Brazil - GRU Late Arrival-Fast Sleep vs Ibis Guarulhos

Our GOL flight gets in at 00:35 and I am guessing the airport hotels shuttle buses won't be running at that hour. Since we are on a budget, we basically have a choice between Fast Sleep http://www.fastsleep.com.br/conceito.html and one of the airport hotels, probably the Ibis since its the cheapest. The Guarulcoop taxi website doesn't have price quotes, does anyone happen to know how much a taxi would be to that area at that time of night? Or does anyone know if any of the airport hotels have 24 hour shuttle service?

Using Google translate, it seems that Fast Sleep rents cabins by the hour, however I couldn't figure out how to book on that website. Booking.com has Fast Sleep but I don't know if they would hold the cabin until after midnight even with a credit card. Has anyone ever stayed there?

Everyone has a budget. What's yours? Easier for posters to give suggestions that might be within your budget if they know what that budget is. I've stayed only at the Birstol Dobly International and only for day room. Used their shuttle, but it was early.

One reivew of the Ibis says "The hotel is located only 10 km from Guarulhos International Airport. There's a shuttle bus which leaves at hourly intervals between 5:30 am and 10:30 pm. The ride from Guarulhos to the hotel is free of charge, the bus leaves at Terminal 2, Wing D. A small fee is charged for the return journey but it's still cheaper than going by taxi. Please contact the reception for details."

Fast Sleep seems to be to grab a quick shut-eye before or after a flight. Its Web site does say the "cabins" are small.

Based on your other thread, I see that your flight doesn't leave until 20:00.
Fast Sleep is a suprisingly expensive proposition. Since you have many hours to kill, definetly go with the hotel option. Around noon you will be thanking yourself you are not stuck at an airport.

I have stayed at IBIS Guarulhos several times and also it's sister Mercure hotel which is right beside it. It'll be about R$40 by taxi. Since you are arriving so late, I'm sure the hotel would allow you a late check out of 14:00 or so. Shuttle back to the airport will run you R$5. Incidentally Mercure has an excellent lunch buffet for R$30.

All in (taxi, shuttle, breakfast, hotel) will run you R$200 which is reasonable. 95% of the travel will be highway so it's safe despite your late arrival.

We stayed at the Ibis last September in between flights. Pity you can't use the shuttle bus but it's not too far away distance wise.
Rooms are modern and clean, pretty basic but good value for what you'll be paying. We had a very comfortable night and would go back. As Rushfan1 said the Mercure is right next door if you want a bit more room space but I don't think it's worth paying the extra.

I still haven't come to a decision yet about this one night. I'd like to get some points but the only chain hotel that is halfway affordable is Tryp Tataupe which may be a bit too far to try to go by taxi at night. It will be a Saturday night and since I plan to stash the bags in the lockers, I figure we'd be on the road by 1am.

Hotels.com gives a UR mall click thru plus the Welcome Rewards on anything except the Ibis or Fast Sleep. The Fast Sleep booking process is a bit confusing and there are reports on Trip Advisor of them messing it up. The cheapest is the Monaco Centre Hotel which is roughly equivalent to the Ibis when you consider they give free breakfast and they have a shuttle at 0130 whereas the Ibis stops at 2330. I have heard of taxis getting robbed, especially Guarulcoop ones but haven't heard about hotel shuttles being robbed.

How safe are these areas at 1am? Both the Guarhulos area and the Tataupe area? The next morning we also have to get to the nearest bus stop or metro for a day of sightseeing.

Our GOL flight gets in at 00:35

I still haven't come to a decision yet about this one night. I'd like to get some points but the only chain hotel that is halfway affordable is Tryp Tataupe which may be a bit too far to try to go by taxi at night. It will be a Saturday night and since I plan to stash the bags in the lockers, I figure we'd be on the road by 1am.

The next morning we also have to get to the nearest bus stop or metro for a day of sightseeing.

There is a direct bus costing only R4.30 between GRU and Metro Tatuape. Bad news is the last one leaves the airport at 00.10. Tatuape is the nearest Metro stop to the airport and the Tryp will be a significant step up from the Ibis.
You could always taxi to the Tryp Tatuape with your luggage (storage at GRU is not cheap), do your sightseeing next day and hop on the bus back to the airport - timetable is here http://www.emtu.sp.gov.br/sistemas/linha/resultado1.htm?numlinha=16890

There is a direct bus costing only R4.30 between GRU and Metro Tatuape. Bad news is the last one leaves the airport at 00.10. Tatuape is the nearest Metro stop to the airport and the Tryp will be a significant step up from the Ibis.
You could always taxi to the Tryp Tatuape with your luggage (storage at GRU is not cheap), do your sightseeing next day and hop on the bus back to the airport - timetable is here http://www.emtu.sp.gov.br/sistemas/linha/resultado1.htm?numlinha=16890
I def don't want to be driving around in a taxi at 1am on a Sat night with all our luggage! I am just really spooked by the carjacking stories. How safe is Tatuape area?

I def don't want to be driving around in a taxi at 1am on a Sat night with all our luggage! I am just really spooked by the carjacking stories. How safe is Tatuape area?

