Travel to Toronto

Flying to Toronto

Airlines that fly direct from the UK to Toronto include Air Canada, Air Transat, British Airways and WestJet. Flights are most expensive during the summer, and the best deals tend to be available from January to March. Multiple airlines fly to Toronto from the USA.

Flight times

From London - 8 hours; New York - 1 hour 30 minutes; Los Angeles- 4 hours 40 minutes; Sydney- 21 hours (including stopover).

Travel by road

An extensive network of secondary highways (designated by two or three digits, such as Highway 35 and Highway 118) and motorways (400-series highways, such as Highway 401) covers the Province of Ontario.

Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age in Ontario is 16. The speed limit on secondary highways is 80kph (50mph). On 400-series highways it is 100kph (62mph). In built-up areas it's usually 30-50kph (19-31mph).

Proof of insurance is compulsory. American and European visitors may use national driving licences, while visitors from other countries are often required to carry an International Driving Permit as well.

The Canadian Automobile Association - CAA (tel: +1 416 221 4300 or +1 800 268 3750; www.caa.ca) provides a breakdown service throughout Canada and has partnership agreements with various motoring organisations, such as the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Emergency breakdown services

CAA (tel: +1 800 222 4357).

Routes

Toronto is served by a number of 400-series highways. Highway 401 bisects the city north of the city centre, connecting with London and Windsor to the west and Montreal to the east. Detroit is reached via Windsor.

Further north, a toll motorway, Highway 407, operates as a northern corridor around the city. The QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) runs along the lakefront from Hamilton and Niagara Falls to downtown Toronto.

You can reach Buffalo via Niagara Falls. North-south routes include Highway 400, running from Parry Sound to the city's west end, and Highway 404, running from the suburb of Newmarket to the city's east end, becoming the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) as it nears downtown Toronto.

Coaches

A number of private companies operate scheduled services to and from cities throughout Canada and the USA, including Calgary, Montreal, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg.

Operators include Greyhound Canada (tel: +1 800 661 8747; www.greyhound.ca), Coach Canada (tel: +1 800 461 7661; www.coachcanada.com) and Ontario Northland (tel: +1 800 363 7512; www.ontarionorthland.ca).

The main terminus for all of these companies is the Toronto Coach Terminal, 610 Bay Street, which has bar and restaurant facilities, plus luggage lockers.

Time to city

From Montreal - 5 to 6 hours; Ottawa - 4 hours 30 minutes; Niagara Falls - 1 hour 30 minutes; New York City - 9 hours.

Travel by Rail

Services

You can obtain VIA Rail tickets and information in person at Union Station, 65 Front Street West. Union Station is also the main hub for GO Trains, overland trains providing frequent commuter service to the city's outlying suburbs.

Operators

VIA Rail Canada (tel: +1 888 842 7245; www.viarail.ca) is Canada's national rail transport provider. VIA Rail operates services between Toronto and a number of national destinations, including Montreal  and Ottawa.

Both economy and first-class (VIA 1) cars are available on services along the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, which accounts for most of Canada's passenger rail traffic. The carriages are clean and quiet, with large windows that confer a sense of the country's vastness, as the train passes acres of farmland and mixed conifer and deciduous forests.

VIA 1 fares include a meal and complimentary Canadian wines. Longer distance services to Vancouver and the East Coast (changing at Montreal) offer a variety of seated and sleeper accommodation options.

Amtrak (tel: +1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com) links Toronto with New York City via its Maple Leaf service.

Journey times

From Montreal - 5 hours; Ottawa - 4 hours 15 minutes; New York City - 12 hours 30 minutes.