Car hire and driving in São Luís
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Brazil traffic drives on the right. Picking up at SLZ means 10 km (6 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648833 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648834 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648835.
Drives from São Luís
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| São Luís to São José de Ribamar | Brazil | 27 km (17 mi) | about 25 min |
| São Luís to Bacabal | Brazil | 197 km (122 mi) | about 3 h |
| São Luís to Codó | Brazil | 219 km (136 mi) | about 3 h 20 min |
| São Luís to Caxias | Brazil | 279 km (174 mi) | about 4 h 16 min |
| São Luís to Parnaíba | Brazil | 284 km (176 mi) | about 4 h 20 min |
| São Luís to Bragança | Brazil | 319 km (198 mi) | about 4 h 52 min |
| São Luís to Timon | Brazil | 328 km (204 mi) | about 5 h |
| São Luís to Teresina | Brazil | 330 km (205 mi) | about 5 h 2 min |
| São Luís to Paragominas | Brazil | 343 km (213 mi) | about 5 h 14 min |
| São Luís to Castanhal | Brazil | 425 km (264 mi) | about 6 h 29 min |
| São Luís to Açailândia | Brazil | 445 km (277 mi) | about 6 h 48 min |
| São Luís to Sobral | Brazil | 457 km (284 mi) | about 6 h 58 min |
| São Luís to Salvador | Brazil | 1,326 km (824 mi) | about 20 h 13 min |
| São Luís to Fortaleza | Brazil | 653 km (406 mi) | about 9 h 57 min |
| São Luís to Manaus | Brazil | 1,747 km (1,086 mi) | about 26 h 39 min |
| São Luís to Brasília | Brazil | 1,526 km (948 mi) | about 23 h 16 min |
| São Luís to Recife | Brazil | 1,210 km (752 mi) | about 18 h 27 min |
| São Luís to Belém | Brazil | 482 km (299 mi) | about 7 h 21 min |
| São Luís to Maceió | Brazil | 1,235 km (768 mi) | about 18 h 50 min |
| São Luís to Natal | Brazil | 1,072 km (666 mi) | about 16 h 21 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in São Luís?
The right, as everywhere in Brazil.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.