SAO PAULO AIRPORT review : 19 July 2008 : by P Richards

Customer Rating : 1/5

I recently came through GRU twice on a family visit to Brazil. It is a disorganised and shabby place which works well enough when there are few passengers, but which breaks down if more than one international flight arrives at the same time, which is quite common. Passport control is friendly and efficient enough, but they have structured the queueing system so that the head of the queue is hidden behind a pillar making the immigration desks invisible, so the passport officers are constantly having to shout out when they are free. Chaos. The single luggage reclaim belt for my transatlantic flight with several hundred passengers was less than twenty metres long. Most passengers couldn't even see the belt and, because they couldn't see their luggage or physically reach the belt to get their luggage, it soon filled up to the point where luggage was falling off the belt onto people's feet and no more luggage could be put onto the belt. Chaos. Two transatlantic flights had arrived at the same time and the queue to get through customs was over half a kilometre long. On my return journey I was refused entry into Departures until I got an extra stamp on my boarding pass which the airline denied that I needed. I was back and forth between check-in and the entry to Departures with each blaming the other and trying to make it my problem. Chaos. On my return the airport was less busy so they could kind of handle things and the queues were OK. The airport is certainly not restful though. TVs blaring loudly from every corner with nobody watching. Departure information screens placed so that they are invisible from where people actually sit and wait, and only visible from corridors where, of course, people don't wait. The public address staff shout into the microphones and hold them so close to their mouth that the announcements are so distorted as to be incomprehensible. Either that or the microphones are broken. The catering is completely inadequate, with one downmarket cafe open in the entire international departures area. All in all this is the worst airport that I have ever been through, and I fly very frequently, both domestically and internationally. It is chaotic, disorganised, unpleasant, badly designed and completely inadequate for its purpose.

SAO PAULO AIRPORT review : 7 June 2008 : by A Hijmans

Customer Rating : 3/5

Passed through GRU on a connecting flight. Struck once again by the airport's grim and dark appearance. However no long queues at immigration and security, even though more than ten intercontinental flights were scheduled to depart within an hour of each other. Landside shopping and restaurants is good, airside there is next to nothing. Connecting passengers from elsewhere in Brazil please note: in winter GRU is cold! Bring a coat!

Sao Paulo Airport review by N Hadden-Paton

6 March 2008   Customer Rating :

We were then required to join the Security Check and Passport Control queue. The end of this queue reached to the far wall of Hall A, passed through Hall B before snaking (four times) into the Control zone. Eventually, we arrived at Gate 10 – after queuing for a further 65 minutes.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Karsten Sander

7 February 2008   Customer Rating :

I travel through Guarulhos airport 2-3 times a year and everytime I get a reminder of how outdated this whole airport and its operation is. Immigration usually is a big problem, either way in or out with long lines and in most of the cases only a limited number of checkpoints manned. United/Lufthansa/Varig Busness class lounge is not very appealing to say the least, airport facilities are generally limited.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Richard Turnley

16 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Came in from Panama with Copa and the line of non brazilian passengers was spilling out from the 8 or 9 zigzag ropes - there were 4 immigration officers on duty that reduced to 3 after an hour of waiting. The floor is hard cement and the air was stale and sticky. In my opinion, Sao Paulo rivals Los Angeles as the worst entry point made only slightly more pleasant by the less officious officers. I think it is time that a list of airports that could cause problems for elderly passengers was made public because standing on hard concrete for more than 90 minutes in stressful conditions should be avoided.

Sao Paulo Airport review by D Williams

6 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Careful when using on-line check in with BA - queued to get to the front of security, only to be told that my e-boarding pass needed BA service desk to put a sticker on it, so had to queue all over again. No fast track. Miserable BA lounge that is used by other airlines.

