2014 World cup host cities - Sao Paulo, Brazil

About:

With its population of about 11 million inhabitants, Sao Paulo is the biggest among the host cities of 2014 football World cup. Moreover, it’s the biggest city in Brazil and number 17 in the world by population and is also the capital of the state of São Paulo. It’s the second time in football history that the city will host World cup finals, after 1950. The city of Sao Paolo includes 8 districts: Downtown, West, South Central, Southeast, Northeast, Far South, Far East and Northwest.

Before start to travel to Brazil check my post -  6 things to know, before you travel to Brazil .

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Location

São Paulo is about 70 kilometres (43 mi) away from the Atlantic Ocean. Located in Southeastern Brazil on a plateau with average elevation of 799 metres (2,621 ft) above the sea level, beyond the Serra do Mar.

Climate

São Paulo is known for its rapidly changing weather and has a humid subtropical climate. From January to March the mean temperatures are between 17 °C / 63 °F and 28 °C / 82 °F. During the rest of the time between 11 °C / 52 °F and 23 °C / 73 °F.

Here are some travel tips that you’ll find useful when you visit this place:

How to get there

• by air

The easiest way to get to Sao Paulo is by air. There are three airports: Guarulhos International (GRU),  Viracopos International (CPQ), and Congonhas (CGH) . If you are coming from abroad, most probably you will land at Guarulhos or Viracopos International airports, but if using a domestic flight – you will use Congonhas.
There are varieties of transportation options to and from Guarulhos airport. You could reach the city by car, shuttle, taxi, subway, bus and even air taxi. For more details, please refer to the airport site transport directions section.
Viracopos Airport is connected to the major cities in the metropolitan area of Campinas via public transportation and to Sao Paolo via VB Transportation Executive Line. For details , refer to the airport site. 
If you land at Congonhas airport, you could reach Sao Paolo by bus, metro and taxi. For more information about transportation options, check the ‘To & From Congonhas Airport’ web site section.

• by bus

If you decide to get to Sao Paolo by bus, it’s good to know that there are three main bus terminals in São Paulo: Terminal Rodoviário do Tietê (Tietê metro station, Blue line), Terminal Rodoviário da Barra Funda (Barra Funda metro station, Red Line) and Terminal Rodoviário de Jabaquara (Jabaquara metro station, Blue Line).

How to Get Around

The traffic in the city is very heavy, so it is advisable to use mainly metro, trains and trolleybuses to get around. There are also other means of transport, like taxi but in peak hours it is good to use it only for short distances. The approximate price for public transport tickets is R$3,00 (USD 1,3). For detailed information about Sao Paulo metro network , please check the Metro web site. 

World cup 2014 Stadium location

The venue for 2014 world football cup will be The Arena de Sao Paulo, also known as Arena Corinthians. It will host the Opening Match of Brazil 2014 and will also welcome five others, including one semi-final. It is located in the east of the city in the Itaquera area at about 18 kilometres from São Paulo’s city centre. You can reach it with the red metro line 3 - Corinthians-Itaquera station which is right next to the stadium. The address is: Av. Miguel Inácio Curi 111, 08295-005 Itaquera .

Where to Stay

São Paulo has plenty of hotels to offer. Good places to stay are in the areas west of downtown in the Jardins, Vila Olimpia or Itaim Bibi areas. If you plan to stay for the World cup, I have to say that there are no many hotels near the Arena Corinthians, but you could try to book a Hotel online in some of the areas given above. 

Closest Hotels to the Arena de Sao Paulo / Arena Corinthians

• Hotel Gaia
• Lulilo Hostel
• No Pais do Futebol

Where to Eat

The world famous Churrascarias is typical type of restaurant in São Paulo, where you will find a huge range of meats and cuts, served on a stick. You can eat as much as you want, paying a single fee from R$50 (USD 20) to R$120 (USD 50).

What to see

Here are several popular places worth visiting during your stay in Sao Paulo:
São Paulo's Historic Center, Avenida Paulista (Paulista Avenue), Pinheiros area, Museu do Ipiranga, Memorial da América Latina, Brazilian Grand Prix - Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo Zoo, São Paulo Aquarium, Banespa Tower.