How to Get to São Paulo

Short answer: from Guarulhos, take Uber or a taxi, outside rush hour. If you're travelling light, the train and the new AeroGRU people mover avoid the traffic, but AeroGRU has opened in phases, with limited hours for much of 2026, so check it's running when you land. Inside the city, book a hotel near a station.

Guarulhos International Airport (GRU)

Brazil's busiest airport, in the neighbouring city of Guarulhos, around 25 kilometres from the centre. By road, allow 45 minutes to Paulista in light traffic and far longer at rush hour (our travel guide has the peak times).

• Uber or taxi. Uber has marked pick-up points at each terminal. Official taxis, with fixed fares by zone, are booked at desks in arrivals.
• Train. The AeroGRU, an automated people mover that began carrying passengers in phases in 2026, links the terminals with the airport station on CPTM Line 13, where trains run into the city and connect with the metro. The Expresso Aeroporto runs to Luz and Barra Funda roughly hourly, so check the timetable.
• Airport bus. Airport Bus Service coaches run to Paulista, the Tietê bus station and Congonhas, among other stops. Slower than Uber, but simple.

Congonhas (CGH)

A domestic airport inside the city, 20 to 30 minutes from Paulista by Uber outside peak hours. The Rio shuttle flights to Santos Dumont take about an hour, and they're usually the quickest way between the two cities.

Viracopos (VCP)

In Campinas, about 100 kilometres northwest, and a hub for Azul. The airline runs free coaches for its passengers to Congonhas, Barra Funda and Shopping Eldorado, but allow two hours or more.

By bus

Coaches from Rio take about six hours and arrive at Tietê, the city's main bus station, which is on the metro. Comfortable overnight services make it a practical alternative to flying.

Getting around the city

The metro and the CPTM suburban trains form a large network. Line 2, the green line, runs under Avenida Paulista. Line 4, the yellow line, links Paulista with Pinheiros and Luz, and Line 1, the blue line, runs through Liberdade, Sé and Luz. Contactless bank cards and phones work at the gates on Lines 1, 2, 3 and 15 and at all CPTM stations, and the privately run lines, including Line 4, are adding them station by station. Card taps don't get the bus transfer discount, which matters only if you ride city buses. Ticket machines and apps cover the rest. Uber is cheap and the default after dark.