Toronto Transportation Tips by coolpanda87 Top 5 Page for this destination

Toronto Limos

Toronto limos are mostly used for weddings, formal events, day tours & airport transfers. Rates are not regulated, so you should inquire about the pricing before choosing your limo service.

Limos that offer airport service:

i) Able Paramount Limousine
Tel: 1 888 913-8555
Click here to access website.

ii) Around the Town Limousine Service
Tel: 1 416 757-2424
- 24 hour booking in advance needed!
Click here to access website.

iii) Atrium Executive Limousine Service
Tel: 1 866 292-5466
Click here to access website.

iv) Dynasty Limousine Service
Tel: 1 800 567-0861
Click here to access website.

v) Gem Limousine Service
Tel: 1 888 308-3777
-serves airport & Western GTA (Burlington, Oakville, Milton)
Click here to access website.

vi) Getaway Limousine Service
Tel: 1 416 281-5466
Click here to access website.

vii) No Limit Limousine Service
Tel: 1 416 451-6321
Click here to access website.

Other Limo Services:

i) Tre Vi Livery, Limousine & Coach Services
Tel: 1 905 832-1335
Click here to access website.

ii) E. I. Williams Limousines
Tel: 1 416 931-2262
Click here to access website.

iii) Be My Guest Livery
Tel: 1 416 219-5106
Click here to access website.

iv) Advantage Limousines
Tel: 1 416 558-2498
Click here to access website.

v) A-Mr Stretch
Tel: 1 416 494-6685
-6 to 10 seat limos
Click here to access website.

vi) The A Limousine Connection
Tel: 1 416 483-5466

vii) A Bentley Limousine & Coach Services
Tel: 1 800 667-9057
Click here to access website.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

Toronto Ferry

Toronto Ferry is a service that connects Toronto Islands with the mainland. It is operated by the City of Toronto. From the ferry docks, you can either choose to go to Hanlan's Point, Centre Island or Ward's Island. The less busy ferries (Hanlan's & Ward's) may allow bikes/rollerblades.

The ferry docks are located at Queens Quay, at the foot of Bay Street. It is just West of Westin Harbour Castle Hotel.

To get there by TTC, take 509 Harbourfront or 510 Spadina Streetcar to Bay/Queen's Quay stop.

The ferries usually set off every 30 min/1hr depending on time of year & weather. It is about a 15/20 minute ride to the other side. There are two levels on the ferry & usually I & almost everyone else prefer the top.

Fares - updated 2004 (include return):

Adults: $ 6.00
Students/Seniors:$3.50
Juniors (under 14): $2.50
Children under 2: free

Mode: AROUND

Phone: 416-392-8193

Type: Ship/Boat

Highway Grid of GTA I

Toronto (& Ontario) has large scale freeways that keep the city moving. Most of Ontario's main freeways are in the 400 series.

Hwy 401 - East to West freeway running through North area of the City of Toronto. Has collector lanes (3/4) & express lanes (3/4) each way. Express lanes allow you to drive through area without passing exits. Express lanes exit to & are entered from collector lanes, with exceptions of highway interchanges & Allen Rd. exit. Second busiest highway in N. America based on car volume, Hwy. 401is the GTA & Canada's most congested freeway, especially during rush hours. Beware the bottleneck between Hwy 400 & Hwy 427 interchange, for it shrinks to five lanes each way & gets really jammed.

DVP - Don Valley Parkway - Freeway running North to South from Hwy 401 to downtown Gardiner Expressway. DVP is the only freeway to downtown from the East area of GTA. Maximum speeds on this freeway is only 90 km/h, since it has many curves & tight spots. Toronto's most scenic freeway, the DVP was built cutting through Don Valley (now a park & conservation area). Very congested, even during weekends & non-rush hours & is nicknamed Don Valley Parking Lot. There is only three to four lanes each way.

Hwy 404 - Runs North of Hwy 401, continuation of DVP. This eight lane freeway serves York Region, going through Richmond Hill, Markham & up to Newmarket.

