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| Brazil (São Paulo State) |
| Getting around in São Paulo |
| São Paulo’s public transport
network is extensive but traffic congestion and a seemingly perpetual rush
hour can make travelling by bus or taxis frustratingly slow going. Matters
are made even worse when it rains: São Paulo’s drainage system cannot
cope with the tropical storms and, as roads are transformed into rivers,
the city grinds to a halt – just take cover in a bar or lanchonete
and sit it out. The city’s metrô network, by contrast, is fast, clean
and efficient, though limited in extent.
As a safety precaution, when using public transport always make sure you have some small notes at hand, so as not to attract attention to yourself when fumbling through your wallet or bag for change. |
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| With your own car, the
main difficulties of driving in São Paulo are the volume of traffic and
finding a parking space. Otherwise, roads are well signposted and it’s
surprisingly easy to get out of the city.
Buses |
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| Traffic congestion rarely
allows São Paulo’s buses to be driven at the same terrifying
speeds as in Rio, though drivers do their best to compete. Despite
everything, the network is remarkably efficient and includes trolley buses
as well as ordinary buses; there is a flat fare of 40¢.
On the downside, bus routes often snake confusingly through the city, and working out which bus to take can be difficult. The number of the bus is clearly marked at the front, and there are cards at the front and the entrance (towards the back) which indicate the route. At bus stops (usually wooden posts) 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 height of the evening rush hour (around 5–7pm) when they are overflowing with passengers. Some useful bus routes
The metrô |
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| Quiet, comfortable and
fast, São Paulo’s metrô would be by far the easiest way to move
around the city were it not limited to just three lines. The north–south
Linha Azul (blue line) has terminals at Tucuruvi in the far north
of the city and Jabaquara (the Rodoviária from where buses to Santos
depart) and also serves the Tietê Rodoviária and Luz train station. The Linha
Vermelha (red line) extends east–west with terminals at
Corinthians–Itaquera and Barra Funda, and intersects with the Linha Azul
at Praça da Sé. There’s also the Linha Verde (green line), a
shorter east–west line that runs underneath Avenida Paulista from Ana
Rosa to Vila Madalena stopping at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo
(Trianon-Masp station). You can transfer between the Linha Verde and the
Linha Azul at either Ana Rosa or Paraíso stations.
The metrô operates every day from 5am until midnight, although the ticket booths close at 10pm. Tickets cost 50¢ for a one-way journey and come either as singles (ida), doubles (dople), or valid for ten journeys (bilhete com dez unidades). You can also buy integrated bus and metrô tickets; many buses stop at the metrô stations, with the names of their destinations well marked. Taxis |
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| Taxis in São Paulo
are reliable and abundant but, given the volume of traffic and the often
considerable distances involved in navigating the city, fares quickly
mount. With irregular – or no – bus services at night, taxis are
really the only means of transport after midnight. There are two main
types: the yellow comuns and the rádiotáxis.
The comuns, generally small cars that carry three passengers, are the cheapest and are found at taxi ranks or hailed from the street. Rádiotáxis are larger and more expensive, and are ordered by phone: try Coopertax (tel 011/6941-2555) or Ligue Táxi (tel 011/262-2633). Both types of taxi have meters with two fare rates, and a flag, or bandeira, is displayed on the meter to indicate which fare is in operation: fare “1” is charged from 6am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, but after 10pm and on Sunday and public holidays, fare “2” is charged, costing twenty percent more. |
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