Airports, São Paulo

not sure if it's too late to respond, but as I always recommend, try Sao Paulo Airport Transfers, they can sort out transport from the airport to most destinations. Website is www.saopauloairporttransfers.com and there's a contact form on the site.

The airport is actually located on the outskirts of Sýo Paulo, in a town called Guarulhos (that's why the airport code is GRU). Sýo Paulo downtown is around 45 minutes (or more with road traffic) from the airport, so if you are planning to visit Sýo Paulo, choose a hotel IN Sýo Paulo and NOT nearby the international airport.
There is not much to do around the international airport anyway, only hotels.

Flying to Sao Paulo from Europe usually takes around 12 hours. You can fly from London, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Milan, Madrid, Helsinki, Istanbul and Lisbon.
France is one of the few countries with good flight connections to Brazil. Not only does Air France offer two daily flights from Paris to Sao Paulo on Boeing 747's but Varig with a daily service has routes too.
The shuttle flight between Rio and Sao Paulo offers three daily flights on the Rio Galeao / Sao Paulo Guarulhos route.

Easiest way to move from and to teh airport!
Special bus lines connecting Sao Paulo International Airport (Guarulhos) to Congonhas Airport, Praça da Republica (downtown), Tiete bus terminal, Barra Funda bus terminal, Shopping Eldorado and Paulista and Augusta St. Hotels.
Airport Bus Service fare: R$ 27,00.
Except the lines that leave of the Terminals: Tietê and Barra Funda, whose value of the ticket is R$ 28,05.
Ticket Offices:
São Paulo International Airport (Guarulhos) phone: 55 11 6445-2505
Congonhas Airport phone: 55 11 5090-9225
Praça da República phone: 55 11 3331-6196
Tietê Interstate Bus Terminal phone: 55 11 6221-0244
Barra Funda Interstate Bus Terminal phone: 55 11 3392-1313
They accept the following cards: Visa, Visa Electron, JCB, Redeshop, Creditcard, Mastercard, Dinners and American Express.
Schedule available at their website! Check!

You've landed in São Paulo. Now you need to get to São Paulo - the airport is around 25kms away from the city center, in heavy traffic.

Taking a taxi is expensive - if you negociate with the driver beforehand, it is around R$ 75. If you pay by the meter, R$100. If you are unsure, take a prepaid cab from the booths (blue or green). There are lots of hawkers for taxis in the airport - if you are an obvious tourist, you run the risk of paying way too much.

You can also take the "Airport Service" shuttle buses. There are several different lines: Eldorado Shopping Center, to the main hotels, to certain city areas, etc.. The price is R$24 per person (around US$12).

Finally, if you are travelling with little luggage and a tight budget, you can take the shuttle to the nearest metro station (Tatuape) for only R$3 (US$1,5). This is on the blue line - but don't worry, there are maps on the station showing how the different lines connect.

"How do I get from Guarulhos to Congonhas (or vice versa)?"

The easiest, most expensive way is to take a cab. Don't try to bargain with the cab drivers lined up outside the departure gate and asking you if you wan t a cab (the more agressive will try to help you with your luggage before you answer). There is a good chance that you will be ripped off (but if you really want to, try to negociate around R$ 75 or insist that the meter be turned on).

Instead, head over to the booths and prepay your fare. No matter how bad the traffic or what way the driver goes, you've already paid. These cabs are very trustworthy as well.

But the cheapest way is also very easy: shuttle busses. There are plenty of blue and red busses, logoed "Airport Service". The shuttle goes direct, but there are other lines that go to hotels or shopping centers. They charge R$ 24 per passanger.

"How long does it take to get from Congonhas airport to Guarulhos airport?" (or the other way around) is one of the most frequent questions on the São Paulo forum.

The answer is (drumrolls please!): it depends.

If there is no traffic (late at night) then it takes around 40 minutes. If it is rush hour, get confortable because traffic will be very heavy: it will take more than 1.5 hours. At other times, probably around an hour.

When you enter Brazil, you are given a copy of a form (sorry, can't remember if it was Customs or Imigration) that you must present when you exit the country. I normally take great care with these documents, but for some reason I misplaced this item. I was lectured by an angry Brazilian official about being irresponsible, careless, etc. and sent to another area to fill out the same form.

As I filled out the new form, the same official mocked a German tourist's accent, belittled him and finally called him an idiot before sending him into the area where the blank forms were located.

He continued humiliating several others, and the whole scene was somewhat surreal. It's too bad that the last Brazilian several hundred people saw that day was so bitter.

Moral of the story: Don't lose that little white reciept, unless you want to be scolded like a child.