Gardiner Expressway - Running East to West from DVP, (Expressway East of DVP has been dismantled) the Gardiner is Toronto's only elevated freeway. The Gardiner goes to QEW & Hwy. 427. This freeway offers wonderful views of the Toronto skyline & allows you to easily access downtown. The Gardiner seperates the waterfront (on the left) from downtown (on the right). Currently, there are plans to dismantle the Gardiner Expressway (an eyesore) & create a more people friendly waterfront.

Click here for a map of Toronto's Highways (PDF file)...

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

Bicycle Paths @ T.O.

Toronto was awarded Best cycling city in North America in 1995, and now wants to rebuild that repuation to curb traffic jams & wasted time. Vancouver is currently Canada's biking capital with ambitious plans to expand, so Toronto will have to come with new initiatives to recapture the title.

There are about 50 kilometres of bicycle lanes on city streets & Toronto has approximately 40 kilometres of signed bicycle routes. Toronto's bike trail system (separate from street) is 125 kilometres long, passing through ravines, parks & public areas. I especially love biking down the Don Valley area, Davenport Ave. (Casa Loma), High Park, Humber area, Woodbine-Beaches area, & the downtown - Etobickoe waterfront, for the comforting breeze & fresh air keeps me energized. Toronto Islands & Tommy Thomson park are also my favourites, for they are large, long tracks of parkland that offers phenomenal views of downtown Toronto! You could also conquer these trails rollerblading, but you should refine to a smaller area. Toronto is a relatively flat city, so there are no serious obstacles or hurdles for bikers of any age.

Once a year, the Don Valley Parkway is closed down for a charity bikathon, & many cyclists from babies to seniors participate in this joyous event. It is good excerise & is for a good cause.

Children must wear helmets & might be ticketed if they do not comply. Adults are not required to wear helmets, though it is best recommended.

Beyond Toronto, there is the 275- kilometer Lake Ontario/Waterfront Trail, 20 kilometres of which is formed by the Martin Goodman Trail that spans Toronto's waterfront.

Click here for a Toronto Cycling Map. You can pick up a free map at Toronto city hall or at any bike shop if available.

Bicycles are permitted inside all TTC buses, streetcars and subway trains except during morning peak hours (6:30 to 9:30 a.m.) and afternoon rush hours (3:30 to 6:30 p.m.).

Mode: AROUND

Phone: 416-39CYCLE

Type: Bicycle

Toronto Parking

On weekends, average parking costs $ 6 - 14 a day at downtown. Parking meters are also located throughout the city. The financial district & star attractions will typically be more expensive, while the parking meters usually offer the best value.

Suburbs offer free parking.

MORE coming soon...

Mode: AROUND

Other Contact: tpamail@toronto.ca

Phone: 416-393-7275

Type: Car/Motor Home

Website: http://www.greenp.com/

Toronto Subway System

Toronto has three subway lines, including the Yonge- University - Spadina line (yellow), Bloor-Danforth Line (green) & the new Sheppard Line(purple). There is also a Scarborough RT line (similar to Vancouver Skytrain), indicated with blue.

Since there are no barriers between the platform & tracks, remember to stand behind yellow line. Even better is to stay near the wall, for there is always a crazy person who wants to push someone into the tracks. It has happened before...

Yonge - University Spadina line runs North to South, forming a parabola shaped line...

Stations starting from NE end(runs along Yonge Street): Finch, North York Centre, Sheppard-Yonge, York Mills, Lawrence, Eglinton, Davisville, St. Clair, Summerhill, Rosedale

Stations forming downtown loop: Bloor- Yonge, Wellsley, College, Dundas, Queen, King, Union, St. Andrew, Osgoode, St. Patrick, Queen's Park, Museum, St. George & Spadina

Stations up to NW end: Dupont, St. Clair W, Eglinton W, Glencairn, Lawrence W, Yorkdale, Wilson, Downsview

Bloor-Danforth line runs along Bloor/Danforth Street & goes from West to East.

