How to Get Around in São Paulo

São Paulo is a state located in the southeastern part of Brazil. Because of the large number of museums, theaters, restaurants, malls, offices and international events, São Paulo has a large transportation system. You can get around in São Paulo by foot, car, taxi, bus, metro subway or train.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Walk through city streets. During the day, most small neighborhoods are quite safe. However, you should never walk alone.
2. Drive your car. Driving a car in São Paulo can be frustrating. Traffic is chaotic, snarled and slow. Parking is a next to impossible and quite expensive. Also, there are restrictions as to when you can drive that is based on the final digit of your license plate number. Be sure to learn all traffic laws when driving in São Paulo.
3. Take a taxi, especially late at night. It's easy to locate and flag down a taxi from anywhere in the city. At night, taxis are the safest way to get to and from your destination.
4. Ride the bus. Buses area popular way to get around, but because of the heavy traffic flow, buses are slow. If you are not in a hurry and want to relax, then the bus is for you.
5. Hop aboard the metro subway. The metro is an easy way to get around São Paulo even if the metro does not go all the way to your destination. Just ride the metro as far as you can, then walk or take a taxi.
6. Climb aboard the train and take the commuter route. These trains charge a flat fare. Mostly, people who live in São Paulo use these trains.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't get in a hurry, because with 17 million people there, you are not going anywhere fast.
• São Paulo is a party town. Be careful when going out at night as the streets are very dangerous when the party animals are returning to their rooms. There are many drunk drivers on the road at night.