Check the official Brazil tourism website and the get in section of our article on Brazil for general information regarding visas and customs, and the Cidade de São Paulo homepage for updated events and art exhibitions around town.

By plane

São Paulo (SAO IATA) has three major airports: Guarulhos International (GRU IATA) and Viracopos (VCP IATA) for international and some domestic arrivals, and Congonhas (CGH IATA) for most medium and short haul domestic flights.

If the flights to São Paulo are high-priced, you can check flying to the airports of Campinas, Rio, Curitiba, Ribeirão Preto or Belo Horizonte. From there you can take an intercity bus to São Paulo.

Guarulhos International Airport

1 São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU IATA) (Located 40 km (25 mi) from the city centre in Guarulhos), ☏ +55 11 2445-2945. If flying into São Paulo from abroad, you'll most likely land at Guarulhos International Airport, also known as Cumbica. The airport has three terminals that are served by Brazilian airlines LATAM, Gol and by international airlines United, Delta, American, Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, Avianca, TAP, Iberia, ITA Airways, KLM, Swiss, and many others.

Non-airline shuttle buses are available from Guarulhos to Congonhas Airport (CGH IATA), Praça da República (Downtown), Paulista/Jardins region, Barra Funda bus station and Tietê bus station (fastest access to the subway). All lines except Congonhas connect to the Metrô. R$42 one-way.

Line 257 is a regular urban bus, which goes every 15-20 min to and from Tatuapé Metro station (line 3, red). The ride takes about 35 min and costs R$6.15 (Feb 2018), paid as you board. The bus driver provides change. Exit on the arrivals level at any terminal and follow the signs for the bus. The bus starts at Terminal 2 before heading to Terminal 3 and then 1, and it's recommended to board at Terminal 2 during peak times. Less comfy than the shuttles, but can prove faster way to Paulista (and elsewhere) on days with dense traffic, as it goes for the closest Metro station. While the bus has baggage racks, you might be denied access with luggage that won't fit on your lap.

LATAM, Gol and Azul, the three main Brazilian airlines, offer free shuttle buses for their passengers with flights to/from Guarulhos International Airport and Congonhas Domestic Airport. Check the schedules for LATAM and Gol. If you're on a budget trip and have enough time, you can ride those buses to Congonhas airport (you must show your boarding pass or printed reservation to the bus driver) and then get a taxi to your destination. It will be much cheaper than getting a taxi directly from Guarulhos airport. The trip between those airports takes between 1 and 1½ hours. No reservation is required.

A taxi co-operative, Guarucoop (tel: +55 11 2440-7070), has a monopoly on cabs leaving Guarulhos. They are plentiful and the queue is outside the arrival terminal. Credit-card users can pay for their journey in advance at the booth, although it's useful to have local currency as not all international credit or debit cards will work at all businesses in Brazil. Passengers can ask to see the tabela, which shows the fares for each neighbourhood. A taxi ride into the city can take up to two hours during peak times, or around 45 minutes late at night or early in the morning.

Also, you can use the "Airport Express" direct service to/from Luz station. Railway station is not right near the terminals of the airport. Take a free shuttle bus.

Congonhas Airport

2 São Paulo–Congonhas Airport (CGH IATA) (is in a very central region, 15 km (9.3 mi) from downtown). This airport handles most of the domestic flights, including the São Paulo - Rio (Santos Dumont) hop, nicknamed Ponte Aérea. As it was built in the 1930s, its simple but glamorous architecture is worth seeing.

The easiest (and cheapest) way to get to Congonhas is by taking any of the "Aeroporto" regular line buses that run along Avenida Paulista. After some 40-60 min in modest traffic you'll be dropped right in front of the airport and the fare is the regular R$4 (Bilhete Único accepted). It is mostly faster to take the metro to the São Judas subway station, and then the bus from there (10 min). Take bus number 609J/10 just outside of São Judas station to the airport and when getting off at the airport you walk just outside and look for the 607J bus stop.

