There are two airports in São Paulo, Guarulhos International Airport and Congonhas Airport.

Guarulhos Airport, also known as Cumbica, is the international airport of São Paulo. There are two terminals, both accessible by walking.

Most international flights arrive at Terminal 2 during the morning hours.  Once through Passport Control, there is the baggage claim area, trolleys are available and they are free! The Free Shop and Customs are next to the baggage claim.

Heading out of the terminal there are taxis, buses and car-rental companies. Turning left there is a line of buses, the Airport Bus Service.  Near the buses there is a ticket office on the left.  Each bus has its destination noted on the front or side.

———–
Guarulhos International Airport—————————————————————- Congonhas Airport

The São Paulo Metro System is the main rapid transit system of the city and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest in South America and the third in Latin America, behind the Mexico City Metro and the Santiago Metro.

The system is 75.5 kilometres (46.9 miles) long and has 65 stations within its five lines: Line 1 (Blue), Line 2 (Green), Line 3 (Red), Line 4 (Yellow), Line 5 (Lilac) and Line 15 (Silver). All of them operate from Sunday to Saturday, from 4:40 AM to midnight (1:00 AM on Saturdays).

The Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) is a commuter rail company that operates in the Greater São Paulo area. It is one of the busiest rail networks in the world, carrying over 2 million passengers a day.

CPTM has a total length of 260.8 kilometres (162.1 miles) and 90 stations within its six lines: Line 7 (Ruby), Line 8 (Diamond), Line 9 (Emerald), Line 10 (Turquoise), Line 11 (Coral), Line 12 (Sapphire) and Line 13 (Jade). Service starts every day at 4 AM and ends at midnight (1:00 AM on Saturdays).

The metro system is interlinked with CPTM at the stations of Brás, Luz, Palmeiras-Barra Funda, Tatuapé, Corinthians-Itaquera, Tamanduateí, Pinheiros and Santo Amaro. The ICTP-SAIFR is located across the street from the  Palmeiras-Barra Funda station, Line 3 (Red) of the Metro or Lines 7 (Ruby) and 8 (Diamond) of the CPTM.

–

PDF Version

Bus, Train and Airport Bus Service:

• MOOVIT (Mobility app): to check and make your journey, we suggest to use Moovit
• METRO AND TRAIN TICKETS: to buy metrô and train tickets, you have the cash option and also
  these ones:
  • Whatsapp: add this number on whatsapp ( +55 (11) 38882200 ) and ask for the ticket –
    for CPF number and brazilian bank account holders only
  • TOP app: for CPF number and brazilian bank account holders only
  • Loyalty program (cartão fidelidade): metro/train card with discounts for purchases of 8,
    20 and 50 metro tickets (indicated for long-term visits only)
  • Credit card at the stations: some stations accept Brazilian credit cards (Mastercard, Visa
    and Elo flags only ).
    • Stations which accept: Barra Funda; Jabaquara (Linha 1-Azul); Ipiranga (Linha 10-Turquesa/2-Verde);
      Consolação and Trianon (Linha 2-Verde); Brás (Linha-11); Belém (Linha-3);
      Tatuapé (Linha-12); Aeroporto Guarulhos (Linha-13); Campo Belo (Linha-5); Osasco
      (Linha-8); Granja Julieta e João Dias (Linha-9).

MASP – Museu de Arte de São Paulo

More Information

Museu do Ipiranga

More Information

Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo

More information

São Paulo was founded in January 25^th 1554, by Portuguese priests called Jesuits. In the 19^th century, through coffee exportation, the city grew important in the political and economic scenario of Brazil. Industrialization followed the coffee plantation model, attracting many factories and making the city rapidly develop. Currently with 12 million inhabitants, São Paulo is the largest city in South America and one of the largest in the world. It is the capital of the state of São Paulo and is also considered the “financial capital of Brazil”.

The city of São Paulo is home to some of the country’s most renowned universities, including the Universidade de São Paulo (USP – University of São Paulo), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP – Federal University of São Paulo) and Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP – São Paulo State University), where the ICTP-SAIFR is located. Near São Paulo, there are other important universities, such as the Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC – Federal University of ABC) and Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP – Campinas State University).

Tourists will find that the city has many attractions, including a variety of museums, theatres, restaurants and parks. Also, there is a strong influence of Japanese, Italian, Arab and Chinese cultures in some of the city´s neighbourhoods, each of them with their own cuisine, style and architecture.

Within an hour’s drive from the city, visitors can also reach São Paulo state’s beautiful beaches and preserved areas of the Atlantic Rain Forest.

