São Paulo is well-connected and easy to reach, with two airports near the city; internationally-focused Guarulhos (GRU) and domestic-only Congonhas (CGH) and one further away, serving the municipality of Campinas and the São Paulo State, the Viracopos Airport.
By Air
Guarulhos International Airport is South America's largest and busiest airport. Also known as Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport or Cumbica Airport, it’s the main airport of the three servicing the greater Sao Paulo metropolitan area. Most international flights to Sao Paulo land here, though it’s also possible to fly from some Latin American countries to Viracopos Airport in nearby Campinas.
Serving upwards of 43 million passengers annually, Guarulhos has three passenger terminals and a fourth cargo terminal. T2 and T3 service international flights, while T1 handles domestic ones. Though moderately easy to navigate, Guarulhos is large, and it can be a long trek from the check-in counter to your gate. The walk between T2 and T3 takes about 15 minutes, but T1 can only be reached via a free shuttle located outside the building. (It’s the same shuttle that goes to the subway station.) The route goes from T3 to T2 to T1, then the cargo terminal, before looping back to T3. T1 contains the A gates, T2 the B-E gates, and T3 the F-H gates.
Azul is the only carrier in T1. T2’s carriers include: Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air Europa, Avianca, Delta Air Lines, Gol, and Latam (domestic). T3’s carriers include: Air Canada, Air China, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Iberia, KLM, Korean Air, Latam (international), and United Airlines. The airport is clean, well-lit, and generally safe, though it’s good to keep an eye on your things as you would in any airport.
How to reach the city from the GRU airport and vice versa:
There are several ways to get between the airport and the city during the daytime. Late-night options are more limited, but taxis and Ubers run 24/7. Another option similar to Uber and with sometimes cheaper prices is the 99 app.
Subway: Line 13 goes directly to the airport. From the beginning of Line 13 at Engenheiro Goulart station, travel time is at least 15 minutes to the airport. If you are traveling between the airport and city centre, allow for at least two hours due to transfers and foot traffic within stations. The airport station is in front of the cargo terminal, and passengers can take a free shuttle to T1, T2, or T3 from under the station awning. Shuttles come every 15 minutes. Line 13 operates from 4 to 12 a.m. Bring cash, as tickets (4 reals) cannot be purchased with credit cards.
Special subway services: During the peak times of 5:40 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Connect train service runs a train directly between Brás station on Line 12 to Guarulhos Airport station without stops. Tickets cost 4 reals and there is no service on Sundays. Additionally, there is an express train between Luz station and Guarulhos Airport station. From Guarulhos to Luz station, trains run every 2 hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a final train at 9 p.m. From Luz station to Guarulhos, trains run every 2 hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a final train at 10 p.m. Tickets are 8.60 reals and there is no service on Saturdays or Sundays.
Public bus: This is the cheapest option for getting to or from the airport. Take public bus 257 to Tatuapé station on the metro’s Line 3, 11, and 12. Tickets are 4.30 reals. From there take the subway to your desired destination for 4.40 reals.
Airport Shuttle: The Airport Bus Service bus connects Guarulhos to Paulista Avenue, Tietê Bus Terminal, and Congonhas Airport for 30 to 39 reals. Depending on where you want to go, the travel time is one to two hours.
Uber: Uber is legal and generally cheaper than taxis in Sao Paulo. The travel time to the city centre is 45 minutes to two hours, depending on traffic, and the fare is 50 to 70 reals.
Taxi: The drive to the city centre takes 45 minutes to two hours, depending on traffic. Request a cab at one of the official taxi kiosks located outside each terminal’s arrival hall, or through the official taxi service’s website. Fares run from 90 to 140 reals. Tipping is appreciated but not required.
Sao Paulo Congonhas Airport is another busy airport which also serves a lot of customers, it has a transport facility with free shuttle buses available to take visitors to top tourist attractions, other airports, and the city centre as well. The distance from the Congonhas aairport to the city centre is 12 kilometres
How to reach the city from the Congonhas airport:
Bus/Metro: Take the bus for route 609J-10 directly outside the arrival's hall. Ride until the Sao Judas station on Metro Line 1 (about 15 minutes), then take the line to the city centre. Plan at least a total trip time of 30 minutes.
Shuttle: Same as Guarulhos. Also, Gol and TAM offer a free shuttle from Congonhas to Guarulhos, for passengers with connecting flights. They run on the half hour from 5: 30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. To board, show your reservation to the driver.
The Viracopos International Airport
How to reach the city from the Viracopos airport:
Bus/Metro: Take a VB Transportes bus (24 reals) to Tietê Terminal. From here, hop on Metro Line 1 and continue to the city centre. The trip should be about an hour and 40 minutes.
Shuttle: Azul Brazilian Airlines offers a free shuttle to Congonhas, Barra Funda Terminal, Eldorado, and Tamboré shopping malls. To board, show your reservation to the driver.
To help you with the flight search you can use sites like:
São Paulo bus terminals are among the most attended and important stations in Brazil, which is no surprise considering it is one of the most visited cities of the country, both by Brazilians and foreigners. Every day, thousands of people get to the 5th most populated of world by plane and, especially, by bus.
Tietê Bus Termina in São Paulo is the 2nd largest bus station in the world. It is the most important terminal of the city and receives about 3000 vehicles every day, connecting the capital to many cities inside and outside Brazil. Tietê bus terminal is well structured and counts with 89 bus platforms, VIP rooms, electronic displays, free Wi-Fi connection, free charging stations, several stores and snack bars, drugstore, restrooms and others.
Jabaquara is one of the oldest and most traditional bus terminals of São Paulo, being part of the history of the capital. With 24 platforms, it transports around 15000 passengers every day. Another great point is that Jabaquara bus terminal is attached to a subway bus station. On the other hand, it only has departures and arrivals from cities in the coast of the state.
With buses to more than 500 cities around Brazil, Barra Funda manages around 40000 passengers in 40 platforms every day. The structure of the bus station includes snack bars, stores, restrooms, luggage storage and ATMs.
Despite being an independent city, the bus terminal of Guarulhos is in the metropolitan area of São Paulo and is commonly used to arrive or leave the capital. As well as a great structure formed by 20 bus platforms, restrooms, several stores and others, it is also one of the most sustainable stations of the country.
