Answered by Jeferson Santa Maria from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 692 days ago

Stay at home!

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Answered by Lazaro Freitas from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 687 days ago

The urban traffic will ruins your intentions!

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Answered by Lesley Cushing from Florianopolis, Brazil 1051 days ago

Hi
If you only have 3 hours you better stay in the airport.

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Answered by Luiz Figer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1051 days ago

The traffic in Sao Paulo is so unpredictable that 3 hours is not enough to go sightseeing. And also, there is not much to see in Sao Paulo. It is the kind of city you would wanto to go out for dinner, a club, shopping museums. # hours is definately not worth leaving the airport.

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Answered by claudia m from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1051 days ago

Hi,
3h is not enough time for you to leave the airport, because its far away from SP downtown. It takes about one hour to go to downtown.
Let me know if I can help you with anything eles.
Cheers, Claudia

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Answered by Tadeu Ferreira from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1051 days ago

hello
3 hours is really not enough due to traffic conditions. but if u are arriving through Congonhas Airport it´s time enough to take a quick ride in Ibirapuera Park.

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Answered by Laura and Marcelo from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1051 days ago

Hi!
If your flight leaves from International Airport (Guarulhos), 3 hours are not enough. Sao Paulo is a big city with heavy traffic.
If you had more time I could make a budget for you. My husband has a van and we have some free time on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Answered by Fernando Nunes from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1051 days ago

hi.... I´m driver and I have a Van to u.... the price for a day is R$ 500,00 if u need contact me in my email: click@fernandonunes.com.br

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Answered by Claudia Gonzalez from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1051 days ago

If this three hours are from connecting flights, I tell you something: you don't even have them. It takes a while to get from the airport to the city and vice-versa.
On the other hand, if you have those hours before any international flight, you should be going to the airport straight away.
If, by any chance you're not flying, you have to consider what time and day is it going to be and if there are any nice places to go close to where you have to be when your three hours are over. But proper sightseeing is not manageable. And it's difficult to give you any more advice with the iformation you provided.

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Answered by Alison McGowan from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1051 days ago

Agree with everyone else. With only 3 hours you don't have time to do anything- and that's even if the plane is on time.

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Answered by Carla from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1051 days ago

Traffic in Sao Paulo is horrendous. Best to go to one place/area and stay there. Heigienopolis is quite easy to spend some time in. Or go to Parque Ibapueira and check out the gallery and park for an hour or so.
Definitely don't hire a van. Tube probably quicker.

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Answered by Eduardo Santos from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1051 days ago

In 3 hours all you will be able to see is the ugly industrial areas around the airport. There will be no time to get to the nicest parts of the town. Have a coffe and stretch you legs at the airport. That's wll you should do on your layover.

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Answered by Flávio Melo from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1051 days ago

Except for the people from Rio that overstate the ugliness from Sao Paulo, the remarks are all correct. 3 hours isn't enough for much in Sao Paulo... unless it is on the weekend.

Tell us time of the day and weekday you'll be here and where you'll be, so that we can give better hints. If it's between connecting flights, go to the McDonald's at the airport...

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Answered by Augusto Niero Naufel from Rio, Brazil 1051 days ago

Definetely it's not worth it. But you can get a sit close to the window of the airplane. And hope the weather is clear. It's amazing seeing Sao Paulo from the sky. Endless city!

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Answered by Havelock "Jimmy" Campbell from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1051 days ago

Licensed and syndicated driver-guides in SP:
Rudolf: rbennecke@uol.com.br, Mobile: (+5511) 9653-2038
Thomas: elzesser@elzesser.com.br, Mobile (+5511) 9901-6047
Monica: monicakocher@uol.com.br, Mobile: (+5511) 9202.8498
Érica: Mobile: (+5511)-8354.7375
Ilse: Mobile: (+5511)-8921.1503
Vilma: Mobile: (+5511)-9988.8110
Please say that "Jimmy" (www.aybloc.com), a colleague from Rio, recommended them to you.

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Answered by Patrick Casaes da Cunha Pereira from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1051 days ago

I guess the question is already answered. It is better to stay at the airport for 3 hours because certainly you will miss the plane in the mad traffic of São Paulo. You need at least a day to see the city a little bit.

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Answered by Tom Koch from Curitiba, Brazil 1051 days ago

Hi! I suppose you have three hours waiting for your connection flight. I suggest you should stay in the airport and wait for the flight, because things are unpredictable...São Paulo is a very wide mega-city and the airport is quite far from any attractive places. Good luck

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Answered by Paul Barnett from Recife, Brazil 1051 days ago

Depending on traffic it could take you over 2hrs in traffic jams just to get from the international airport to the centre of SP, and it really isn´t worth it even if you were close.

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Answered by Charlie Flesch from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1051 days ago

HELO, I'M A PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETER FROM SAO PAULO.

I reckon you're either arriving from abroad and are gonna take a domestic flight to a different city in brazil or the other way round.

The considerations everyone has put here are all correct, however before knowing the exact conditions it's not possible to say, no, not worth it or, hang on, it's possible to see a little bit of the town - hanging out for a few hours is way nicer than hanging around at the airport and seeing a little bit is way nicer than not seeing anything at all.

Sao Paulo is unpredictable. Due to the little time you have, hiring a van is not the best idea. Better to rely on taxis, you don't have to worry and you just move wherever you are and can change your mind any time and don't have to wait a minute longer.

here's my email address xaliba@gmail.com , I'm a professional interpreter who was born and bred in Sao Paulo. Get in touch with more details and I can give you a more accurate opinion. If conditions allow I can show you round. That's the kind of work i do.

looking forward to hearing from you.
best of luck.
Charlie Flesch

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Answered by Ed from Porto Alegre, Brazil 1051 days ago

hahaha 3 hours only what a joke ,stay at airpot !!!

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Answered by Eddie Rosa from Arataca, Brazil 1051 days ago

the best option for little time: is rents a helicopter, São Paulo have got a chaotic traffic to short time in Van

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Answered by Roger Chapman from Sao Carlos, Brazil 1050 days ago

I've looked over the answers by others and I'm sorry to have to agree with them. Three hours is unrealistic for any tour in my opinion. THree hours is not enough to see much at all in the BEST of traffic conditions but I have spent two to three hours in traffic just to get from one area to another!!! Rent or buy a video and sit at home safely and comfortably!

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Answered by Claudia Amaral from Copacabana, Brazil 1039 days ago

By van...It's impossible! The traffic in São Paulo is one the most congested of the world!
The better you can do is...Just stay in Airport!

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Answered by Carolina Mendes from Sao Paulo, Brazil 577 days ago

Only 3 hours? What a pity! For a couple extra hours you could go to Terraço Itália, a very nice restaurant in downtown from where you can sightsee the entire city: http://www.terracoitalia.com.br/usa/index.htm. :)

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