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Airport  
São Paulo’s international airport is located in neighbouring Guarulhos, 18km from the city centre. Locals customarily refer to it simply as ‘Guarulhos’. Flight time to London is roughly 11hrs 30 mins. It’s a stereotypical international airport with the usual overpriced restaurant and reasonably-stocked buffet, a host of fast-food places, a run-of-the-mill bookshop that stocks international newspapers and magazines, a post office, an outpost of the local telecommunications company Telesp, a pharmacy, etc. Information desks are clearly marked and centrally located. 

Airport to City Centre
The most convenient way to get into town is by taxi. Three separate cab companies operate from kiosks near the disembarking area. Fares vary by destination. The average is about R$50. One firm, the only one which accepts credit cards, charges slightly more. In normal traffic, the trip into town takes 40-50 mins. The Airport Bus Service is less expensive and quite comfortable, though waits of 20 mins or so are common until the next scheduled departure.

Orientation
São Paulo is a sprawling city reminiscent of Mexico City or Los Angeles. There are virtually no natural landmarks. Statues and architectural gems tend to be overwhelmed by high-rises and expressways. The city sports four ‘downtowns’. The old centre, appropriately named the Centro, still houses the judiciary and related institutions, including the main law courts and an internationally renowned law school. Many law firms have offices here, although some have moved away to be nearer their clients. There are few important businesses here, a notable exception being Bank Boston, a leading sponsor of a downtown revitalisation project named ‘Viva o Centro.’ The stock market, Bovespa, is also here along with an old Italian neighbourhood and the Asian district. 
A short drive to the south-west is the second ‘downtown’ area of Avenida Paulista, Brazil’s best-known business drag. Once lined by mansions owned by coffee barons, the street now houses the powerful state industrial federation FIESP, Citicorp’s Brazilian headquarters, and the high-rise that the British Consulate calls home. Avenida Paulista is also known for the São Paulo Art Museum (MASP) and, across the street, a wooded park called Trianon. Near the Avenida Paulista is the smart Jardins district, with its high concentration of fine stores, restaurants, bars and coffee shops. Further south-east is Avenida Faria Lima, home to many of the headquarters of foreign investment banks, like Flemings, that are increasing their presence in Brazil. Adjacent to the Avenida Faria Lima are the Pinheiros and Vila Madelena neighbourhoods, currently the ‘in’ places for São Paulo’s rambunctious nightlife. 
South of Faria Lima, the final downtown flares out from Avenida Berrini. This region sports the new World Trade Center and dozens of other new skyscrapers. One building, called ‘Robo Cop’ because of its futuristic facade, counts many leading international advertising agencies as tenants. Nearby, a bit further south, many multinational companies have established their Brazilian headquarters in a district called Santo Amaro. Across the Pinheiros River from Avenida Berrini is the Morumbi neighbourhood, home of the governor’s mansion and Morumbi Stadium, the city’s most important football arena. 
There are three main traffic arteries. Two, the Marginal Tietê and the Marginal Pinheiros, were originally designed as a mini-ring road, but the city long ago overran them. They take their titles from the polluted rivers they follow, and the term ‘marginal’ comes from the fact that they run along the margins of the rivers. The Pinheiros runs north-south, the Tietê runs east-west. The expressways, like the rivers, meet in the north-eastern corner of town. The other main expressway, called 23 de maio, runs south from downtown to the domestic airport, Congonhas.
Excursions
For a quick day trip, there’s Embu, about 27km outside of town. On Sunday people flock to the crafts fair that invades the city streets. ‘Naive’ folkloric painters also set up stalls to sell their work. To the north-west and south-west, the ‘interior’ offers a smattering of cities known for their thermal spas, ranch-hotels and colonial architecture. When they get out of town, though, most Paulistanos head for the beach, called the Litoral Norte, with its string of seaside hotels and attractions. One of the more upmarket towns is Maresias. A bit further north, just across the border in Rio de Janeiro state, is Paraty – a littoral colonial town overlooking a calm bay dotted with islands. 
Getting Around
Taxis are the most efficient form of transportation, especially for newcomers. The underground system, called the Metrô, is clean, safe and efficient – but wholly inadequate. Rarely are business travellers lucky enough to find successive meetings scheduled along the Metrô line. Buses run frequently to virtually all city destinations, but they are often over-crowded, especially during rush hour. Business people – even locals – rarely use them. Regular taxis can be hailed in the street. Commercial and office districts are dotted with pavement ‘taxi stops’. Taxis can also be booked by telephone. The fare starts at R$3.20, then R$0.80 every km. Nights (after 2000) and weekends drivers add a 20% surcharge called ‘Bandeira 2’. The surcharge is calculated automatically by the meter. Some ‘radio taxis’ – including, in many cases, those hailed by hotel staff – charge higher fares. The Metrô operates from 0500 to midnight, seven days a week. Ticket windows, located inside each station, close at 2230. A one-way ticket costs R$1.25 and a renewable 10-trip ticket is R$10. The subway most adequately serves commuters in the Zona Leste (East Zone) who work in more central parts of the city. The short line that serves Avenida Paulista is sometimes a good option to get between meetings on or near that street. 

