Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
W
www.turismo.sp.gov.br), can answer queries on travel
within the state.
Magazines/newspapers
For up-to-date listings of
what's going on in the city, the São Paulo edition of
the weekly magazine
Veja
contains an excellent
entertainment guide, and the daily newspaper
Folha de
São Paulo
lists cultural and sporting events and, on
Friday, contains an essential entertainment guide, the
Guia da Folha
.
Websites
The website
W
gringoes.com has English-
language information on living in Brazil for expats, with a
particular focus on São Paulo.
Maps
Finding a good map
of a city as spread out as São
Paulo is not easy. The free tourist-o
ce maps are not very
detailed. If you're planning on staying more than a day or
two in the city, it may be worth buying a copy of the
Guia
Quatro Rodas Ruas São Paulo
, an indexed street atlas to the
city that's no longer in print but still available online.
TOURS
Graffit
Rua Joaquim Távora 128, Vila Mariana
T
11 5549 9569,
W
graffit.com.br.
Offers a variety of
themed tours, such as art, nightlife or religion, in and
around São Paulo.
São Paulo Free Walking Tour
W
saopaulo
freewalkingtour.com.
Does what it says on the tin,
offering free walking tours in English: on Wed and Sat a 4hr
city-centre tour starts at 11.30am by the tourist
information booth in Praça República; on Thurs and Sun a
3hr Rua Augusta and Av Paulista tour begins at 3.30pm at
the Banco do Brasil by Consolação
metrô
station. To join a
tour, just turn up 15min before it starts.
Terra Nobre
Rua Tagipuru 235, Barra Funda
T
11 3662 1505,
W
terranobre.com.br.
Runs 4hr city
tours (not on foot), in Portuguese daily, and in English on
Tues, Thurs & Sun.
GETTING AROUND
São Paulo's public transport network (
W
sptrans.com.br) is extensive, but tra
c congestion and a seemingly perpetual
rush hour can make travelling by
bus
or
taxi
frustratingly slow. Matters are made even worse when it
rains
; São Paulo's
drainage system cannot always cope with the summer rains, causing the city to grind to a halt - just take cover in a bar or
lanchonete
and sit it out. São Paulo's
metrô
network, by contrast, is fast, clean, e
cient and expanding.
8
includes trolley buses as well as ordinary ones. On the
downside, bus routes often snake confusingly through the
city, and working out which bus to take can be di
cult. The
number of the bus is clearly marked at the front, and cards
posted at the front and the entrance (towards the back)
indicate the route. At bus stops you'll have to flag down the
buses you want - be attentive or they'll speed by. Buses
run between 4am and midnight, but avoid travelling
during the evening rush hour (around 5-7pm) when they
can get very full.
BY METRÔ
Quiet, comfortable and fast, São Paulo's
metrô
(
W
www
.metro.sp.gov.br) is by far the easiest way to move around
the city. Although only four lines of the metropolitan train
system are actually classified as
metrô
lines - there are also
overground (CPTM) lines, plus an underground line run by
an independent firm - it matters little because a R$3 ticket
covers all twelve lines with free interchange between all of
them. The
metrô
runs every day from 5am until midnight,
although the ticket booths close at 10pm. You can buy a
bunch of tickets in one go to avoid having to queue each
time, and there are integrated bus and
metrô
tickets too.
BY TAXI
São Paulo is quite car-orientated. Walking around it is hard
work, and in some areas inadvisable, especially at night, so
sooner or later you'll find yourself in need of a taxi. Luckily,
they are reliable and abundant but, given the volume of
tra
c and the often considerable distances involved in
BY BUS
Tra
c congestion rarely allows São Paulo's buses (R$3.20)
to be driven at the same terrifying speeds as in Rio. Despite
everything, the network is remarkably e
cient and
SOME USEFUL BUS ROUTES
#702P
: from Praça da República to
Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima (via Rua
Augusta).
#702U
: from Praça da Sé to Avenida
Brigadeiro Faria Lima (via Avenida
Consolação and Avenida Rebouças).
#107P
: From near Tietê Rodoviária Tietê
to metrô Faria Lima (via Avenida Tiradentes and
Rua Augusta).
#875P
: From Rodoviária Barra Funda to
metrô Ana Rosa (via Avenida Paulista).
#175T
: from Rodoviária Tietê to Rodoviária
Jabaquara (via São Bento and Liberdade).
