São Paulo, Brazil

Getting around São Paulo

How to travel around São Paulo — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-09

1. Metro

Clean, fast and the best way across a city where driving is punishing.

Cost: BRL 5

2. Uber and 99

Both widely used; 99 is often cheaper locally.

Watch outUnlicensed drivers touting at the airports and bus terminals.

3. Buses

Enormous network, on the same Bilhete Único card as the metro.

4. Airport connections

Guarulhos for international, Congonhas for domestic, with an airport bus service.

5. Phone safety on the street

Snatching from pedestrians and stopped cars is a citywide pattern.

Watch outKeep phones out of sight on the street; this is the most common crime against visitors here.

Booking apps in Brazil

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Uber

The largest ride-hailing operator in Brazil.

Coverage: Nationwide.
Why it helps: Avoids the unlicensed drivers touting at airports and bus terminals, and records the route.

99

Brazilian ride-hailing app, often cheaper than Uber locally.

Coverage: Nationwide.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.