What to see
Art Galleries: Top-notch galleries offer a sampling of the best of Brazilian contemporary art. In keeping with its entrepreneurial spirit, São Paulo is a city where the best commercial galleries outshine the museums. Paulista galleries represent virtually all Brazil’s top artists. The only Rio de Janeiro gallery to rival those in São Paulo has now shifted its main operation to São Paulo. Galleries tend to be concentrated in the Jardins and Pinheiros-Vila Madelena districts.

Parks: Parque do Ibirapuera – São Paulo’s ‘Central Park’ – is a favourite site for jogging, cycling, strolling and impromptu games of soccer, volleyball and basketball. Free open-air concerts take place in the Praça da Paz on Sunday morning. The park houses the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM), the Bienal Pavilion (home of a biannual international art extravaganza), and a planetarium. Parking is difficult at the weekend. 

Horto Florestal (Cantareira): São Paulo is so well-known for its urban density that visitors often refuse to believe that this nature reserve lies within city limits. Trails weave through a dense Atlantic rain forest, where observant visitors may spot groups of monkeys.

Parque Burle Marx: A renowned Brazilian landscape artist, the late Burle Marx, left his mark here along with his name. It is a quiet spot where sports and picnics are prohibited. There’s a small lake and several trails through wooded areas.

Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) (São Paulo Art Museum): Latin America’s most important museum of western art is housed in a modernist building designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi and built in 1968. Launched by newspaper magnate Assis Chateaubriand in 1947, the MASP was originally housed in a mansion on the same site. The permanent collection runs from Rembrandt and Picasso to Brazilian modernists like Portinari.

Museu de Arte Moderna (Modern Art Museum): The museum’s collection includes work by leading Brazilian modernists like Tarsila do Amaral and Anita Malfatti. Revolving exhibits by major Brazilian and international artists. Av Pedro Álvares Cabral.

Instituto Butantan: Museu Biologico (Butantan Institute – Biological Museum). The Butantan Institute is one of Latin America’s most important centres for the research of serums and vaccines. It is notable for its work on snake bites. The museum sports a respectable collection of snakes. 

Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Religious Art): The museum sports artefacts from Brazilian Catholic Churches dating back to the 16c.
Museu Paulista do Ipiranga (Paulista Museum of Ipiranga): Located in an imposing structure built in 1895, the museum was launched as a tribute to Brazilian independence. It features artefacts, like furniture and clothing, that provide a glimpse into the life and customs of Brazilians since 1850.

Pinoteca do Estado: Recently reformed, the building dates back to 1905. The permanent collection features leading Brazilian modernists like Di Cavalcanti and Lasar Segall. The Pinoteca hosted a blockbuster show of Rodin’s sculptures in 1995.
Shopping
Before the ‘malling’ of Brazil, São Paulo was noted as a city of diverse shopping districts, where concentrations of shops featuring various types of products catered to eager consumers. Remnants of this layout can still be found in places like Teodoro Sampaio street in the Pinheiros district, known for its furniture outlets, and the Jardins district still features a snappy collection of shops selling designer clothing and other upmarket articles. For most purchases, though, locals head to their favourite shopping mall, which they refer to simply as the ‘shopping’. They’re designed and stocked along international lines, and foreign visitors might forget they’re on the road.

At the weekend, the city sports a myriad of open-air antique and craft fairs: MASP Antique Fair, Av Paulista 1578; Trianon Art and Culture Fair, Av Paulista, across the street from the MASP. Bixiga Art and Antique Fair (Sat 1000-1800); Praça d Orione Liberdade Crafts Fair – Asian and Brazilian style articles; Praça Liberdade Benedito Calixto Crafts and Antiques Fair. 

Where to walk
Though major streets bustle with throngs of people, most actually walk but a short distance. True pedestrians are rare in São Paulo. Yet the best way to explore some neighbourhoods, particularly the downtown Centro, is on foot. Ex-pat association The American Society runs organised guided walking tours of the Centro. 
A good starting point for any downtown walk is Liberdade, the Asian district. Residents and shop-owners are predominantly of Japanese descent, but the red lamp posts, the arch on Rua Galvão Bueno and the gardens are hardly spontaneous expressions of cultural identity. They are part of a deliberate attempt launched almost three decades ago to convert São Paulo’s Asian district into a tourist attraction. In 1974, local merchants completed a scheme to spruce the place up, and the plan included a requirement that shops sport signs in native script as well as Portuguese. 
Nearby is the noteworthy Metropolitan Cathedral in the Praça da Sé, the city’s geographical centre. The tramps that linger in the pews can throw off quite a stench, but the church is still worth a brief visit. Further on are pedestrian walkways that lead to the old banking district. The old downtown still houses the stock exchange, Bovespa, and the futures exchange. The Jesuit mission site where the city was founded in 1554 can also be found nearby, including a wonderful Benedictine monastery. A bridge above a thoroughfare leads to the Teatro Municipal, downtown shopping streets open only to pedestrians, and the Praça da Republica. 

