Arriving Stress-Free at São Paulo's Guarulhos Airport

France is behind us. Brazil is appearing on the horizon and soon you will land at São Paulo’s airport, Guarulhos. São Paulo is the first destination of French expatriates in Brazil : and 70% choose to settle in the mega pole.

Getting off the airplane in Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo

Once you’ve disembarked there are no unordinary procedures, just the typical protocols you find in every international airport. At immigrations, you show your passport and the immigration form that was most likely distributed on the airplane and then you go collect your bags. The process can be very fast (30 mins). There you go, you are officially in Brazil !

In the airport on the ground floor you will find several lanchonetes, traditional places where Brazilians like to eat when they are a bit hungry. The pão de queijo, small cheese bread that is delicious, is impossible to refuse. If you are a McDonald’s lover, you will happily find one there as well.

You will have to get some reais, the Brazilian currency, now that you’ve changed countries. Two options are available to you. The first is to withdraw money directly from an ATM with your debit card. You will find HSBC ATMs on the upper level, beside the information place. The other option is to go to one of several “casa de cambio” which will offer similar exchange rates.

Taxi, metro, bus, and car : the best way to get into São Paulo

To leave the airport you can take the special Airport Bus Service bus for a fixed rate of R$42. The bus leaves every 30 minutes and goes to the Centre as well as other principal places in the city. To buy a ticket, turn left when exiting the terminal and you will find the point of sale, close to where the buses and taxis leave. It’s the transportation option the most comfortable if you have a lot of bags (the bus can be a hassle).

If you are traveling with the airline companies GOL or TAM, a free shuttle service is offered to the other airport of São Paulo, Congonhas, which is located closer to the center. The most economic way to leave the airport if you traveled with a different airline is to take a bus and then the metro. Bus line 257 leaves in front of Terminal 1 ASA B. In approximately 45 minutes for R$4.05 you will arrive at Métro Tatuapé from which you can take the metro into the heart of São Paulo.

In the case where you would prefer a taxi, you can take one with the company Guarucoop, which operates with fixed rates. Otherwise, you can find “taxi commun” services. To get to the center of São Paulo, it will cost you around R$100. For all your taxi rides you can use this price simulator. You can also call a taxi by using one of these 3 apps.

Finally, for those who want to rent a car, there’s nothing simpler since there are many car rental places in the airport (AVIS, BUDGET, HERTZ and more).

Your Brazilian adventure starts now !