Sao Paulo Airport review by B Roland

1 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Flew from GRU at the time (in the evening) when several intercontinental planes leave and the experience was far from any imagination. In total we queued 2 and half hours for security check and passport control. The security line was about 400 meters long with several twists from one end to the other of the terminal building, I will certainly skip GRU in the future

Sao Paulo Airport review by Bryan Harris

4 April 2007   Customer Rating :

GRU is OK but due to increased frequencies and new airlines using GRU the airport security lines are getting longer. I traveled from GRU on March 26, 2007 and I was in the security line for 1 hour and 30 mins. Most airlines advise checking in 3 hours prior to departure. I agree, although check in at Continental was fast, the line for security, then the line for passport control was long and slow moving. Allow extra time and you won't be upset.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Kevin Ivers

24 March 2007   Customer Rating :

I traveled through GRU very regularly from the US (and to Argentina and back) for about seven years until I moved to São Paulo in 2007. So in a way, I'm sure my opinion is tainted by the fact that I know the airport like the back of my hand, and know all the ups and downs of traveling through it. But it's not really all that bad, if you're flying a legacy carrier on an international flight in or out. United and American/TAM have the longest history in the terminal, so check-in (if you arrive 2 hours early) is usually very sensible and smooth, with excellent English speakers at all the various desks. The immigration line is alternately deserted or very long, just depends on the day or time of year. The Red Carpet Club is indeed a little too overcrowded sometimes, but it beats those in the US and has some decent snack food. Arriving at GRU on an intl flight is usually also easy to handle. Immigration is always much faster than at JFK, IAD, MIA, ORD or LAX, and never as surly or demeaning. They have also made a lot of improvements in the last year to the international depatures and arrivals areas, especially with the new, very expansive Duty Free store at intl baggage claim, before customs. I stop in there almost every trip because there are so many things in there that you can't get for less than twice the price outside the airport. Also, the taxi system is fast, efficient, easy to understand, and set up precisely to ensure you are not ripped off. Now, if we could do something about the journey between the airport and downtown -- or about the collapsing air traffic control system --- then we'd be ahead.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Walter Rebello

1 February 2007

I travel to Brazil several times per year on biz and vacation. I know the airport almost as much as my own house. It is clean, easy to get around but on peak times and specially during the vacation period in Brazil lines and delays are everywhere. from Arrival, Immigration, getting your luggage, going thru customs (took me 1h 10m' in the customs line). Lines for the international departure for security can also take a long time. Airport needs an improvement but as always the Brazilian Federal authorities have made a 2nd not needed terminal in Rio, built a white elephant in Belo Horizonte but nothing has been done in Sao Paulo. I do not dislike the airport. Food area specially in the gates area is poor. Airport design is nice - it is clean. Duty Free Areas could have more space.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Andre Boulos

29 January 2007

The airport is the busiest in South America and, because of that, improvements to make the life of the passengers easier are being made. There are more passport control cabins in both departure and arrival lounges and X rays for the the international departure. The international departure areas are clean and have many seats, but sometimes become really crowded. There are connectors for both domestic and international areas linking terminals 1 and 2, without being necessary to change terminals after the X-rays. Despite the international traffic, the arrival lounges offer good duty-free shops. GRU will become bigger and more efficient in 3 to 4-year time with the terminal 3, adding more space for the international and domestic traffic. The terminals are lighter now and really dont seem old- fashioned.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Steve Koenig

21 January 2007

One of my least favorite airports. Dark, in places dirty. Very old (the large flight arrival and departure boards with signs that flip around are almost quaint). Transferring from an international to a domestic flight can be confusing, even if you understand Portuguese. There is a flight transfer desk downstairs (on the level you leave customs), but there may well be no one there. Need to trudge up and stand in line at the ticket counters (you need to figure this out on your own). A huge airport with many flights but no hotel near the airport. Tough to get reliable information on hotels nearby (e.g., for day rooms between flights). The array of restaurants and bars outside the security area isn´t bad, but near the gates the selection is poor. One nice thing about Brazilian airports: you can go into the duty free shops upon arrival from international flights, not just as you are departing.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Mary Silva

9 January 2007

Guarulhos is clean, people are usually friendly and try to be helpful. The carts (trolleys) are free - you don't have to use a coin or your credit card to start moving your baggage, the toilets are clean. The parking lot is big and well signalled.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Ron Kuhlmann

15 October 2006

It's big, cavernous, and not very appealing. The gate areas are small compared to the overall structure size and the food options are minimal- - but the food they have is ok. The main check in hall can seem like a maze. The premier airport for Brazil should be better but it is far from the bottom of my list.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Tristen Bjornsson

18 July 2006

While it is true Immigration can be a bit slow, it is an ok airport all things considered. Food choices aren't the best - but people are friendly. If you are taking the shuttle from Sao Paulo in the rain, leave early.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Holly Rasky

