Hello all,

My family (me, Mrs. kef0913 and 2 kef0913-ettes) will be in Toronto Nov 22-28 for a wedding and maybe some sightseeing. We'll be staying at the airport Marriott and need to be in Vaughan two of the days we will be there. The balance of the time we will be in and around downtown or maybe a couple of tourist attractions and down to Niagara one day

Obviously we need a car for Niagara. Would you recommend renting a car for the entire stay, or is public transportation in Toronto sufficient to get us to the above locations with little hassle (young ones are 6 and 3 but experienced and adaptable travelers)?

I have checked out the TTC web site but it is designed more for locals than visitors and I have had trouble deciphering whether public transit is going to work for us. I am leaning towards "no." It seems that to get downtown we would need to take one of two or three buses to a subway station to downtown. And I havent figured out how we would get to Vaughan yet (the subway seems to end in North York). Am I reading this correctly?

Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

Simply the fact that you're staying at the airport for so long suggests to me that you should rent a car. There's an express bus service to the downtown hotels, but if 4 of you use it, it'd be almost as cheap to take a cab (the 3 yr old would be free IIRC).

Can't you stay downtown???

Simply the fact that you're staying at the airport for so long suggests to me that you should rent a car. There's an express bus service to the downtown hotels, but if 4 of you use it, it'd be almost as cheap to take a cab (the 3 yr old would be free IIRC).

Can't you stay downtown???


We're staying near the airport because between going down to Niagara and up to Vaughan we figured we'd at least be centrally located (for our purposes, not for the city I understand). We Pricelined the hotel and I only later thought maybe we could get away without a car. I am not trying to avoid a car at all costs. I just though if there was something convenient I would prefer that option.

Taking public transit to anywhere in Vaughan will most probably be a major P.I.T.A. The TTC only has service within the boundaries of the city of Toronto (with a few exceptions - the most notable being Pearson Airport, which is just beyond the border). You can find public transport information for Vaughan here (http://www.yorkregiontransit.com/routes.asp), but I suspect that renting a car is going to be a LOT less of a hassle.

Enjoy your stay in Toronto!

I agree with Toronto1970! There is no such thing as Toronto public transport to Niagara Falls either, unless you count the GO Commuter train. I took it there once but you need to leave from the main station downtown which will be a hike from the airport anyway, and the train schedule only leaves you from about 11am to 5pm there anyhow. If you drive, you can see a lot more of the region including Niagara-on-the-Lake which is by far more scenic and less touristy kitschy. Especially with 4 of you (and 2 little ones), public transport will not be worth it. Rent a car and enjoy Toronto!

I also agree that it'd be more interesting to stay at a downtown hotel........ If you have a car, you could easily drive from downtown to Vaughn the two days you need to be there, although a downtown hotel and parking will cost a bit more I imagine. Why not stay by the airport for the days you need to be in Vaughan/Niagara and then book a downtown hotel for the remainder? Toronto has a great downtown to walk about it, very friendly, and the major attactions are all within walking distance.

Have fun!


Taking public transit to anywhere in Vaughan will most probably be a major P.I.T.A. The TTC only has service within the boundaries of the city of Toronto (with a few exceptions - the most notable being Pearson Airport, which is just beyond the border). You can find public transport information for Vaughan here (http://www.yorkregiontransit.com/routes.asp), but I suspect that renting a car is going to be a LOT less of a hassle.

Enjoy your stay in Toronto!

Thanks for confirming what I though Toronto1970. Since the airport stay is a done deal, I guess I will be renting a car for the whole time.

Kef,

If all possible try to avoid rush hours. (Of course if you're from Southern California, you'll feel right at home in a Toronto rush hour). Anyway, if you time your trip to Niagra away from rush hours, its a pretty easy drive. Should take you a little over an hour and a half....all freeway.

I've also stayed at the airport Marriott a number of times....most recently in June. Its a pretty good hotel....nothing super special, just a clean, comfortable, well maintained place. Upscale Japanese restaurant on site. Not much to do in the immediate area, but a couple of locally popular restaurants are actually within walking distance. Try Pat and Marios or The Keg...basically next door to each other across the street. There's also a Greek place in the hotel next door, as well as a local "hot spot"....Arizona's....up the street from there.
Nice little British Pub in the neighborhood as well. "Fox & Firkin", if memory serves.

Hope this helps!

Just a couple of quick thoughts on your visit. You'll definately need a car to get to Vaughn from the Marriott, but be aware that the rush hours start very early on the 401 (both the morning and evening rush hours), so be prepared for delays if you'll be traveling during those times, and trying to get to your destinations dirung the week. I'd suggest keeping the car for your Vaughn and Niagara trips, and taking either the bus/subway combination or cabs to the downtown area, as parking is quite expensive during the week, and if you're unfamiliar with driving downtown, well, it could be somewhat of an adventure in itself. Lot's of one-way thoroughfares and heavy traffic during the week. Also, if you're going to be driving eastbound on the 401 from the hotel (as when you go to Vaughn) be sure to ask at the hotel the best way to get on the eastbound 401, as if you get on the 427 at the airport, there's no exit to the eastbound 401, only a westbound exit. You should go up to Dixon Rd., then south to get on the 401 eastbound.

