Toronto Airport:
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| The narrow rails that carry the Link Train. The Link Train provides fast and free transit from the parking lot to the airport, and between terminals. |
Car rental
If you’re planning on renting a car for your vacation, you can pick one up right at the Toronto airport. Remember, though, that parking can be very expensive in downtown Toronto and if you’re not travelling too far out of the city core, then using a combination of subway, buses and/or taxis may be a cheaper option in the long run.
The drive to downtown should take about 30 minutes on a good day, and a lot longer on a bad day!
Toronto Airport Taxi
A taxi from the Toronto airport to downtown Toronto will run you about $45. If you add a 15% tip (average) you’re talking more than $50. Here’s a handy site to calculate the cost of a taxi trip within Toronto: http://toronto.taxiwiz.com. Note: This site gives estimates only. The price will vary depending on traffic. If you’re travelling during rush hour the trip will be slower and pricier than during quieter periods.
Public (communal) transportation
The City of Toronto has been talking about building a subway or direct rail link out from the Toronto airport to downtown Toronto for decades, but so far nothing has happened. So, if you don’t want to drive and can’t afford a taxi, here are your options below.
Local Transit - TTC Toronto (bus and subway)
Take the TTC bus called the 192 Airport Rocket from airport to Kipling subway station (20 minutes) and then the subway from Kipling to Bloor & Yonge (another 30 minutes or so). Then if you want to go further – say to the Union Station area, near Harbourfront, you’ll have to transfer to another subway line (another 15 minutes). Note: This is the cheapest route ($2.75) but it can get very crowded and there’s a lot of getting on and off vehicles, and occasionally walking up and down stairs if escalators are out of service. So if you have a ton of luggage, you may regret it.
Airport Express Bus
The Airport Express Bus picks up from several hotels downtown plus the bus station and drops you off directly at the door of each terminal. Same thing for the other direction. There’s lots of room underneath the bus for luggage and you won’t encounter any stairs or transfers, so it’s a lot easier than the TTC for someone with lots of luggage or mobility issues. The cost is about $20 one-way or $33 return, and 10% less if you book online. (Warning for fellow-dummies: The “return ticket” sounds like a great deal, and I did this the last time, but when I returned from my 2-week trip to Wales, I realized I had lost my ticket stub! So I had to pay again. Take it from me, store that stub carefully. Or if you don’t trust yourself not to lose it, just buy the single.)Depending on where you start, this trip will take from 40 minutes to just over an hour. I always start from the Royal York Hotel and it’s about 45 minutes.
Check the website for current times and prices:
http://www.torontoairportexpress.com/index.php
Budget tip: If you buy your ticket online, you not only save on the purchase price, you also get savings at several tourist attractions in the city and even 10% off one hotel. (Check the site for current offers.)
Parking
If you’re driving to the airport you can park at Terminal 3 or at the less expensive Viscount Station, a little further out (you can take the free “Link Train” from Viscount to your terminal).
For more information
For more detailed information about all of this, see the ground transportation page of the Toronto airport website
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