28 April 2006

I recently travelled to Rio through Sao Paulo. The Sao Paulo airport is so run down it is comical. Many of the seats in the waiting areas were ripped open with stuffing coming out, while others were totally broken. I used the Varig Lounge and while it was clean, it was not very comfortable and there was no food (and I was there for 4 hours). At least the airport is small, so you can't get too lost, which is good because they do not speak ANY English. One good point, I had heard that the immigration lines might be a problem on my transfer, but they seem to have figured it out so I did not have any problem in that respect.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Henry Osserman

9 March 2006

Mixed feelings about GRU. I lived a short while and Sao Paulo and the worst aspect of GRU is immigration as it is a very small area that does move, be it all slow and if you by chance land at the same time as a 747 forget it as you will roast to death waiting to have your passport and paper-work checked. Bags are usually arriving by the time you get through immigration so just head out the green lane. Taxis are safe and be sure to use the ATM machines when you can for quick cash. Better rates as well! Departure can be a headache and make sure you have your paper-work ready for check-in. if you have any special needs or issues get to the airport very early, especially if you are flying at night. Staff at check-on are not fully trained in every area and there is usually one lone supervisor who can handle problems, he or she is usually busy helping someone else. It was a nightmare travelling twice on Delta as we had an infant and those tickets are issued at the airport. It took the manager over an hour each time we flew to get out infant ticket issued! Both times we had to run to the gate which was on the opposite sound of the entire Terminal. Check-in areas at GRU are NOT in relation to gate areas for aircraft! Lounges are over-crowded as well, esp. United Red Carpet!

Sao Paulo Airport review by Jonathan Lacoste

6 February 2006

I have mixed feelings when I pass through GRU, and can’t believe Brazil’s financial capital would have an airport so dull and boring. As with most complaints, mine centers on the lack of eating options. I know others say to eat prior to passing through immigration but how about the transit passengers? In my case, I transfer through GRU to get to ASU. There are a couple of snack bars inside the terminal but not worth standing in the long line that often stretches outside of the store, especially in the evenings. I wish they would tear down the duty free shop that lies at the end of terminal 2 and place a food vendor or two there, especially since there is already a duty free shop after immigration. At least now the airline lounges are past security. Previously, I had to worry about missing my flight after exiting the lounge because of long security lines. I’m really not that impressed with Sao Paulo’s airport. At least the good looking Brazilian women working in the airport softens my disappointment with GRU.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Michael Hardi

21 January 2006

GRU is a very efficient and clean airport. I have travelled through this airport with many airlines, such as DL, CO, KL, RG and TP, and as a foreign national found immigration quick and polite. Sao Paulo is one of the biggest and most important cities in the world, and the GRU airport reflects this: all major airlines fly to GRU! As for the airport, I find it easy to navigate and user-friendly. The only problem concerns eating places after immigration, so eat before passport control. Also, until the metro/subway link comes out of paper, sometimes traffic could be a problem to/out city centre - airport at peak times. There is, however, an excellent coach Airport Bus which links the airport to many places in Sao Paulo. Cabs are also well organised and all charge metered rate.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Paul Dixon

14 January 2006

I live in São Paulo so have to use GRU whenever I fly. I honestly find it a shabby airport with bad structure and extortionate prices. For anyone landing here, the bad experience starts before landing, as shantytowns follow each other in succession below, reminding everyone that Brazil is the country with the widest social gap in the world. Expect long queues at Passport Control, if you are not Brazilian, and also expect to have your luggage inspected - thankfully, however, this means just put through an x-ray machine, not actually opened. At baggage reclaim, instead of the cases remaining on the conveyor belts, they are put on the floor at random, so the chance of your baggage being mistaken for someone else's, or even stolen, is high. Once you get into the concourse, shy away from Banco Safra's extortionate exchange rates. You can get a better rate elsewhere in the airport, but my advice is to check rates in your home country, before you travel. Infra-structure is very poor compared with FRA, AMS, BRU or BHX, for example. Moving walkways are nowhere to be seen, and the passenger terminal is more than a mile long! Flight announcements only in Portuguese and a kind of English. Bathrooms still use the old paper towels, and taps must still be turned on manually! In terms of transport, there is no train link to the city centre, which means the only options are an expensive executive coach or a more expensive taxi, both of which come up against São Paulo's terrible crawling traffic. There are plans to build this rail link, it must be said, but no-one knows when. Eating facilities poor and only take Brazilian currency. Internet access available but awfully expensive at R$ 30 an hour (that is about $ 13). Duty-free also expensive. It's hard to believe in this computer age, but GRU does not even have a site on the Internet. One last thing - guess what you see first as you leave the airport? Yes - another slum.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Dale Hancock