Stations from W end: Kipling, Islington, Royal York, Old Mill, Jane, Runnymede, High Park, Keele, Dundas W, Lansdowne, Dufferin, Ossington, Christie, Bathurst

Stations through downtown: Spadina, St. George, Bay, Bloor-Yonge, Sherbourne,

Stations heading East: Castle Frank, Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands, Greenwood, Coxwell, Woodbine, Main Street, Victoria Park, Warden, Kennedy

Scarborough RT stations: Lawrence E, Ellesmere, Midland, Scarborought Town Centre, McCowan

Yonge-Sheppard Stations: Sheppard-Yonge, Bayview, Bessarion, Leslie, Don Mills

Click here for TTC subway map.

Mode: AROUND

Phone: 416-393-INFO

Type: Subway/Metro

Website: http://www.ttc.ca

YYZ:Toronto Pearson International Airport Overview

The busiest airport in Canada, YYZ is the gateway to the GTA. It currently has three terminals, & the new Terminal One will eventually replace the existing T 1 & 2.

Canadian carriers now based at YYZ include Air Canada, Canjet, Westjet, Zoom Airlines, Jetsgo, HMY Airlines & Air Transat.

Other airlines that fly to YYR include:

Terminal One: Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, BMI, Lufthansa, Mexicana, Royal Jordanian, SAS Scandinavian Airline, Singapore Airlines, Spanair S.A., Thai Int'l Airways, Varig Brazil

Terminal Two: Air New Zealand, United Airlines

Terminal Three: Aeroflot Russian, Aeromexico, Aerosvit Airlines, Air France, Air Plus Comet, Alaskian Airlines, America West Airlines, AA, American Eagle, British Airways, BWIA West Indies Awys, Cathay Pacific, Chautauqua Airlines, Comair, Continental Airlines, Cubana Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta, EL AL, Finnair, First Air, IBeria Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, TACA, Lan Chile, LOT polish Airlines, LTU Int'l Airways, Malev Hungarian, martinair Holland, Mesa Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, Miami Air Int'l, Midwest COnnect, My travel Airways, NorthWest Airlines, Olympic Airlines S.A., Pace Airlines, Pakistan Int'l, Piedmont, Pinnacle Aviation, PSA Airlines, Qantas, SATA Int'l, Skyservice, US Airways

The airport is not really hard to navigate, & in size, they are nothing compared to Los Angeles International (LAX), so for an experienced traveller, getting around YYZ will be a piece of cake.

Customs to USA currently is much slower than International destinations, so beware and make sure you leave more time.

Currently at YYZ, the airport improvement fee is $12.00 for outbound passengers & $ 8.00 for connecting passengers. NAVCAN surcharges is $24.00 per round-trip ticket, or $12.00 for a one-way ticket. For stopovers, $7.50 each way or $15.00 (CAD) per round-trip is charged. There is also a ATSC (Air Travellers Security Charge) to a maximum of $24.00 for foreign destinations & $14.00 for domestic travel.

Mode: TO

Phone: Tel: (416) 776 -3000

Type: Airplane

Website: http://www.gtaa.com

Taxis

Unfortunately, they do not have a standard colour : ( So they are kind of hard to recognize off the streets. It is easier to pick one up at a hotel taxi stand. Taxis here are based on a flat rate of $ 2.75 for the first 0.235 km. After, for every 0.19km or a waiting time of 30 seconds, the rate increases by $0.25. Baggage is charged from $0.10 (light load) to $0.30 per passenger or per item. From Pearson International Airport to downtown Toronto, it would cost around $39.00.

Remember that the driver must wear a seatbelt, the cabdriver cannot recommend any commerical establishment unless you request it & that they must give you a receipt or else you do not have to pay. A clear list of rules (Passenger's Bill of Rights) will & must be present for back seat passengers to see.

Usually, taxi drivers are nice and they do keep their taxis clean. However, some drivers may not have English down pat, so you may have to be patient.

