Travel: Flights to Sao Paulo from London Gatwick (lgw)

São Paulo has three major airports you can fly into: Guarulhos International, Congonhas and Viracopos. Campo de Marte, the town's fourth airport in importance, is used solely for executive jets, helicopter, air taxis and such, not carrying any commercial lines.

Guarulhos International Airport (GRU)

If flying into São Paulo from another country, you'll mostly likely land in Guarulhos International Airport, also known as Cumbica. Located 40 km away from the city centre, the airport has two terminals that are served by Brazilian airlines Varig, TAM, Gol and BRA and by international United, Delta, American, Continental, Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Iberia, Alitalia, KLM, JAL, South African and many others.

Some domestic flights that depart from GRU may have a lower fare than ones that depart from Congonhas, since the airport is located farther away from downtown São Paulo. Thus speaking, it's worth checking prices with the airlines for both airports; it won't matter much if you have time, since most airlines have transfer buses from one aiport to the other - just show your plane ticket to the drivers and you'll get the ride at no cost.

There is one baggage storage area with lockers between the main entrances of Terminals 1 and 2, outside the airport.

Non-airline shuttle buses are available from Guarulhos to Congonhas Airport, Praça da República (Downtown), Paulista/Jardins region, Barra Funda bus station (west side) and Tietê bus station (north side). All these lines except the Congonhas one connect to the Metrô. Fares are around R$ 25 (US$ 12) one-way.

A taxi co-operative, Guarucoop (tel: +55 11 6445-7070), has a monopoly on cabs leaving Guarulhos. They are plentiful and the queue is outside the arrival terminal. Credit-card users can pay for their journey in advance at the booth. Expect to pay about R$75 for the 25km journey into the city. Passengers can ask to see the tabela, which shows the fares for each neighbourhood. A taxi ride into the city can take an hour and a half during peak times; 40 minutes late at night or early in the morning.

Congonhas Airport (CGH)

The Congonhas Airport is located in a very central region, 15km (9 miles) from downtown. This airport handles most of the domestic flights and the popular São Paulo - Rio (Santos Dumont) shuttle and its architecture is worth seeing.

The easiest (and cheapest) way to get to Congonhas is by taking any of the "Aeroporto" regular line buses that run in Paulista Avenue. You'll be dropped right in front of the airport and the fare is the regular R$ 2,30 (Bilhete Único accepted).

Viracopos International (VCP)

Located in the city of Campinas, around 99 kilometers from downtown São Paulo, Viracopos International is the second biggest airport in Brazil but is mainly used for air cargo transport; however, domestic and international flights also arrive there. Airlines that operate in VCP are BRA, Gol, Varig, TAM, Total and Trip.