22 December 2005

I have made four trips into GRU since September, flying both Delta & Continental. I am a US citizen. Arrivals has always been very quick with no photos or fingerprinting. The longest it took to meet my ride was about 30 minutes (no currency exchange & no checked luggage). The quickest was about 15 minutes. There is currency exchange after immigration just prior to baggage claim & also currency exchange once you exit into the free world. I found the exchange rates fair (much better than IAH & ATL). Departures have always moved quickly, even when the customs people were on strike. If you don't eat before you get to the airport then eat before you go through passport control. Essentially nothing to eat on the other side. The security people overdo it, asking if you have needles (sewing) and matches. Overall though the security was very good. You'll be questioned at the airline counter & again on the jetway to the aircraft. Remember to take you immigration card with you - passport control will pick it up as you leave. If you've lost it ask for another at the airline counter before entering the immigration line. The Brazilian nationals will often get pulled into another line to expedite the exiting process so that foreigners will go through the normal passport control stations. It usually did not take more than 15 minutes to get through the passport control & security clearances. One time there was a HUGE line, but it still only took about 30 minutes. I'm elite level with both Continental & Delta & I have never gotten to the airport more than 2 hours before departure & I've always had more than one hour waiting at the gate, even when I've gotten a bite to eat. Duty free is a rip off. Yes the terminal is drab. Yes there are limited eating places (so just remember to eat before passport control!). But overall, GRU is a great place to travel through - enough seats & the lines have never been horrible for me. Alas - no DL or CO lounges though. Finally - it seems very common to get late checkout at the hotels for no charge.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Alex Mackay

17 November 2005

Airport was not the worst I have been through with some good shops and OK food outlets (sandwiches and coffee predominantly). THe main issue was with the Astureus First Class lounge - booked through loungepass.com. Waste of money! 6 seats, 1 coffee machine, no snacks - drab and horrid place! Do not book this lounge - head straight to departures and find a seat the

Sao Paulo Airport review by Miguel Oli

24 October 2005

Sao Paulo Airport has been refurbished now for quite some time, but still is not reaching real international standards. Especially the catering in the gate area is insufficient and broadly unattractive. The gate areas are generally too small to accomodate the passengers for the big international flights, which then normally ends up with a huge crowd standing and blocking the gate entry. Priority boarding then is usually a big hassle. In immigration there has been recently a big improvement in processing speed from the staff and now most of the time 4 (of 10) desks are occupied, which is double than in the past.

Sao Paulo Airport review by D Dixon

9 October 2005

Can't complain about the arrivals part. Arrived from Houston this morning (US citizen) and was in the taxi in 45 minutes. In all fairness, 20 minutes was spent in the currency exchange line, so we could have made it to the taxi in less than half an hour, even picking up the luggage. The line went quickly with girls checking documents for errors before the passengers arrived at passport control. The girls were fluent in English & helpful to those who needed it. We were not photographed or fingerprinted. No Americans arriving today were (maybe that's over with?). I strongly suspect the departure will be less fun.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Rafael Barbosa

17 May 2005

I'll agree Guarulhos is hardly a first-Tier airport, but I enjoy using it and think it's a bit unfair to dismiss it as disfunctional, especially when we consider it's current function is far form the original "Master Plan" for Sao Paulo (GRU was supposed to handle domestic flights, whilst VCP would be the major International gateway - CGH would handle only regional and private aviation, if not suppressed altogether). The major problem with GRU is it's design enables it to handle smaller flights very efficiently, but causes trouble for the major aircraft which use it; undersized Immigration and Arrivals/Departures lounges and a lack of airbriges suitable for long- haul aircraft were the most crippling problems, and these were at least partially solved with a major overhaul of the terminal, adding 30.000sq.m of space and increasing the number of airbriges (now at 24, 12 for medium and 12 for long-haul aircraft). The shopping/restaurant problem is quite annoying, but not critical, and Infraero is taking steps to revitalize Floor 3, reserved almost entirely for commercial ventures, on par with it's "Aeroshopping" philosophy. Regarding T3, I wouldn't wait up for it. Infraero routinely announces its construction but the fact is it hasn't even past licitation phase yet, and the plans change every few months. Infraero is on a clear "cash cow" policy regarding GRU, and plans to exhaust the current infrastructure before making the very heavy investment needed to upgrade and increase it.

