anandrag

Have booked the IGU Falls error fare. Leaves me with 2 long layovers each way at GRU. 120 pm till midnight the way in and 730 am - 430 pm on way back.

Heard lounges at GRU are terrible (am AA EXP but flying coach and on LAN).

What are my options to go into town? Been there for work a couple of times but didn't sightsee or go around at all

Thanks

VidaNaPraia

Bus or taxi.
There is luggage storage in the airport if you cannot check in bags early.
Walk around in Jardins.
Go to MASP. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A..._Museum_of_Art Go up in the Banespa or Italia buildings to view the skyscrapers.
Wander around in Liberdade, the Japanese neighborhood.
Go to the Pinacoteca museum. http://www.pinacoteca.org.br/pinacoteca-en/
Go to Vila Mariana or Vila Madalena.

On the "way back" layover, consider a day room at a hotel in the nearby town of Guarulhos, one with a pool and an airport shuttle.

anandrag

Thanks!

How do I go around town to the places you mention above? Best to take cabs? Public transport available and/or safe?

Any recommendations for hotels near airports?

VidaNaPraia

There's a metro and buses. Metro is easy and safe, but not so extensive. Buses are confusing (to me who speaks good Portuguese). Taxis are pretty cheap.

Just use "Guarulhos" on a site like booking.com
Some friends with kids stayed at Hotel Slaviero Executivo Guarulhos the other night before flying to the US.

anandrag

Thanks!

Any suggestions for order of how I visit these keeping in mind geography?
Also, any suggestions for food on the way between these places?

VidaNaPraia

Get a map. And download the metro map. But you should probably plan on taxis for convenience. It�s a big city. And it feels so. Also, you�re not going to be able to do all of that in one day.
Try this map: http://www.maplandia.com/brazil/sao-.../vila-mariana/

MASP is on Av. Paulista which is Jardins. Lots of shops and restaurants, and the lush Trianon park nearby. I could probably happily spend the whole day there, just wandering around, visiting coffee houses and bookstores. There is a metro stop near the park.

Pinacoteca museum is near the Ibirapuera park, another sight to see if you want (although not as nice as Trianon IMO). Also visit neighborhood shops of Vila Mariana.
Jardins is a little northwest of Vila Mariana.
Liberdade is a little north (a bit more than Jardins) of Vila Mariana. Japanese and other Asian restaurants and shops.


Banespa is open 10-3 M-F (Jo�o Br�cola 24)
Edif�cio It�lia (Av. Ipiranga, 344, Republica neighborhood) There�s an expensive but good restaurant at the top too. 4-5 pm for free viewing deck iirc�coffee shops on ground floor

Neighborhoods are accessible by metro or taxi.

Note: I am not particularly a Sao Paulo mavin.

qfrodo

A word of caution. Sat next to a fellow passenger last night when departing GRU and he was telling me it took him 3 and a half hours to go from one side of the city to the other. There are numerous posts on FT that mention the horrible traffic in SP, so keep that in mind when making your plans.

dcpdxtrans

Absolutely +1 on traffic & giving yourself enough time. I'd rather get to GRU early & hang out in a lounge rather than sweat the traffic & stressed from the possibility of missing an intl flight. I've done it & it's not fun