aero Sur, Air Canada,
Air Portugal, Air France, American, British, Continental,
Delta,
Emirates, Iberia,
JAL, KLM, Korean, Lufthansa, TAP, United and more.
Domestic
companies: Gol, TAM and more.
Located
in
nearby city of Guarulhos,
the airport was built on a Brazil´s Air Force land site formerly
called Cumbica
Air Base (a small old house where pilots during WWII used to sleepover
still
stands near the landing field). Transformed in 1985 into a
civilian-commercially operated facility, São
Paulo
Intl.
Airport
connects passengers to 111
cities in Brazil
and other 26 countries. The airport´s capacity is 17 million
people/year, but
flight demand increased fast and the airport became small and outdated
for
today´s needs. Investments on renovation and expansion to improve
capacity to
29 million people/year began in 2005, but these works still didn’t
result in
more comfortable facilities for passengers.
Transportation
into São Paulo
is available at the airport´s Ground Level (Térreo).
The
Airport
Bus Service is comfortable and reliable. Air-conditioned coaches go to
7
different locations in São Paulo
city, including
Congonhas Airport.
Coaches to the Beaches (Baixada
Santista – the cities of Praia Grande, Santos
and São Vicente) and to Viracopos
Airport,
in the city of Campinas,
are also
available. Tickets can be bought at the Airport Bus Service desk,
credit cards
accepted.
Authorized
taxi companies keep service desks at the airport and accept credit
cards. These
taxis are safer and more reliable than unregistered taxi cabs. Avoid
services
offered by self-called taxi dispatchers at the airport lobby.
Car
rental
desks are also located at Ground Level.
The
fastest
but expensive way to go to the city is by helicopter. Choked streets
turned
choppers the choice of the wealthiest in town. São Paulo´s
fleet is the 3rd
largest worldwide, after NY and Tokyo´s. Charter services can be
booked 24/7
(see list ahead).
More
info
see http://www.aeroportoguarulhos.net/
- click en for info in English
CONGONHAS AIRPORT (CGH)
Official name: Aeroporto Internacional de Congonhas – São
Paulo
Adress: Avenida Washington Luis, no nº - São Paulo / SP
Tel.:
55
(11) 5090-9000
International
air companies: none
Domestic
companies: Azul, Gol, Ocean Air, Pantanal and TAM
Built
in
1936, fully renovated in 1955 and partially renewed in 2005, the
airport was
named Congonhas in honor of Sir Lucas Monteiro de Barros, Viscount of
Congonhas
(1823-1851), first Governor of the Province (today State) of São
Paulo – in the
19th Century Brazil was a Monarchy. What began as a simple
landing
field today is Brazil´s busiest airport, with takeoff and landing
operations
happening at every 2 minutes.
Congonhas
received international flights until 1985, when Cumbica Airport
opened. Its convenient location – Congonhas is literally in town –
makes this
small but nostalgic charming airport São Paulo´s
travellers preferred one.
Although
keeping the expression “international” on its name, carriers at
Congonhas
operate only domestic flights. International flights seldom happen, and
only by
small executive charter jets.
More
info
see http://www.portalcongonhas.com/
- click en for info in English
CAMPO DE MARTE AIRPORT
Adress: Avenida Santos Dumont, 1979 - São Paulo / SP
Tel.:
55
(11) 2221-2699
Built
in
1920, the airport was inspired and named after Champ de Mars park in Paris.
São Paulo´s first
airfield today operates only charter flights, and Military and Police
air
services. Campo de Marte Airport also houses flight schools and
Brazil´s
largest helicopter fleet. Although there are no carriers´ flights
at Campo de
Marte, the airport is Brazil´s 5th busiest one, with
102.000 takeoff
and landing operations/year.