Sao Paulo Airport review by G Rayfield

6 April 2005

The "new" international departures terminal at GRU is a paradigm of poor planning and discomfort -- especially for those making a connecting flights. Among the deplorable situations - An insufficient number of seats in the otherwise spacious int'l. departures lounge; around 2000 hours, when dozens of flights depart for Europe and N. America, all seats are taken and many passengers have to remain standing or sitting on the floor. Miserable food/refreshment amenities; as noted in previous correspondence there's only a tiny shop to sip a cafezinho or buy a snack from a very limited assortment. Redundant "security" checks (Hello!? Is anyone interrupting a conversation to look at the scanner's monitor?); connecting flight passengers must go through an alleged "security check" as they make their way directly from the arrival gate to the departure area --both in the same terminal and beyond any other unsecured area of GRU.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Philip Drost

21 March 2005

I agree with Mr Hong. GRU is dull, dark and inefficient. No clear signing: when you arrive in 1 terminal, there is no overview of the departures of the other terminals. And you have to go trough the hand luggage x-ray control to look at tv screens for information. No internet access either. Shops are so so. No restaurants, only a small coffee shop, with 4 chairs. One positive point: the coffee was excellent!

Sao Paulo Airport review by Joe Emling

28 June 2004

While Guarulhos is obviously aged, it seems to function well enough. Having 5 hours to spend there before my departure, I enjoyed shopping in the many stores. The restaurant selection was underwhelming, but there were some pretty good places to find Brazilian crafts and tourist souvenirs. Entering Brazil from the U.S. was an ordeal. The new tit-for-tat requirement that Americans must submit to photos and fingerprints causes some confusion in the serpentine passport control lines. You go part way through the line, then break out of line to a different line, get fingerprinted, and get back in the first line for a passport check. Hey - it's their country, so if they want to fingerprint me that's their prerogative, but couldn't they make the system a little more straightforward? By having the same guy take your prints AND check your passport, perhaps? Upon departure, one confusing aspect of the airport is that the check-in counter for a particular airline (Continental, in this case) may be in one terminal, but the flight actually departs from a different terminal. It's a long walk from the end of Terminal 2 to the opposite end of Terminal 1. There should also be some warning that there are relatively few services once you pass through the ticket-checking gate prior to security screening. The airline lounges were also difficult to find, even with a map supplied by the airline. All in all, GRU is a decent airport with decent services.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Hardi W Vieira

28 April 2004

In general terms I agree with Villela. Guarulhos has its advantages and somehow reflects the city of Sao Paulo. However, if you travel around Brazil you will notice that other airports (just to name a few: Rio de Janeiro, GIG new terminal, Recife, Porto Alegre, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Belem and Natal) are much more modern and efficient. This because INFRAERO (the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Authority) made a strategic decision to invest in other airports in Brazil to attract flights out of the Sao Paulo hub. There are two major reasons for this, taking into account that Brazil is a continental country: 1) if you want to fly from Europe or North America to the North or Northeast of Brazil you waste at least 3-4 hours going first down to Sao Paulo, GRU to connect. INFRAERO threfore wanted to create other airport hubs to receive international flights. 2) more investment in small regional airports to "integrate" the various regions of Brazil. In some degree this strategy brought results, for example, in the case of the Northeastern cities, which now have increasingly more direct flights from Europe and the US. Also, more and more people in Brazil are using the well run and efficient small regional airports in the country. The drawback is tha Sao Paulo, GRU was completely forgotten and suffered from under-investment. However, in recent times INFRAERO is correcting this situation. Sao Paulo, GRU has gone through considerable improvements, and a brand new terminal is due to open in 2007. Together with the new terminal a rapid train connection will link Sao Paulo, GRU to Sao Paulo, CGH in downown. However, Sao Paulo, GRU still is the best airport in Latin America and offers the best connections to the rest of Brazil and Mercosur countries.

Sao Paulo Airport review by K Hong

22 November 2003

GRU is the biggest airport in South America - but I'm sorry to say that it is as big as dull and inefficient. Almost no stores, no internet connection in the departing area, no restaurants, no coffee shops "nothing". Brazilians should be ashamed that other South American cities as Caracas, Santiago and even Bogotá being much more smaller have great and well organised airports.