Ability to Go
Tel: 1 416 431-3213
Stationed at: 16 Fred Bland Cres. Scarborough

Able Atlantic Taxi
Tel: 1 416 298-1111

Beck Taxi
-orange coloured taxis with green roof
Tel: 751 - 5555
Web: Click here

Co-Op cabs
Tel: 1 416 504-2667
Fax: 1 416 504-2667
Web: Click here

Diamond Taxi
Tel: 366-6868

Kingsboro Taxi Ltd.
Tel: 1 416 232-2298
Fax: 1 416 232-0933
Web: Click here
Stationed at: 4180 Dundas Street West Etobicoke

Royal Taxi
- included in fleet is 80 executive taxi sedans
Tel: 1 416 777-9222
Web: Click here

Toronto Para Transit
- for disabled, wheelchair clients
Tel: 1 416 209-0950
Web: Click here.
Stationed at: 2727 Steeles Avenue West

Yellow Cab
Tel: 504-4141

Mode: AROUND

Phone: 416-TAXICAB (all companies)

Type: Car/Motor Home

Highway Grid of GTA II

Hwy. 400 - Runs North from Hwy. 401 passing through West area of York Region, Vaughan, Maple (Canada's Wonderland), Barrie & terminates @ Parry Sound. Hwy. 400 is almost always congested, especially in the industrial areas of Toronto & Vaughan. Highway maintains 8 lanes in Toronto & eventually becomes 4 lane.

Allen Expressway - The result of civic disapproval towards paving Toronto into an Americanized freeway obsessed city. It is called a stub, & starts from Hwy 401(near Yorkdale Mall) to Eglinton Road. Traffic is relatively smooth & there is the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line running in the middle of it. Reminds me of a similar situation I saw @ the suburbs of Washington DC & at Los Angeles.

Hwy. 427 - Runs North South from QEW/ Gardiner Expressway to Hwy. 407. This 8 lane highway serves the City of Toronto, Brampton & Mississauga. To reach the airport, enter hwy. 409 through interchange.

Hwy. 409 - Splits out from Hwy. 401, & is the only direct highway into Toronto Pearson Int'l Airport. Once on Hwy. 409, you will see airport terminal information signs.

Hwy. 407 - ETR (Electronic Toll Route) The only toll expressway in GTA, Hwy. 407 goes East to West from Pickering to QEW at Burlington, passing through Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Brampton, Milton & Halton. It uses licence plate recording technology to charge its customers, & currently all customers from Canada & USA could be mailed a bill. If you are driving a rental car, your rental company could pass the cost on to you, so beware! Yes, it is less congested, but driving the whole length of the expressway costs $18.31 without a transponder & $14.96 with it.

Click here for a map of Toronto's Highways (PDF file)...

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

Website: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca

GO transit

GO transit provides integrated public transportation to the Greater Toronto Area, from Hamilton all the way to Oshawa. GO transit operates both train & bus services. Click here to see a map of its system.

GO transit also operates a bus service from the Airport to Yorkdale subway station. It costs $ 3.50 one way, & takes 30-35 minutes to reach Yorkdale. Since not all GO buses can handle high volumes of lugguge, use GO bus only if you are carrying a light & easily movable load.

GO trains are two storey train cars that move @ speeds of around 50-70 km per hour. The seats are relatively comfortable & the ride is usually very smooth.

GO buses usually vary in size & some are bigger than others. Some seem to be a variation of Greyhound buses while others follow the public transit bus model. GO buses are not as comforable as train & are usually backlogged by traffic. However, they are the only transportation method in some areas serviced by GO.

GO trains are based on fare zones & bus/train service is based on the same fare. In order to find the suitable fare, you will have to ask customer service or use its Fare Finder (click on link). They offer single -ride tickets, a day pass, 10-ride ticket, monthly pass, Student/Senior discount & Group pass. Find out which one is suitable for your transport purposes.

GO transit is notorious for its schedule delays & last minute canceling. Be prepared for late trains/buses (could be up to two hours)...Sometimes the bus/train could pass by & not stop, so when you take GO transit, you will have to slow down your pace & have patience.

Mode: AROUND

Phone: 1 888 GET ON GO (438-6646)

Type: Train

Website: http://www.gotransit.com