More
info
see http://www.infraero.gov.br
-
click English / Airports / Southeast / São Paulo / Campo de Marte
Airport
HELICOPTER
AND PLANE CHARTER SERVICES
AEROVIP
Avenida Olavo Fontoura, 484 A
Hangar Santa Fé – Aeroporto Campo de Marte
São Paulo / SP
Tel.: 55 (11) 2221-2074
www.voeaerovip.com.br
GLOBAL TAXI AEREO
Avenida Jurandir, 856
São Paulo / SP
Tel.:
55
(11) 5070-6000 or (0800) 555684
Fax:
55
(11) 5070-6021
http://www.globaltaxiaereo.com.br
MP EXPRESS
Rua Geneva, 100 – Condomínio Suíça da Cantareira
Mairiporã / SP
Tel.: 55 (11) 5084-4600
Fax: 55 (11) 5084-6131
http://www.mpexpress.com.br
VRM GOLDEN SERVICE
Rua Abraham Bloemaert, 197
São Paulo / SP
Tel.:
55
(11) 3739-0277 or 8244-9501
http://www.vrmgoldenservice.com.br
JET AVIATION DO BRASIL LTDA.
Avenida Jamaris, 100 – cj. 603
São Paulo / SP
Tel.:
55
(11) 5053-3508
Fax:
55
(11) 5053-3507
http://jetaviation.net/ click locations, south america /
são
paulo, brazil
BY BUS
TERMINAL
RODOVIÁRIO TIETÊ – TIETÊ BUS TERMINAL
Avenida Cruzeiro do Sul, 1800 – Santana
tel.
(11)
3866-1100, from 6AM to 10:30PM
access
through Tietê Subway (Metrô) Station - blue line
northbound
Built
in
1982, this is Brazil’s
biggest bus terminal, the world's 2nd largest and São Paulo’s
main ground transportation
center. Tietê Bus Terminal operates 24h/7, receiving 90 thousand
people and 3
thousand coaches daily, and it connects São
Paulo
city to another 1033 cities in 21 Brazilian states and 4 different
countries (Argentina,
Chile, Paraguai and
Uruguai) by
bus.
In
Tietê
Bus Terminal’s 120 thousand sq. meters a complete range of services to
passengers is available, including direct access to São Paulo’s subway system (Metrô).
More
info
on Terminal Rodoviário Tietê, see
http://www.socicam.com.br/2009/pt/terminais/terminais_rodoviarios.asp?Cod=1
More
info
on destinations and tickets, see
http://www.passagem-em-domicilio.com.br/terminal-tiete.asp
TERMINAL
RODOVIÁRIO BARRA FUNDA – BARRA FUNDA BUS
TERMINAL
Rua Mário de Andrade, 664 – Barra Funda
tel.
(11)
3866-1100, from 6AM to 10:30PM
access
through Barra Funda/Palmeiras Subway (Metrô) Station - red
line
westbound
Built
in
1989 as an alternative to the extremely busy Tietê Bus Terminal,
Barra Funda
Bus Terminal operates 24h/7, receiving 40 thousand people daily. From São Paulo
city west area
coaches arrive and leave to 466 cities in 6 Brazilian states. There are
30 bus
companies and 148 lines operating buses in Barra Funda Terminal.
More
info
on Terminal Rodoviário Tietê, see
http://www.socicam.com.br/2009/pt/terminais/terminais_rodoviarios.asp?Cod=3
More
info
on destinations and tickets, see
http://www.passagem-em-domicilio.com.br/terminal-barra-funda.asp
TERMINAL
RODOVIÁRIO JABAQUARA – JABAQUARA BUS
TERMINAL
Rua dos Jequitibás, no number – Jabaquara
tel.
(11)
3866-1100, from 6AM to 10:30PM
access
through Jabaquara Subway (Metrô) Station - blue line
southbound
Connecting
São Paulo to the beaches,
this is the smallest of the city’s main bus centrals. Jabaquara Bus
Terminal
gets extremely busy during holidays and prolonged weekends. There are 5
companies operating lines to cities like Santos,
Guarujá, Itanhaém, Bertioga and Mongaguá.
More
info
on destinations and tickets, see
http://www.emsampa.com.br/onibus_jabaquara.htm
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