Weather and Climate
Sub-tropical and generally mild, although significant, though not wild, swings in temperature are common. There is little rain during the winter and sometimes it’s cold enough to require a medium-heavy jacket or overcoat, but the dry winter weather combines with the high concentration of cars to produce world-class levels of smog during the season. The state government combats winter air pollution with a rotating once-a-week ban on the circulation of each automobile. Drivers must leave their cars in the garage on one weekday, the day is determined by the last digit of their licence plates. The summer brings hot and sunny weather during the day, often followed by heavy downpours around nightfall. Thanks to inadequate infrastructure, flooding is common in many areas. Micro-climate changes due to urban development have reduced this phenomenon considerably.

At a glance            Boka Flygbiljett - Boka Flyg - Boka Flygstol                   Queensway Travel
The neighborhood of Brooklin earned its name when the city of São Paulo bought a batch of mothballed trolley cars from the city of New York. Embossed on the car that took the tracks to a then-distant district on the outskirts of town was the name of the borough it once served: Brooklyn. German immigrants congregated in the Brooklin neighborhood. It maintains a high concentration of German restaurants and organizes an annual Oktoberfest. The notorious Nazi ‘Angel of Death’ Josef Mengele allegedly hung out with friends in the neighborhood. 

The downtown Italian neighbourhood Bixiga boasts a strong samba tradition. As in Rio de Janeiro, clubs called samba schools organise São Paulo’s annual carnival parade and compete for the top prize awarded by judges. Thanks in part to the samba school Vai Vai, many of São Paulo’s most famous ‘sambistas’ – like Pato N’Agua (literally, Duck in the Water) – have frequented the area over the years. Following the abolition of slavery in 1888, many poor black people established themselves in ‘cortiços’ – cramped tenement buildings where whole families live in single rooms. The cross-cultural influence was so thorough, said film-maker and theatre director Emilio Fontana, himself a Bixiga native, that he remembers hearing the black community speaking Portuguese with Italian accents. The influence worked the other way as well, and the musical miscegenation gave birth to 
something called Italian Samba. The father was Adoniran Barbosa, who, though he played samba, built a reputation for emphasising both his São Paulo roots and his Italian influence, putting on a heavy accent and deliberately working into his lyrics the grammatical errors common to Italian immigrants. 
Morro dos Ingleses (English Hill) is a downtown hill and street (Rua dos Ingleses) named in tribute to early British ex-pats. The hill still provides possibly the best natural view of old downtown São Paulo. Around the turn of the century the city’s British community installed their golf course on that piece of high ground. Few Brits lived in the vicinity, but a road (now called Brigadeiro Luis Antonio) ran back to their ex-pat sanctuary, the Santo Amaro, where local boys used to collect balls 
that the less accurate British golfers skewed into the rough. What started as a shoe box collection soon became big business. Given the elevated costs of importing balls from England, golfers with high handicaps – who tended to lose their balls more often – began offering the youngsters cold, hard Contas do Rei (then the local currency) to get them back. Eventually, the golf course fell to urban development. Leading families of the period built homes there, people like ‘Coffee King’ Geremias Lunardelli, ‘Flour King’ Giulio Parente, ‘Mr Hat’ Ramenzoni, and the multi-talented Maluf family who, among other things, produced former mayor Paulo Maluf. 

For a few months each year, São Paulo rivals New York, Paris and Rome as the capital of the art world. Running from October-December in even numbered years, the São Paulo Biennial features contemporary art from around the globe. Besides heavy doses of leading contemporary art, the 1998 edition included an impressive collection of works from consecrated historical figures like Van Gogh, Francis Bacon and surrealist master Magritte. Second in longevity among the growing legions of international artistic mega-events, the ‘Bienal’ ranks up there with the aforementioned Italian affair and Germany’s quadrennial Documenta as one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings. The denizens of the international art world were 
among the 1.5 million visitors in 1998. 

Like New York, São Paulo is the name of both the state and its most important city. Unlike New York, São Paulo city is also capital of São Paulo state. Natives of the state are called ‘Paulistas’. Natives of the city are called ‘Paulistanos’.