How do I get to Toronto?

Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) sits 27 km northwest of downtown in Mississauga. Terminal 1 handles Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners. Terminal 3 covers WestJet, Delta, American, United, and most budget carriers. The UP Express train runs every 15 minutes from both terminals to Union Station, 25 minutes door to door, for C$12.35 one-way. That's the fastest option at that price. Taxis run C$55-75 to the Financial District, and rideshares tend to settle around C$40-60 depending on the hour. The 192 Airport Rocket bus connects to Kipling subway station for C$3.35 on a PRESTO card if your budget matters more than your time. Mind you, Pearson at peak hours has a particular kind of fatigue to it. The walk from gate to customs in Terminal 1 takes 15-20 minutes, the customs hall on a full afternoon arrival runs warm and close, and the shuffle through baggage claim feels longer than it should. Budget 45 minutes from wheels-down to the UP Express platform on a busy day.

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) sits on the Toronto Islands, 3 km from the Financial District. A 90-second pedestrian tunnel connects it to the foot of Bathurst Street on the mainland. Porter Airlines runs most of the traffic here, with turboprop and E195-E2 jet service to Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, New York-Newark, Boston, and Chicago. The terminal is small enough that 45 minutes before departure still leaves time for coffee. Step outside and you're in the Harbourfront neighborhood, where the air carries the mineral smell of Lake Ontario and ferry horns sound every few minutes from the Jack Layton Terminal next door. You can walk to a King Street hotel in 15 minutes. The trade-off is limited scope. YTZ has no transatlantic service and few West Coast routes. If you're arriving from London or Los Angeles, you're landing at Pearson.

From the US East Coast, Toronto is a short hop. New York to YYZ runs 1.5 hours on Air Canada, United, or Porter for US$150-350 round-trip. Chicago is similar distance and price. Air Canada and WestJet both fly nonstop from LA and San Francisco to Pearson, about 5 hours, typically US$300-600 round-trip. British Airways runs the London Heathrow route in 7.5 hours nonstop, and Air Canada matches it on the same corridor, for £400-800 round-trip. Toronto also draws direct long-haul service from Dubai on Emirates (13.5 hours) and from Delhi on Air Canada (14 hours). Low season for transatlantic fares runs January through March, when the city sits under flat grey skies and wind chill drops below -20°C for days at a stretch. The cheapest windows for North American routes tend to fall in late January and early February. Mid-June through August and the December 15-January 5 holiday window see peak pricing. If you book 6-8 weeks out, you tend to hit the sweet spot on domestic and cross-border fares.

VIA Rail connects Toronto's Union Station to Montreal in 5 hours for C$50-150 each way, and to Ottawa in 4.5 hours. The Amtrak Maple Leaf runs daily from New York Penn Station to Union Station in 12.5 hours for US$70-130, crossing at Niagara Falls. It's a long ride, but the last 2 hours follow the Lake Ontario shoreline, and in late afternoon the low sun fills the coach with amber light off the water. Worth it if you have the time. Drivers from Buffalo reach downtown Toronto in 90 minutes via the QEW, though the Peace Bridge and Rainbow Bridge border crossings can add 30-60 minutes on summer weekends. From Detroit, it's about 4 hours on the 401. One thing that catches first-timers off guard. There is no direct rail service from Pearson to Montreal or Ottawa. You get into Toronto first, then transfer at Union Station for VIA Rail connections heading east.