I am not trying to be snarky with this comment but if that is your level of concern I would stay at the Fastsleep facility and have breakfast at the airport McDonalds in the morning before escaping the next day.
There are plenty of threads here discussing the safety of Sao Paulo and if all that information is not enough for you to have a realistic picture of the situation nothing more that anyone posts can be expected to change that.
Personally I think you would be better off going to Vegas where you would have a greater chance of winning a multimillion dollar jackpot than being carjacked in a taxi from GRU to Tatuape. And if your concern about that is so high why would you think that sightseeing by Metro the next day would be a safe proposition?

Have a look at these threads:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brazil/1289105-public-transport-gru-metro.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brazil/1260828-need-suggestions-10hr-overnight-layover-sao-paulo-gru-2.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brazil/1254255-worth-spending-time-sao-paulo.html

I am not trying to be snarky with this comment but if that is your level of concern I would stay at the Fastsleep facility and have breakfast at the airport McDonalds in the morning before escaping the next day.
There are plenty of threads here discussing the safety of Sao Paulo and if all that information is not enough for you to have a realistic picture of the situation nothing more that anyone posts can be expected to change that.
Personally I think you would be better off going to Vegas where you would have a greater chance of winning a multimillion dollar jackpot than being carjacked in a taxi from GRU to Tatuape. And if your concern about that is so high why would you think that sightseeing by Metro the next day would be a safe proposition?

Have a look at these threads:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brazil/1289105-public-transport-gru-metro.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brazil/1260828-need-suggestions-10hr-overnight-layover-sao-paulo-gru-2.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brazil/1254255-worth-spending-time-sao-paulo.html

Would it honestly have killed you to provide the information and links WITHOUT the snark? What purpose were you trying to achieve?

Thank you for the links, looks like other people have the same concerns and you told someone else that you wouldn't be wandering Tatuape at night. The only reason I am looking at Tatuape at night is because I saw a 20% discount code in the Wyndham forum which brings the cost of the TRYP Tatuape down, though the savings may be negated by the longer taxi ride even before safety issues are considered.

I don't think it's fair to compare riding in a taxi at night in a city known for carjackings to taking public transport during the day to go to markets, the zoo or whatever. We are well equipped to protect ourselves against pickpockets, not against someone with a gun.

Would it honestly have killed you to provide the information and links WITHOUT the snark? What purpose were you trying to achieve?



Wish I hadn't wasted my time then. I'll leave it to someone else to try and assist you. Maybe you will be a bit more gracious.

I have a 12 hour layover in SP and will be renting a car, which car company is the easiest and fastest to get to? Are there any in the airport itself, or do all require a shuttle bus?

tia

[QUOTE=Tiki;19195036]I def don't want to be driving around in a taxi at 1am on a Sat night with all our luggage! /QUOTE]

Actually, In Brazil, the party is just getting started at that hour of a Saturday ! (Not familiar with that particular neighborhood, but in general in Brazil...) Should be lots of people out and about, even until the sun comes up. :cool:

I have a 12 hour layover in SP and will be renting a car, which car company is the easiest and fastest to get to? Are there any in the airport itself, or do all require a shuttle bus?

tia

Offices are on the arrivals floor, outside between the 2 terminals. All require a shuttle bus. You have the international ones, Hertz, Avis and so on, and a couple of good local, Localiza and Unidas.

Bear in mind the number plate of the car as you can´t drive in the expanded center of S. Paulo 7am-10am and 5pm-8pm one day a week, depending on the last digit of the plate: 1-2 on Monday, 3-4 on Tuesday and so on.

Offices are on the arrivals floor, outside between the 2 terminals. All require a shuttle bus. You have the international ones, Hertz, Avis and so on, and a couple of good local, Localiza and Unidas.

Bear in mind the number plate of the car as you can´t drive in the expanded center of S. Paulo 7am-10am and 5pm-8pm one day a week, depending on the last digit of the plate: 1-2 on Monday, 3-4 on Tuesday and so on.thanks for the heads up!

The fates intervened in the form of the G3 flight from BEL-GRU having a mechanical diversion to BSB. The details were given in Portuguese so it wasn't until after we were on the alternative flight that we found out the other flight had been flying on 1 engine from the new crew. We had been on a weird schedule due to the award availabliity on AA and max 24 hour connection rule which actually had us going BEL-GIG-GRU and the following day GRU-SCL with conx to QF back to SYD, then BNE. Due to the irrops, we would have missed the GIG conx which we didn't really want but AA had booked us on. Upon arrival in GRU on a different plane, the G3 staff gave us free accommodation in the Matiz Hotel with transfers provided by the hotel and all meals until time for the GRU (EZE) SCL flight. So no Ibis or Fast Sleep needed and I won't be able to comment on either one. The Matiz Hotel was fine, free internet and plenty of food thanks to G3 paying for it! The next morning after breakfast, we took the bus 552 from the nearby bus depot to Armenia metro station, then used the metro to get to the zoo and Praca da Republica to visit the craft market.