You have decided to go to São Paulo, Brazil and you are planning your trip and wondering how to get from the airport to the city center? In this post you will find all the options available to get from the airport to the city center.
There are two airports in São Paulo, the main one where all international flights and many of the domestic flights land is São Paulo/Guarulhos-Governador André Franco Montoro Airport, whose IATA code is GRU. This airport is also known as São Paulo Airport, Guarulhos Airport, or just GRU Airport. The second airport, where domestic flights land, is Congonhas Airport and is located in the city.
How to get from Guarulhos Airport to the city center
The São Paulo airport is about 25 km from the city center. Below you will find the various options from which you will be able to choose the best solution for you.
The easiest way to get to the city center is by taking a cab, and this is what most of the tourists do. The travel time is of about 34-45 minutes depending on the traffic and the fare is of around 25-35 Euro, booking can be made online.
If you don’t have a large budget don’t worry, various options are available to get to the city center from Guarulhos Airport.
First of all, before deciding how to get to the city center, various factors should be taken into consideration:
1 – Decide where you plan to stay in order to choose the best way to get as close as possible to the hotel or hostel you have chosen.
2 – Consider every aspect of the trip such as: the age of the participants, luggage, preference between bus or train, and if children are also part of the group. With these elements in mind you can now consider if you want to use public transportation, a cab or a transfer (in this case you can contact the hotel as sometimes they have a shuttle to and from the airport which in some cases may be free of charge).
3 – Another thing you should absolutely not underestimate is at what time your flight arrives as, if you intend to take the train make sure at what times leaves the last train.
Let’s see what other solutions are available:
By train and subway
There are many options to get from Guarulhos Airport to the city center of São Paulo by train: Airport Express (direct, no intermediate stops), Connect (direct, with intermediate stops), and Line 13 – Jade + Line 12 Safira (with stops and transfers), all operated by CPTM.
The Airport Express ( Expresso Aeroporto) connects Guarulhos Airport to the Luz metro station located in downtown São Paulo. The travel time on the train is of 35 minutes + 8/12 minutes by bus to get from the terminal to the train station.
Monday through Friday:
09:00/11:00/13:00/15:00/21:00 (Airport – Luz)
10:00/12:00/14:00/16:00/22:00 (Luz – Airport)
Weekends and holidays:
07:05/12:05/17:05 (Airpot – Luz)
08:00/13:00/18:00 (Luz – Airport)
The cost of the ticket is R$8.60, (if you have to use the subway you have to add R$4.30; the ticket must be purchased at the Airport Express ticket office and only in cash).
Connect is another train service that connects the Guarulhos Airport and the Brás Station; it stops at Tatuapé, Eng. Goulart and Guarulhos-Cecap stations.
The service runs every 40 minutes from Monday to Friday from 05:40 to 23:59 (Guarulhos) / 05:45 to 20:05 (Brás). On Saturday morning from 05:40 to 08:20 (Guarulhos) / 08:25 (Brás). There is no service on Sundays and holidays. The trip takes about 35 minutes with a cost of R$4.30 including the subway ticket.
Line 13 – Jade + Line 12 Safira is the slowest option with intermediate stops and transfers. Line 13 runs between the airport station and Eng. Goulart station, where you’ll have to transfer to Line 12 to get to the Brás station.
The trains run from 04:00 am to midnight every half hour. The travel time is about 45 minutes. The cost of the ticket is R$4.40 including the subway.
By bus (ônibus)
If you are a solo traveller, and don’t have a lot of luggage, and want to save money, you can take the bus from Guarulhos Airport to the city center. The Airport Bus Service is definitely a convenient option, less expensive than a cab or Uber in case your hotel is in the city center (Praça da República or Avenida Paulista).
There are several lines between Guarulhos Airport and the city center that stop at the Tietê and Barra Funda bus terminals, Itaim Bibi, and Avenida Paulista, also including the hotel circuit, Tatuapé metro station and Congonhas Airport.
Service runs every 30 minutes (1 hour on weekends or holidays) between 05:40 and 22:40. The travel time between Guarulhos Airport and São Paulo city center is about 1 hour/1 hour 30 minutes depending on the destination and traffic. The one way cost is R$39 which you can pay in cash or by credit card (Visa, MasterCard and Diners Club).
The regular bus operated by EMTU is the cheapest option. Line 257 runs between Guarulhos Airport and Tatuapê Metro Station (red line), stops at Rodovia Ayrton Senna da Silva, Avenida Morvan Dias de Figueiredo and Rua Tuiuti. The ticket costs R$6.45 (cash only). The bus departs from Terminal 3.
From the Tatuapê metro station you can go to other parts of the city using the metro, which operates from 04:40 am to 12:30 am. Check the São Paulo’s transport network map.
By taxi
If you decide to take a cab from Guarulhos to the city center, keep in mind that there is only one licensed radio-taxi company that can operate at Guarulhos Airport and that is Guarucoop (you can easily recognize them as they are white with 2 blue stripes). The fares are fixed and the taxi drivers are bilingual. These can also be booked in advance by calling ++55 1124407070 or going to their booth directly inside the terminals, if you are using a credit-card you can pay for the journey in advance. The cost is about 30 Euro however travel time can vary depending on the traffic conditions and destination.
These cabs are located outside each terminal :
Terminal 1: departure and arrivals area
Terminal 2: east and west arrivals area
Terminal: 3 arrivals area
You also have the option of metered cabs that wait for tourists outside the arrivals terminal. If the driver is honest and traffic conditions are good they are less expensive than the radio cabs. I recommend this option in case this is not the first time you visit São Paulo.
In São Paulo you can also use Uber, a good option and usually less expensive than a Guarucoop radio-taxi. Using the official Uber link you will find all the relevant instructions. The Uber service is also very convenient for going around in the city, just keep in mind that these cars, compared to cabs, cannot use the express lanes.
Car rental at the Guarulhos airport
Renting a car at the airport is not difficult and you can chose from a wide range of cars. You can choose between international car rental companies such as Avis, Hertz, Alamo or Budget, or smaller local companies such as Localiza, Movida or National.
Renting a car allows you to go everywhere in São Paulo. From the airport to the city center there are about 25 km in a southwest direction distance that, under normal traffic conditions, can be covered in about 30 to 40 minutes.
On the other hand, if you want to get to Interlagos the distance is about 70 km and the travel time is about 2 hours. You should not underestimate the possibility of taking an on-the-road tour to discover the surroundings of the city by heading north to Socorro and visit the beautiful Gruta do Anjo or in the opposite direction to the beautiful beach of Guarujá, only 125 km away, located just beyond the nearby coastal city of Santos.
From Congonhas Airport to São Paulo
Congonhas CGH Airport is located in the city in an area full of buildings, and I can assure you that landing here is always a very interesting experience!!! It is about 10 km south of Avenida Paulista.
At Congonhas airport you will find both regular cabs and radio cabs. Avoid the illegal ones; inside the terminal you will find two kiosks where you can book a radio cab, or just head outside the airport and take one of the many regular cabs with meters.
Free shuttle from Guarulhos to Congonhas airport.
In case you need to transfer to Congonhas Airport remember that GOL and TAM offer a free non-stop shuttle for passengers with flights in transit. To use this service you just need to show your boarding pass (either printed or in a digital version on your cell phone) or your airline ticket reservation to the bus driver. The bus runs every half hour from 06:30 am to 11:30 pm.
Hope I have been of help to you.
