'''Campinas''' is a city and county in Sao Paulo state, Brazil.
It's the third biggest city in the state, just after Sao Paulo itself and Guarulhos.
Get in
By plane
'''VCP - Viracopos Airport''' - This is an international airport but mostly with domestic flights and cargo, located about 45 minutes by car from Campinas through SP-75 road. There is shuttle bus service to campinas or option to go by taxi.
'''Aeroporto dos Amarais''' - General aviation airfield, for those of you with a Cessna Citation or a Bonanza.
'''GRU - Guarulhos Airport - Is located about 1:40 by car or bus''' Unless you can squeeze yourself into a FedEX or UPS box (if you can, then you might be able to sneak through in VCP), it's the only choice if you're coming in from the USA, as is the biggest airport in Brazil. Cab travels are somehow expensive but there are two shuttle bus options: AirportBusServices that connects to Sao Paulo bus stations or Caprioli that has direct buses to Campinas. Caprioli costs about R$32 (32 Reais in Brazilian Money) and is by far one of the nicest bus services in the state, and will deposit you one block from Hotel Ibis.
'''CGH - Congonhas Airport - Is located about 1:40 by car or bus''' It's a good choice for domestic flights. Cab travels are somehow expensive but there are two bus options: AirportBusServices that connects to Sao Paulo bus stations or Caprioli that has direct buses to Campinas.
By car
From Sao Paulo, via the SP-330 Anhanguera or SP-348 Bandeirantes highways.
From Vale do Paraiba, via SP-65,Dom Pedro I highway.
From the Macro region of Mogi-guacu, via SP-340, Adhemar de Barros Highway.
From South (Valinhos and Vinhedo), via SP-91 (Campinas - Valinhos)
From the Macro region of Sorocaba, via SP-75, Santos Dumont Highway)
From the Monte-mor, via SP-101 (Campinas - Monte-mor)
From Valinhos, via SP-83, Anel Viario Magalhaes Teixeira
From Indaiatuba, via SP-73, Lix da Cunha Highway (access for the Royal Palm Plaza)
From Morungaba, via SP-81, Estrada das Cabras
From Vinhedo, via SP-324, Miguel Melhado Campos Highway
From Paulinia/Arthur Nogueira, via SP-332, General Milton Tavares de Souza Highway
By bus
In Brazil inter-cities bus services is the main means of travel. Bus services are good and reasonably cheap and a good option to go from/to cities not well served by airports. Campinas has a bus station located in the city where you can get a taxi or an urban bus.
Bus tickets can even be reserved and purchased by Internet for the main bus companies. You would need to check on the bus station which company serves to a certain destination in particular.
By train
This is currently not an option for transport. Train services to Campinas are just for cargo and the only passenger train available is an old touristic train.
There is a project of a bullet-train from Campinas to Sao Paulo and Rio but probably won't be available before 2014.
Get around
Campinas is well served by urban [http://www.emdec.com.br bus services]. Although it is not easy to find where are the bus stops and which bus to catch, people on the street will be glad to help if they can understand you. There are several main bus terminals where you can commute from one line into another. Some urban buses even go to neighbor cities as Jaguariuna and Paulinia.
If driving a car, be aware that some avenues have been converted to one-way streets to form a ring around downtown. Sometimes it can be tricky to find your way back and be careful not to get into the wrong way on one of those avenues.
After 22:00 until 06:00 some semaphores are turned off and just blink yellow. Don't be scared, this is not effect of a martian invasion. For safety reasons, you are not supposed to be stopped at red lights late at night.
But be aware that during normal hours there is semaphore and speed enforcement by cameras everywhere in the city, so stick to the speed limits and don't cross red lights.
As in any large city anywhere in the world, pay attention to your surroundings and don't act like a tourist. Campinas is relatively safe during the day time, but at night you'd best be served taking a cab or driving yourself. Downtown cambui is relatively safe at night, but again, pay attention and use your head.
See
'''Lagoa do Taquaral''' - Located inside the '''Parque Portugal''' park. Excellent place for a walk / cycling everyday. There are some attractions inside the park like a cable car, a lake and a planetarium, among others.
'''Lago do Cafe''' - Near Lagoa do Taquaral, this was formerly the Coffee Institute, transformed into a park. It's a nice place to walk.
'''Parque Ecologico''' - Very good place to visit for a walk in the weekends.
'''Bosque dos Jequitibas''' - This is a zoo.
