Hey guys

I live in BC, I am travelling via Tornoto on my way back to visit England for 3 weeks, in September.

Can you advise on the cheapest transport to and from airport/ the cost/ distance etc....

Also, tourist spots to recommend/neighbourhoods to see/hotels etc???

Any tips appreciated!

The cheapest way to get from the Airport to downtown toronto is by using the TTC it will cost you £2.75.

http://www3.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Airport_service.jsp

Of course if you have a lot of bags it's probably easier to just get a cab they usually do a flat rate around $50 just make sure you get one of the authorized taxis as there are always a few dodgy guys who will try to rip you off

Yep I agree with the TTC comment. We did the journey from the airport whilst dropping my daughter off and it was so easy and quck.
Landmarks or tourist sites are the obvious CN Tower....RODGERS DOME...Eton Centre fantastic Mall.....I will think of some other things and put them on...

Not by TTC it isn't. There's an airport bus (not a ttc bus) for about $15 that goes to the downtown hotels, if it doesn't go to your hotel then you can take it to the Royal York and walk across to the subway.

Hi London7

Yes the cheapest way is the TTC but for some reason they built the subway 80% of the way to the airport but not the full way so you need to get a bus to Kipling subway station and then the subway from there.

The transport in Toronto is, apart from this, very good and even if you have to take a bus and subway, it all links in well and you normally just get off a bus and straight into the subway station. If you are going to be doing a lot of travelling then getting a TTC day pass is worth it as it's $9 a day. On weekends, a day pass is valid or 2 adults or 2 adults and 2 kids which is great and really cheap.

Just a word of caution, the TTC staff are not the friendliest and there are a few rules you need to know.

If you are using tokens and not a day pass, you need to get a transfer if you are changing forms of transport e.g. from subway to bus. If you are a on bus, you get these from the driver. If you take the subway, there is a red box just after the barrier, you need to press this and will give u transfer ticket. Also when you get off some buses or streetcars, you need to stand on the step before the doors will open. It's only a small thing but people often get caught out!!!

As for tips, well a bus trip might be a good starting point. They tend to go from around Union Station and my mam went on one last week for her visit and she really enjoyed it.

If possible, try to go and see a baseball game at the Rogers Centre as it's a good experience and not too expensive. Tickets start at about $12.

As for the CN Tower, it is actually good value to have lunch there as you get the entrance included and I think a set meal is about $45 dollars but entrance alone is about $25 and the food is good.

As for neighbourhoods, well that is what Toronto is best for and I think the actual downtown is the least impressive part of the city.

Try:

The Beaches- Queen Street East - the beach of course and lots of nice shops, bars, cafes etc
Kensington Market- cool market and also good place for food, coffee etc
St Lawrence Market- very nice market hall and good for picking up lunch or food for a picnic
The Islands- can get ferry over and nice place to go and hire bikes and get good view of the city
Queen Street West- cool shops and stuff

I went to the Bata Show Museum last week which was fun. Not been to many museums and if you come from London, the museums are def not a patch on there and they aren't free either but I think it's better to walk around the neighbourhoods etc.

Not sure about hotels as I live here so all family stay with us but I imagine it's not cheap-I would suggest staying in downtown and near a subway station.

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip.

Lucy

Actually you can indeed get on the TTC right in the airport. The bus takes you directly to the subway at Kipling. I think I paid $3.50. It is fairly quick but a bit of a pain if you have much luggage.

The claim was that it was "easy and quick". Taking a bus and then a subway is, in my view, neither easy nor quick. Even my daughter, not the most generous of people, springs for the bus from the Royal York. If I have to use YYZ I usually park at the airport, failing that I get a limo.

While the TTC is certainly the cheapest, I wouldn't call it easy or quick either. The TTC buses, subway trains, and various stations that you'd need to navigate are not well-suited to travelers with a lot of luggage (i.e. anything more than a briefcase or small backpack). If you were unlucky enough to hit the commuter rush it would be a nightmare. Save yourselves much aggro and take a limo, taxi, or the dedicated airport shuttle coach.

Incidentally, a subway link to the airport has been discussed/debated in Toronto for decades.

Guys.Thanks for the replies.very helpful. Any advice on hotels??? Have been loking and they all seem pretty pricey!!!!! i wanted to stay under $100 if possible

Under $100 in Toronto will be tough. Hotel Victoria on Yonge maybe? Delta Chelsea is probably more than that but seems to be popular.

It's been done up. "John" and his trays of 4 oz beers are no more.

If you're travelling alone then perhaps B&B would suit you. There are some in downtown Toronto close to most tourist spots. Just Google Toronto B&B.

The Amsterdam is one I've heard called "colourful but not frightening".

I dont what type of hotel you are looking for but I was in toronto in April and I booked to stay in the Days Hotel and Conference Centre. Whatever you do, do not stay there. Firstly I had paid for 16 days accommodation upfront and I arrived from the airport to check in to find that they want a $1600 deposit. Which is apparently a standard charge. This was on top of what I had paid. I was not impressed to say the least, they said it was to cover damages. However as a single traveller who had paid for her room in full, I could not believe it. The staff were rude and not helpful at all. At the time of booking in the UK through a work company perkz scheme there was no mention that this would need to be paid at check in. That was point one. The wireless connection in the room does not work and you have to leave your room and trail you laptop and everything you need to a quiet room that has no windows and is dull. On the first floor no fun if you are on the 16th floor. The food on the menu is poor in the restuarant and the they only do a buffet breakfast on holidays. The bar closes at 10:30pm and there is limited choice of channels on the TV's in the rooms. The only nice thing about my stay was the polite chambermaid who cleaned my room. I wish I had paid more money for the Delta Chelsea and next time that is where I will stay.

The Town Inn on Church is often touted as being reasonable on threads here, it does look nice from the outside and has reasonable rates but I haven't been in. Some friends of ours rented a room at the Gladstone last week "because people who live in Toronto never do", they had a satisfying afternoon for less than $200, it might be a reasonable price for a longer stay.

If the Days mentioned above is the one by MLG it screams "dump" to me. I'd think the Best Western across the street is probably better even though some floors are an overspill residence for the UofT.