Sao Paulo Airport review by G Villela

1 November 2003

I am Brazilian and not exactly proud of my country's largest and busiest international airport. The ludicrous site chosen for Guarulhos Airport (better known among locals by the name of "Cumbica", just like Parisians prefer to call CDG "Roissy") was largely a political decision. With the horrible local weather at the airport site (especially in winter months, May-September, when the fog may be so thick you can almost cut it with a knife), you should see how it was until about 1990, when they upgraded to ILS-3 - before that, the airport was frequently closed early in the morning, with planes diverted to Rio de Janeiro, Campinas or Belo Horizonte. GRU Airport's terminal building is huge and weird: cavernous and empty in some parts and overcrowded in others, especially, as it has been mentioned here, at the Varig and TAM check-in counters, and at immigration on arrival. (Brazilians are luckier, we rarely even go through a counter - an officer just checks the line and sees if you have a Brazilian passport, barely looking at it.) Yes, the Federal Police (equivalent to the FBI and responsible for immigration in Brazil) and the Secretariat of Internal Revenue (equivalent to the IRS and responsible for customs) are seriously understaffed. So is most of the Brazilian federal public service. But, thinking about it, one should not forget that this is the international airport for the world's fourth largest metropolitan area (18,000,000 people!) - and one of the most chaotic, for that matter. São Paulo can be hell, or one of the world's most fascinating, multi-ethnic and culturally active mega-cities. Like Brazil itself, parts of it will remind you of Mumbai or Cairo, others are as modern and sparkling as New York or Tokyo. So, the airport just grabs the same chaotic spirit. If you have visited São Paulo more than once, you certainly know what I'm talking about. At least, "Cumbica" is clean, civilized enough not to feature the "Indiana Jones" horror stories of some Asian and African airports, and Brazilians always try to be helpful even when you don't speak Portuguese and they don't speak English (which is more common than it should, even at the international airport!). Cigar aficionados should check GRU's duty free shop, which has a very well stocked climatized humidor at reasonable prices. The suggestion of connecting through Rio de Janeiro-GIG then connecting to São Paulo-Congonhas (CGH) is a valid one (this was exactly what used to be done before GRU was opened in 1985, because São Paulo's former international airport at Campinas-Viracopos, 100 km/60 miles away, was just too far to be feasible). But you should be aware that domestic airlines' schedules have few flights from GIG to CGH, and sometimes suppress them altogether (i.e., then you must fly *either* between GIG and GRU *or* between the central airports of Santos Dumont [SDU] and CGH). Congonhas, in its turn, is an airport dating from the 1950s, with little renovation since then. It tries to be functional but can't handle all the intense traffic it has (over 50 daily flights to Rio-SDU alone, not to mention other important Brazilian cities). My tip to frequent business travelers to São Paulo: on your next visit, learn with the locals how to use the subway system (which is surprisingly good, clean, smooth and very efficient). The subway doesn't stretch to GRU, but from the airport you can get the red-and-blue "Airport Service" luxury bus to Tietê Bus Station, from where you can catch the subway. Or, a more modest (and cheaper, yet decent) regular city bus will leave you at the Tatuapé subway station, at a more peripheral point where you need to get less traffic from the airport. Believe me, this can save you A LOT of time, especially if you are staying downtown or at the Paulista Avenue region, which are well served by the subway.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Norman Clark

28 July 2003

I use GRU about four times a year. The only negatives are: (1) The unbelievable delays for arriving passengers (Brazilian and visitors alike) to get through Immigration and Customs. Sometimes the immigrations hall is packed with the line stretching all the way back to the arrivals gates. The immigration and customs people are very polite and work as fast as they can, but they are horribly understaffed. (2) Location. GRU is located at the edge of one of the most sprawling cities in the world. Depending on where you want to go in Sao Paulo, it can take up to two hours to get there from GRU. As an alternative strategy, especially if arriving in Brazil in the morning, fly into Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and connect to Sao Paulo's domestic airport Congohas (CGH). GIG has a very smooth arrivals operation, since it is usually less crowded. CGH is much closer to the major business districts of Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Julio Filho

2 June 2003

I'm Brazilian and think that Guarulhos International Airport is a shame. The biggest airport in Latin America but certainly the ugliest. The terminal is old, dirty and dark. No shopping or good restaurants, no good lounges, and few jetbridges. The ground staff is very polite even if you don't speak Portuguese.