In Brazil, the CPF (Cadastro de Pessoa Física/Individual Tax Payer Registry) is similar to the Social Security card in the United States. It is necessary for opening a bank account, purchasing and activating a cellular phone, renting an apartment, and just about any other transaction which a person would engage in if he/she intends to stay in Brazil for more than a month. Foreigners can apply for a CPF number at their local Brazilian consulate (with an expected response time of one month) or can obtain a CPF number after arriving in Brasil (with an expected response time of a few days).

CPF for Foreigners – Instructions

In order to apply for a CPF number at the Local Brazilian Consulate follow the instructions below:

Select the country where you are living at the moment: http://www.receita.fazenda.gov.br/Aplicacoes/Atcta/CpfEstrangeiro/fcpf.asp and click on “ficha”, then fill out the form. After that, you will have until 15 days to present the printed form and your identification card to a Brazilian consulate/embassy. You will obtain the number on the same day you apply for it.

Applying in Brazil

In order to issue a CPF in Brazil you need the following documents:

Foreign Information: Polícia Federal’s webpage

Ministry of External Relations
Secretary for National Sovereignty and Citizenship
Department for Security and Justice
Division for Immigration Control
Entrance Visas in Brazil*:Download the PDF version
(Updated on January 09, 2024)

São Paulo’s attractions

                      Museums——————————————————      —         Theatres—————————————————————-            Parks

MASP – Museu de Arte de São Paulo ———————                Teatro Municipal de São Paulo                                                          Parque do Ibirapuera  

                                              ———- —–                    –               —————————————————–—————————————————–

           Museu do Ipiranga———–    ———-      —————————Teatro Procópio Ferreira—————————————–        Parque da Independência

———-                                                   –———–                                       —————————————————–—————————————————–

Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo—————————        –             Teatro RuthEscobar———————————————        Parque Vila Lobos

      ———–                                                ———-            –                     

The ICTP South American Institute is located at IFT-UNESP, which is across the street from a major bus and subway terminal (Terminal Barra Funda) on the same side of the bus/subway terminal as the Record television station. The official address for IFT-UNESP is R. Dr. Bento Teobaldo Ferraz 271 – Barra Funda – São Paulo, which is the entrance to the parking lot behind the institute. But the address which is closer to the entrance of the IFT-UNESP building is R. Jornalista Aloysio Biondi, 120 – Barra Funda, São Paulo. The easiest way to reach us is by subway or bus.

From the International  Guarulhos Airport:

There is an express train between the international Guarulhos Airport to the metro station Barra Funda which takes 60 minutes and costs about one dollar. To take the train, you need to first take a shuttle bus from your airport terminal to the Guarulhos train station (about 15 minutes). After purchasing the ticket at the train station, the train leaves every hour on the hour from the Airport station between 5 am until midnight (5 am, 6 am, etc).

There is also an express train from the metro station Estação Barra Funda to Guarulhos Airport which leaves every hour on the hour from Estação Barra Funda from 5 am until midnight (5 am, 6 am, etc.) Click here for more details.

There are also buses from the international Guarulhos Airport to various places in São Paulo. The bus fare and bus schedules are here: Bus fare & Schedule

There are also Taxi and Uber services at the airport. Taxis are located on the arrivals floor and Uber are located on the boarding floor. Below, the estimated fares from the airport to the hotel:

Taxi: 140-150 BRL
Uber X: 90-115 BRL

From the Universe Flat:

click here

Subway arrival :

If you are coming by subway, take the red line and get off at the last station which is Palmeiras-Barra Funda. Subway Fare & Schedule

From Barra Funda Station to ICTP-SAIFR:

Follow the signs to the exit which is called Av. Marquis de Sao Vicente. After passing through the turnstiles, turn left and walk until the end of the station. At the end of the station, go down the stairs and you will see immediately a large white and blue building across the street in front of you. The white and blue building is the Instituto de Artes, and next to it is a large white and green building which is the Instituto de Física Teórica. Enter in the gate between the two buildings, and the ICTP-SAIFR is on the first floor of the white and green building.

———

Additional Information:

Ground Transportation from The Universe Flat Hotel to the IFT-UNESP

Ground Transportation from (GRU) Guarulhos Airport to The Universe Flat Hotel

Ground Transportation from (GRU) Guarulhos Airport to the IFT-UNESP

Ground Transportation from IFT-UNESP to the (GRU) Guarulhos Airport

Ground Transportation From the Universe Flat Hotel to (GRU) Guarulhos Airport