'''Teatro Castro Mendes'''
'''Largo do Para''' - Square located downtown, is a nice sightseeing.
'''Bosque dos Alemaes'''
'''Shopping Parque D. Pedro''' - Biggest Shopping of Latin America in Area.
'''Shopping Galleria''' - Few Stores, focus on Services, Restaurant and Cinema. Has very pleasant look because of the nice vegetation project around this mall.
'''Moises Lucarelli Stadium''' - Ponte Preta's Stadium.
'''Brinco de Ouro de Princesa Stadium''' Guarani's Stadium.
'''Shopping Iguatemi''' - Lots of stores, also great restaurants and cinemas.
'''Shopping Unimart''' - Convenience mall
'''Bosque da Paz'''
'''Central Market (Mercadao)''' - Nice place to find exotic food. Located downtown.
'''Museum of the Old Railway Station'''
'''Metropolitan Catedral''' - Located downtown.
'''Castle Tower (Torre do Castelo - Praca 23 de outubro)''' - Place with many options of music bars and restaurants.
'''ESPCeX (Military High School, close to Castelo)''' - A nice sightseeing from outside but no visits allowed inside. It is possible to enter the nearby military area by car or can be a pleasant walking, where some tanks are exposed at the side of the road.
'''Arena Theatre'''
'''Unicamp''' - State University of Campinas is one of the best Universities in Brazil. The campus is big and has lots of activities. Worth visiting is the IMECC building. On the neighborhood there are some restaurants and bars.
'''Hopi Hari''', Rodovia dos Bandeirantes, km 72, Vinhedo-SP, about 15 minutes by road from Campinas. It is a very famous Amusement park. Check also Wet'n Wild water park that is just at side. There is a hotel and a small mall over the road on the same complex.
'''Observatorio de Capricornio''' Located in Joaquim Egidio, near Campinas is a sky observatory open to visitors some days a week for lectures and stars observations.
'''Municipal Park of Joaquim Egidio'''
'''Sousas'''
Do
Shop at Treze de Maio. An old street shopping destination.
Buy
Campinas has 7 big Malls
- Shopping Parque Dom Pedro
- Shopping Galleria
- Shopping Iguatemi
- Shopping Unimart
- Campinas Shopping
- Shopping Jaragua
In the city downtown is possible to find the commercial center of shopping in Campinas, which has thousands of stores and small malls.
Eat
Campinas has hundreds of good restaurants:
'''Chef Teo'''
'''Pizzaria Braz'''
'''Bar do Alemao'''
'''Almanara'''
'''Papai Salim'''
'''Rosario'''
'''Bar do Eden'''
'''Kilimanjaro'''
'''Red Angus'''
Via Castello. v. Sarmento, Bairro Castelo, Campinas-SP. Have good choices of pizzas and it is cooked in a big wooden oven.
Drink
'''Giovannetti''': the most famous beer in the town.
'''City Bar''': "the best cod dumpling in the world"
'''Emporio do Nono'''
'''Ponto 1'''
'''Cervejaria Universitaria'''
'''Bar Joseph's'''
Sleep
There are hundreds of hotels in Campinas, even options to stay in family houses nearby Unicamp.
'''Sleep Inn Galleria''' - Located at side of Galleria mall, near Dao Pedro road.
'''The Royal Palm Plaza''' - Luxury hotel located in the entrance of Campinas through SP-75.
'''Victoria's Hotel''' - Luxury hotel located in a nice neighbourhood. Somehow hard to locate if you are driving by your own.
'''Ibis''' - Located in front of Largo do Para square, downtown.
'''Mercury Hotel''' - Just at side of Ibis.
Village Residence Hotel . . Dr. Salvador Penteado, 176, Bairro Castelo, Campinas/SP - CEP: 13070-270. 55-19-3243-0844. ww.hotelvillagecamp.com.br. 200H. 200H. $70. One of the cheapest hotel in Campinas. If you want to have a quite place to stay this is the best place. It is simple but a descent place to stay. Check out the website for more information.
Mariano Palace Hoteis. v. Andrade Neves, 832, Rua Saldanha Marinho, 1165, 13013-081, Campinas-SP. 55-19-3232-8344. ttp://www.marianohoteis.com.br/abertura.htm. 200H. 200H. $87. Very near to the main bus station terminal. Located at the outskirts of downtown area. Have good breakfast and it is included in the rent.
Get out