Toronto - Getting Around
Airport Transfers
There are several cheap and convenient ways to travel from Toronto Pearson International Airport to downtown Toronto, all of them bus services. The best service for those travelling right into the city is the Airport Express. For $19.95 one way or $32.95 a round trip the buses pick up passengers up to every 30 minutes and drop them outside various hotels and subway stations. A cheaper way to travel is by the TTC’s Airport Rocket route; however this only goes as far as the Kipling Station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line, taking a further 1 hour to reach the city centre from this point.
top ↑Bike
Cycling is on the rise in the city and is a great way to get about at your own pace whilst seeing the sights. Despite becoming more popular, cycling is still relatively new in Toronto and so bike safety should be adhered to at all times.
top ↑Bus
With over 140 bus lines, travelling by bus is a good way to reach the parts of the city that the streetcars do not. Although slower than the subway, bus travel allows passengers to take in the city sights whilst getting to where they need to be. During the evening and into the night both bus and streetcar drivers allow single women passengers to request stops in-between designated stops.
top ↑Streetcar
The only city in Canada to still use streetcars, Toronto’s streetcar routes cover the major roads of the downtown area. Services run every 5 to 10 minutes and some routes have dedicated lines, helping them to avoid getting caught in the notoriously heavy traffic.
top ↑Subway/RT
By far the fastest way to get around the city of Toronto is on the subway. Three subway lines and one RT (elevated railway) line generally run either east-west or north-south throughout the city. The subway and RT system reaches most of the city and out into the suburbs. The high efficiency of the network means it can get very busy, particularly during the city’s rush hours.
top ↑Taxi
Travel by taxi in Toronto can be quite an expensive way to go around the city, although if not near a subway line it is the most convenient. Toronto is notorious for its rush hour traffic so travel can be quite slow at times. Taxis are required by law to be metered and there is an initial pick up charge of $3.
top ↑Tickets
The Toronto Transit Commission runs the public transport network and they provide an integrated ticketing system which allows free transfer on the different modes of transport. Single ride tickets are available for $3 although this is reduced to $2.50 if buying several single ride tokens at once. Day, week and monthly passes are a cheaper way to travel if planning to use the system a lot; these provide unlimited travel on all TTC services except downtown express buses. If transferring between two connecting routes or modes of transport passengers must first obtain a free transfer pass from the first vehicle or station used.
top ↑