By Bus in São Paulo

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By Bus

Municipal bus service is frequent and covers the entire city, but regular buses are overcrowded at rush hour and when it rains. If you don't speak Portuguese, it can be hard to figure out the system and the stops. Stops are clearly marked, but routes are spelled out only on the buses themselves. Buses do not stop at every bus stop, so if you are waiting, you'll have to flag one down.

The fare is R$2. You enter at the front of the bus, pay the cobrador (fare collector) in the middle, and exit from the rear of the bus. To pay, you can use either money or the electronic card bilhete único, introduced in 2004. The card allows you to take three buses in two hours for the price of one fare. Cards can be bought and reloaded at special booths at major bus terminals or at lottery shops.

For bus numbers and names, routes, and schedules, go to the (Portuguese-language) Web site of Transporte Público de São Paulo, the city's public transport agency, or purchase the Guia São Paulo Ruas, published by Quatro Rodas and sold at newsstands and bookstores for about R$30.

Contacts

Transporte Público de São Paulo (156. www.sptrans.com.br).