How do I get around Toronto?

The TTC subway runs two main lines that matter to visitors. Line 1 (Yonge-University) forms a U through the core. Union Station sits at the bottom curve, Bloor-Yonge at the top of the eastern arm, St. George at the top of the western arm. Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) cuts east-west at Bloor Street. Between these two lines you can reach the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Kensington Market, and the Distillery District within 15 minutes. Buy a PRESTO card at any station for $6 and load it with cash. Each tap costs $3.35, and transfers are free within 2 hours. Toronto's streetcars fill the gaps the subway misses. The 504 King runs east-west through the Entertainment District and into Leslieville. The 510 Spadina connects Line 2 down to the harbourfront. They move slowly in rush hour on King Street, but dedicated right-of-way lanes have helped since 2018. Mind you, the streetcar stops are exposed platforms in the middle of the road. In January, that means standing in a wind chill of minus 20 waiting for the 501 Queen.

Uber is the default backup. A ride from the Entertainment District to the Danforth costs $15-22 CAD depending on time of day, versus $25-30 in a taxi from the Beck or Co-op fleets. Taxis still make sense at hotels where the doorman hails one, and at Pearson Airport arrivals where the taxi queue moves faster than waiting for your Uber to navigate Terminal 1's pickup loop. Lyft also operates but has fewer drivers on the road. Late-night rides after last call at 2 AM on King West will hit 2-3x surge pricing. That said, the TTC runs until about 1:30 AM on weeknights. The Blue Night bus network replaces subway service on major routes after that. The 320 Yonge runs all night, every 10 minutes. If your hotel is on Line 1, the night bus might save you $20.

Toronto's downtown core is walkable between May and October. Yonge Street divides every east-west address in the city. You can walk from Union Station to the ROM in 25 minutes, passing the warm pretzel smell from street vendors on University Avenue and hearing the rattle of the 506 Carlton overhead. St. Lawrence Market to Kensington Market takes 20 minutes along King and Spadina. The sidewalks are wide on University Avenue and cramped on Queen West near Ossington. From November through March, the PATH system becomes essential. This is 30 km of underground tunnels connecting Union Station north to Dundas, east to the St. Lawrence Centre, west past the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The air down there is warm and dry, smells like Cinnabon and recycled heat, with the echo of dress shoes on polished concrete. The signage is poor. Download the PATH map before you arrive, because cell service drops in stretches between buildings.

The UP Express from Pearson Airport to Union Station takes 25 minutes and costs $12.35 on PRESTO. Trains run every 15 minutes from 5:30 AM to midnight. This is the right answer for first-time visitors. The TTC 192 Airport Rocket bus also connects Pearson to Kipling station on Line 2 for $3.35, but it takes 45-60 minutes with luggage on a city bus. The savings of $9 buys you an extra 35 minutes of travel after a transatlantic flight. Not worth it. Taxis from Pearson to downtown run a flat rate of about $65 CAD. Uber will be $45-55 CAD for the same trip. Bike Share Toronto has 6,850 bikes at 625 stations across the core, and a day pass costs $7 if you're visiting in summer. The docking stations cluster tightly between the waterfront and Bloor, which is the zone most visitors stay in anyway.