Brazil’s financial capital, São Paulo, has a reputation for speed and efficiency, both in business and public transport. The Sao Paulo Metropolitan Rail Transport Network, comprised of 15 lines and nearly 200 stations, is the largest urban rail system in Latin America, transporting five million passengers daily. Though some stations are huge, they’re easy to navigate, and signs are in both English and Portuguese. Other than Ubers or taxis, the metro will most likely be your best and cheapest option for getting around during your stay in Sao Paulo.
Everyone takes the Metro, especially now that more sanctions have been put in place on what vehicles can be on the roads during rush hour. Here's how to navigate it so you can get to where you need to go.
A single ride ticket costs 4.30 reals, regardless of trip time or distance traveled. Brazilian citizens can get smart card transportation passes with discounts, but these are not available for tourists without Brazilian government-issued IDs. If you plan on making multiple trips in the same day, you can save time by buying all your tickets at once. Purchase tickets at the ticket booths inside the Metro stations. Tickets can only be purchased using cash (reals). Use small bills and coins, as ticket sellers are not required to make change for any bill over 20 reals. Credit or debit cards are not accepted. Lines operate from 4:40 a.m. until 12 a.m. Sunday through Friday, as well as holidays. On Saturdays, lines run from 4:40 a.m. until 1 a.m.; however, a few stations do not open until 10 a.m., while others do not run between the hours of 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sao Paulo’s infamous traffic is the worst on weekdays from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Severe weather, like heavy rain, can lengthen these times, making the evening rush hour last until 10 p.m. or later.
You can download the Sao Paulo Metro app or use the trip planner on the Sao Paulo Metro site to plan your route and find out real-time departure/arrival information.
São Paulo has an abundance of taxis. Hail them in person or request one through an app. The 99 taxi app and Easy Taxi app are two of the most popular.
Fares are comprised of a start fee (4.50 reals), kilometer fee, and wait time fee (33 reals per hour). The kilometer fee can be confusing, as it has two options, or bandeiradas. The first is 2.75 reals per kilometer, and is for taxis taken between Monday and Saturday during the day. The second is 30 percent more than the first, and is for taxis taken on Sunday, holidays, Monday to Saturday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the month of December. In an effort to help cabs compete with Uber, charging the second bandeirada is now optional; you can ask the driver to only charge you for first bandeirada. If a meter is broken or a driver refuses to use it, get out and get another taxi. Tipping is not common (unless your driver had to wait a long time), but it is appreciated.
Uber is legal and easy to find at São Paulo's airports and throughout the city. Ubers can be cheaper than taxis but not always. Compare Uber with the prices on the 99 taxi app to find the best deal. However, taxis have one advantage over Uber in that they can use the bus lanes while Ubers cannot. If you have to travel during rush hour, this can make a huge difference, and might even be cheaper than Uber due to surge pricing.
Over 8.8 million passengers daily ride Sao Paulo’s 16,000 buses, which have 1,300 lines driving across 393 miles of bus lanes. SPTrans operates most of the buses and has info about routes on their site. Fares start at 4.40 reals. Watch out for pickpockets, especially on crowded buses. While buses still operate after the Metro shuts down (12 a.m. or 1 a.m. depending on the day), taking an Uber will be the easiest option to get home.
You can easily rent a car in Sao Paulo. However, given the city’s bumper-to-bumper rush hour, most tourists prefer to use the Metro or Uber instead of drive. If you do rent a car, be aware of the road restrictions in place for the rodízio veicular; this program reduces traffic (and thus air pollution) by limiting what cars can be on the road during the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the week. Plates ending in 1 and 2 are banned on Mondays, 3 and 4 on Tuesdays, 5 and 6 on Wednesdays, 7 and 8 on Thursdays, and 9 and 0 on Fridays.
