"São Paulo" a São Paulo Travel Page by CelloSP

Back in 1991, I remember the first time an English friend of mine (who lives in London) was brave enough to come visit me in São Paulo. While preparing for her trip, she was careful enough to take malaria tablets, and even pack some type of “lion urine essence” - supposed to ward off wild animals.

Years went by.

In 1996, I flew back home from Paris on the same flight as one of London’s Orchestras – cannot recall which. They were all very nice, very keen on coming to perform in São Paulo, before – they assumed – an audience of Amerindians wearing loin cloths. They were also on malaria tablets, and, again, very concerned about the wild life.

“Malaria tablets?!? Wild life?!? What *is* that all about?!?” – I thought to myself. São Paulo = Animal Planet? Don't think so...

We started talking about the city, and they were really surprised at what I told them (and I felt some of them just wouldn’t believe me). They then showed me the guide they had been reading. There was a single mention to São Paulo, very short, reading something like: “São Paulo is a large city without further interests. If approached by animals, stand still”.

Needless to say, my friend and those musicians were all in for a huge surprise.

I sometimes read things like “São Paulo is not particularly good for tourists”. I know a lot of misinformation about Brazil goes around. When it comes to São Paulo (or certain areas within a tourist will never see – areas *I* have never been to, after choosing to live here nearly 20 years ago!), it gets even worse. High media exposure on all the downsides, but that is basically that. Well, as they say, no news is good news, so I am not surprised at all a lot of people really have no clue as to what expect when coming here.

How come a sprawling 450-year-old-plus city, with the most important art collection in Latin America, many of the finest restaurants in Brazil, the greatest nightlife in the country; a city that alone accounts for 18% of the country’s GDP and brings together over 12 million people from all walks of life under the same smoggy skies… How come a city like this deserves such brief references?

Of course, I love São Paulo, chose to live here, and tend to condone certain downsides - because I see the upsides that, as far as I am concerned, more than make up for the "bad".

I decided to write my own tips about this metropolis. I do not know everything, have not been everywhere, but I will strive to offer, at least, my fair judgment on the issues I expand on. Tastes vary and, of course, my opinions will be biased. Only human.

I concede São Paulo is not the “obvious” destination for a tourist.
It lacks Rio’s awesome beauty; it is dirty, polluted, messy.
Attractions are scattered around its vast geography; traffic is a nightmare.
Yet, why do many savvy cariocas (those who live in Rio) rush to São Paulo on weekends? That’s food for thought…

That said, I will write general guidelines to some of the basic questions a lot of people have. I will add useful links, which may be dead over time. But then, I will offer keywords in Portuguese so that you may just www.google.com.br the info. I will not make many references to prices, but, when/if I do, bear in mind they were accurate at the time of posting (FX: US$1 = R$2.2). As far as money goes, my tips will be mostly “value-oriented”, not particularly “budget-oriented”. The type of tips I would like to have when I travel. Of course I will try and offer “buck-saving” tips whenever possible.

This is a work in progress, and will certainly take a while to complete.
As most who live in this town, I have a zillion things to do, and will take my own – and free – time to write these pages.
Bear with me!

Cheers,
Cello
June 14th, 2006

I welcome your comments/questions/disputes! E-mail me directly at brazilianguy68@hotmail.com

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Map of São Paulo

Getting to the City

If you are driving to São Paulo, you should know your way around. A car is helpful if in São Paulo for a long while, yet there are aspects that should be taken into consideration:
- it is easy to get lost in São Paulo.
- traffic is *just plain horrible*
- parking costs

Major Airports

GRU (http://www.infraero.gov.br/aero_prev_home.php?ai=43)
Keywords: aeroporto internacional de guarulhos
Shopping tip: great prices and amazing offers at the duty free shop. You may purchase up to US$500 when embarking or disembarking. Not to be missed.
Alternative transports:
- Taxi
Just hop on a cab and go straight to your destination.
Some R$60-R$70 (up to 3 or 4 passengers).
- Airbus (http://www.emtu.sp.gov.br/aeroporto/)
Keywords: onibus Aeroporto Cumbica São Paulo
Excellent, clean, fast an often.
Average price: R$24,00.
Good if you are on your own *and* traveling light, as you will probably need to ride a cab, anyway – unless you happen to be staying exactly en-route. Six lines available: Congonhas Airport, major Paulista Avenue hotels, Praça da Republica (Downtown), Metrô Tatuapé (East Side), Metrô Barra Funda (West Side), and Shopping Eldorado (Southern tip of Jardins). If there’s two of you or more… Just ride a cab. Do the “value” maths!