Cab drives from downtown or Paulista should be used after checking how is the out of control São Paulo traffic. Check the CET website (only in Portuguese), which is the traffic administration department of the city.

Viracopos International

Viracopos International (CPQ or VCP) is in Campinas, 100 km (62 mi) from downtown São Paulo. It is sometimes used when weather conditions prevent landing in Cumbica. Brazilian airline Azul has its hub here and they offer free bus transport to São Paulo for their passengers, it might be convenient depending on your exact location. TAP flies from Lisbon three times a week to São Paulo.

Air taxi Rotorfly is an air taxi company located at the Carapicuíba Helipark in São Paulo. Transport by air by helicopter throughout São Pauo. Could be a great option for quick commutesR. Fortunato Grilenzone, 417 - Sala 8 - Helipark, Carapicuíba - SP, 06333-230 - Telefone: 0800 591 9056

By bus

There are three main bus terminals in São Paulo, all of them served by the Metrô (Subway) network.

Terminal Rodoviário do Tietê, Av. Cruzeiro do Sul 1.800, Santana (Tietê metro station, Blue line), ☏ +55 11 3235-0322 (reachable from 06:00-23:30). Tietê bus terminal is the second largest terminal in the world, hence an enormous building, but there is an information desk in the middle of the main lobby. Buses arrive in São Paulo from destinations throughout Brazil and from international destinations including Asunción in Paraguay (20 hr), Buenos Aires in Argentina (36 hr), Montevideo in Uruguay (30 hr), Santiago in Chile (56 hr), and Lima in Peru (108 hr). Guarulhos International Airport shuttles also depart and arrive from this terminal.

Terminal Rodoviário da Barra Funda, Av. Auro Soares de Moura Andrade 664, Barra Funda district, Expanded Center (Barra Funda metro station, Red Line), ☏ +55 11 3392-1878. It's west of São Paulo's downtown, and carries departures and arrivals to and from western cities in the São Paulo state, to Mato Grosso, Foz do Iguaçu (15 hr, R$230-260, around 13/19:00) and west Paraná cities. About 30 min from Paulista Ave by Metrô. You can also reach it by boarding the "Barra Funda" (875P) bus in Paulista Ave. Guarulhos International Airport shuttles also depart and arrive from this terminal.

Terminal Rodoviário de Jabaquara, R. dos Jequitibás s/n, Jabaquara district, South Side (Jabaquara metro station, Blue Line), ☏ +55 11 3235-0322. The Jabaquara Terminal serves cities in São Paulo state's south coast such as Guarujá, Santos and Bertioga. It is 30 minutes away by Metrô from downtown. There is a baggage storage (Guarda Volumes) in the Jabaquara Metro.

An inexpensive alternative (R$130) for bus travel between Foz do Iguaçu and São Paulo are freight bus companies that handle freight of merchants buying in Paraguay and bus travel at the same time. See the Foz do Iguaçu article for more details. From São Paulo, call ahead to find out from where they start. The companies are the following:

MD Tour, São Paulo, Rua João Teodore 628, ☏ +55 11959068201, +55 1138071157. 17-18:00 to/from Sao Paulo, but you should get your ticket already at 15:00 or the day before. R$130. (updated Jun 2018)

Trans Muleke, São Paolo, Rua Carlos de Souza Nazaré 526, ☏ +55 1132270461, +55 1122071921, +55 11985805021, +55 11997299818. 17-18:00 to/from Sao Paulo, but you should get your ticket already at 15:00 or the day before. R$130. (updated Jun 2018)

By train

Besides the extensive commuter rail system, there are no passenger trains of any kind into São Paulo. A proposal to relieve the extremely busy São Paulo - Río de Janeiro air route through a high-speed rail link is being planned. It is also expected that Brazil's first intercity passenger train will link São Paulo to Campinas by 2031.