Originally Posted by
pb9997
You can leave your luggage in GRU storage area, outside security, (ask for directions at the Info booths). Head to the Airport Buses and take the one to the Paulista Hotels (each one goes to different destinations), usually departing every 20/30 minutes - it will cost you 10 usd and 1 hour each way, under extreme situations (heavy rain, rallies, etc) allow 1,5 h. Paulista Avenue used to be the heart of the financial system in Sao Paulo; Once there, check the Jardins neighbourhood, lots of hotels large and small, nice restaurants, cafes and bars a live area. Nice streets for people watching, kill time, all under a protected environment, so you know when to get back to GRU.
I would not want to spend 10 hours at GRU, not even at their best lounges and I am welcome at several of those lounges.
Yeah, I would agree. I personally wouldn't want to spend a day in GRU. The only drawback of going into the city is the stress and time wasted with potentially horrendous traffic. Although both times I went it wasn't too bad and the drive (did a bus once and a taxi the second time) was about an hour each way. But with that long of a layover, you'd have plenty of time to get to the city and back. I'd also go to Paulista/Jardins. Plenty of hotels are situated between Avenida Paulista and Rua Oscar Freire. That area is safe and pleasant to walk through - lots of shopping and restaurants, particularly along Oscar. It's also a short hop from there to Vila Madalena which is an artsy neighborhood with interesting galleries, street art, cafes, bars etc.
Out of curiosity, are you doing this because of J award availability? I recall also considering doing something similar, JFK > GRU > JNB, or via Europe, as there was much more availability on those routes vs. JFK > JNB direct on SAA. We got lucky though and 2 award seats opened up on the direct route a couple months out. South Africa was incredible btw