CGH (http://www.infraero.gov.br/aero_prev_home.php?ai=109)
Keywords: aeroporto internacional de congonhas
Congonhas Airport is almost in the heart of town.
Alternative transports:
- Taxi
Just hop on a cab and go straight to your destination. Should not be too expensive, but price will vary, depending on where you are going. If you are concerned, first check the overpriced “taxi especial” (“special” taxi) booth rates to get a general idea of what to expect, then go to the “taxi comum” (regular taxi) line and expect some 20% to 30% off the “taxi especial” rate.
Buck-saving tip: if you are traveling light, and your final destination is *really* close to a subway station (i.e., you will not need to ride another cab, unless it is, say, at the other end of town – in this case this strategy might be worth your while), ride a cab to the nearest subway station (Conceição – cab fare R$12 + subway fare R$2.1).
- Airbus (http://www.emtu.sp.gov.br/aeroporto/)
Keywords: onibus Aeroporto Congonhas São Paulo
Average price R$24,00.
Excellent if you are going straight to a connecting flight at Guarulhos Airport.
- Street Bus
ONLY if you know *exactly* where you are going – and are *absolutely sure* you can manage. Lots of bus lines go past Congonhas Airport. This may mean big savings (fare is only R$2), but will probably mean a long commute, as buses generally follow traffic-intense roads (while cabs may travel side streets).

Bus Depots
There are four bus depots in São Paulo. The one you get to depends on where you departed from.
Alternative transports:
- Taxi
Just hop on a cab and go straight to your destination. Fare will depend on distance.
- Metro
All depots are directly connected to the subway system (Metrô). Keep in mind the subway system runs from five in the morning to midnight. If you get to the depot at, say, 3 in the morning, there really is nothing you can do. Either wait or take a cab. So try and time your arrival to a “convenient” schedule. Subway fare is R$2,1.
- Street Bus
ONLY if you know *exactly* where you are going – and are *absolutely sure* you can manage There are several lines connecting the depots to all areas around the city. Bus fare is R$2. Only a few lines run from midnight to 5 am.

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The Metrô

Getting Around

Get a Map!
Before deciding how you will get around, you need a map to put distances into perspective. Visit an official Tourist Information Center (10 around the city). Staff are, at least, bilingual, and will offer you all types of miniguides, maps, and tips about city. For a full listing, visit http://www.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/portal/a_cidade/turismo/index.php, then click on “informações”.
Keywords: centro de informações turísticas prefeitura Sao Paulo

Rent a car?
Rental+gas+mileage+parking might end up costing more than riding cabs around. Plus the stress of driving. Traffic is really bad.

Taxis
For the most part, cab drivers will not try and take the longest way to your destination. It is nice to have an idea of where you are and where you are going. If you indicate a preferred route, the cabbie will oblige. It is always preferrable to take a cab from a taxi stop, when several cars are lined up. It is safer than just hailing a cab passing by, particularly late at night. At night, if possible, have someone call a taxi company and order you a cab (there are many such companies, and it is not as expensive as you might think, as the fare only starts running when you get in the taxi). This might pay off. In time: Brazilians are not great tippers, and there is no customary tip to cabbies. Tipping is nice, of course, but otherwise just round off the fare.

Public Transport
The major means of public transport are street buses (R$2) and the subway (R$2.10). In general, if you avoid the rush hour (7-9am and 5-8pm) when buses and the subway are sardine-packed, it is perfectly possible to resort to the system. If you are planning on staying in the city for a long time, you might want to buy a “Bilhete Único”, a card that allows up to 4 bus rides for a single fare (R$2) within two hours, or 1 subway ride + 3 bus rides (R$3) within the same 2-hour period. It is not that simple, as you need to record the purchase on the internet and have an address in the city, in addition to entering other info, so, really, only bother if your stay will be long enough to warrant all the work.

The Subway (http://www.metro.sp.gov.br/)
Keywords: metro Sao Paulo
Metrô, as it is called in São Paulo, offers excellent service, albeit rather limited. Fare is R$2.10, stations are clean, trains are modern and fast. There are also other train services available, to neighboring cities, and something called “Ponte Orca”, a free shuttle service connecting three stations: Barra Funda, Vila Madalena and Cidade Universitária. You must collect your "Orca" ticket as you leave the platform, before passing the gate. If in doubt, ask the staff. They are polite and will help you.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the company offers guided tours (you will only pay for the fares). There are five different itineraries, all starting from Praça da Sé Station. Although the explanations are given in Portuguese, it is a safe way to see the sights without getting lost… For more information, visit http://www.metro.sp.gov.br/cultura/turismetro/turismetro.asp (only in Portuguese).
In time: eating and drinking is not allowed at stations/on trains.

Street Buses (http://www.sptrans.com.br/)
Keywords: transporte onibus Sao Paulo
It’s cheap, it’s slow, it’s crowded. It’s… a bus, after all!
It is not very easy to understand the system if you don’t get the language or the city geography, but it is not impossible. The lines are named after their final destinations. There are plates next to the entry door indicating the major avenues on the route. The website offers an origin/destination service, which, again, is only available in Portuguese. Yet, rather intuitive: type in the street/avenue (excluding “rua”, “avenida”, etc.) you are on, and the street/avenue you want to get to, and it will list all lines available, and even tell you where to change, if necessary. Visit http://www.prodam.sp.gov.br/itinerarios/HWBbLd.exe. Best of lucks.