Getting to Sao Paulo
The most likely way of arriving in Sao Paulo is by air. There are domestic flights to many places in Brazil as well as to the world's major cities. There are also many bus routes and a limited number of train connections.
By car
Reaching Sao Paulo by car is possible, as the road system connects all of Brazil’s larger cities. The main Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro highway is the via Dutra (BR 116 North). The Rodovia Ayrton Senna (SP 70) runs parallel to the Dutra for approximately a quarter of the way. There is a longer but spectacular coastal road that also runs to Rio (SP 55 and BR 101).
Other main highways are the Castelo Branco (SP 280), which links the southwestern part of the state to the city; the via Anhanguera (SP 330), which connects to the northern region; and the BR 116, which comes in from the south (Curitiba). Driving a rental car is not recommended as the traffic in Sao Paulo is chaotic, street layout is confusing and parking is a nightmare.
By rail
Travelling by train is not a popular option in Brazil, as these days most trains are under serviced and lack real investment. There are four train stations in Sao Paulo. The Barra Funda Station on rua Capitao-Mor Goncalo Monteiro offers a Silver Train to Rio de Janeiro, which departs daily at 20:30. The Luz Station has trains to the interior and coast. Suburban trains heading to Itapevi can be caught at Julio Prestes Station, while trains east to Mogi das Cruzes leave from Roosevelt Station.
By bus
The four different bus stations in Sao Paulo are all connected by the city's metro system. Between them, they cover more than 1,000 destinations. The biggest of the stations, Terminal Tietê, is a huge building in the north of the city and has services to other parts of Brazil as well as to international destinations such as Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. There is an information desk in the middle of the main concourse.
The other terminals are Barra Funda in the west zone, which has buses to western Brazil, and Terminal Intermunicipal do Jabaquara at the end of the southern metro line, which has services to coastal areas. Tickets can be purchased at the stations and it's best to buy them in advance.
By air
Sao Paulo has two main airports that handle all international and domestic flights. Both of them have buses and taxis for the transfer to the city centre, and car hire is also available. The terminal buildings have the normal range of facilities including ATMs, bureaux de change and information desks.
Sao Paulo Airport
All international flights arrive at the Sao Paulo International Airport, 18 miles northeast of the city. The busy airport has two terminals and is sometimes referred to as Guarulhos Airport, due to its location in suburban Guarulhos. The congested Congonhas Airport is used by several national airlines for their domestic flights and is located eight miles south of the city centre. The airports are connected to each other by air-conditioned buses that leave at roughly half-hourly intervals.
Sao Paulo Airport transportation
The Airport Service operates different shuttle buses from both airports to the city. There are half-hourly services to Praça da República and the Rodoviaria Tietê bus station. The international airport also has a bus to avenida Paulista, stopping at all of the major hotels along the street. There are taxi desks in the Arrivals hall and you can either take a regular metered or pre-paid taxi.