The other possible route to Vaughn from your hotel would be to go north on the 427, then east on highway 7 to the 400, then north to Vaughn.

Your trip to Niagara is an easy drive, straight down the 427 south to the QEW westbound all the way to Niagara Falls. Just beware of the split after Burlington, as the 403 splits off to the right, so stay in the left two lanes of the QEW, as you make a long turn south at that point on the QEW to continue to the Niagara region. Niagara-On-The-Lake is a nice stopping point on the way down, for lunch and some sightseeing, if you have time.

Remember that it'll be cold (and possibly wet) in November (it's down to 3C here tonight), so bring warm clothes for everyone.

Have a good trip.

bj-21.

cyberdad and blackjack-21,

Thank you both for the detailed tips! We're visiting for a wedding (in Vaughan) and have decided to make a mini-vacation of it. Lots of other out of towners with us traveling to Niagara. Wedding is mid-day on Friday and we are going to Niagara the Thursday before it. So I gather we should be ok with rush hour.

We'll be there through the weekend and are flying out on Monday. We have one day free on the weekend. Any recommendations? I have heard of the PATH, is it worth the trip from the airport?

kef,

You lost me on the "PATH" question. (The only PATH I could think of is the Port Authority Trans-Hudson train service in NY/NJ). What PATH are you referring to in TO??

bj-21.

kef,

You lost me on the "PATH" question. (The only PATH I could think of is the Port Authority Trans-Hudson train service in NY/NJ). What PATH are you referring to in TO??

bj-21.
The underground shopping/dining/walking area under downtown.

http://www.toronto.ca/path/

Note that many of the stores in the PATH may be closed on the weekend, since a lot of the businesses are geared to the workers in the office towers above.

That said, definitely take the time to come downtown. You will NOT be getting the full picture of Toronto by only seeing the airport area and Vaughan! If you want to do the "touristy things", hit the CN Tower and the Eaton Centre. But if the weather is nice, there's lots of different neighbourhoods in the central core that you can walk around and explore.

We have one day free on the weekend. Any recommendations? I have heard of the PATH, is it worth the trip from the airport?

Lots of things to see and do downtown, the PATH is not one of them.

Roughly how much will cab fare run from the airport to downtown?

Roughly how much will cab fare run from the airport to downtown?

~40-44 USD

It's a fixed rate for GTAA approved taxis. They don't run a meter.

Hello all,

My family (me, Mrs. kef0913 and 2 kef0913-ettes) will be in Toronto Nov 22-28 for a wedding and maybe some sightseeing. We'll be staying at the airport Marriott and need to be in Vaughan two of the days we will be there. .

I'll be at the Toronto Marriott the 9th - 26th.

Since you'll have a rental car anyway, why not drive to a subway outside of the downtown area, and take it to downtown TO. That'll save you the $80/90 RT cab fares to get from the hotel to downtown. Ask at hotel for directions, as you're not too far from the subway system (by car from your hotel), and the parking lots at several stations are large (small fee for parking, and usually very full of rush-hour commuters), but it's an easy trip downtown.

Several subway stations relatively nearby are Kipling, Islington, Old York.

Shopping malls within a short drive are Yorkdale Mall (east on the 401), and Square One Mall in Mississauga (west on the 401 and 403 from the airport), both within a 15 minute drive from your hotel.

Also, it's not necessary to go into TO to get the VIA rail trains to NF, if you don't want to drive down. You can catch VIA Rail from Oakville Station (about a 35 minute drive from your hotel using the 401 westbound to the 403 to Oakville). Train time from Oakville to NF is about 1 1/2 hours each way, and there are a couple of daily trains in each direction to/from NF. Check the VIA Rail website for schedules and fares, if you're interested.

Be sure you've gotten a good map of the southern Ontario area, to help plan your drives.

bj-21.

Thanks for the info.

Since you'll have a rental car anyway, why not drive to a subway outside of the downtown area, and take it to downtown TO. That'll save you the $80/90 RT cab fares to get from the hotel to downtown.
Thanks, but not sure what you are getting at. if I have the rental why would I take the subway?


Shopping malls within a short drive are Yorkdale Mall (east on the 401), and Square One Mall in Mississauga (west on the 401 and 403 from the airport), both within a 15 minute drive from your hotel.
Won't be going to shopping malls. We have them in L.A. :D

Also, it's not necessary to go into TO to get the VIA rail trains to NF, if you don't want to drive down. You can catch VIA Rail from Oakville Station (about a 35 minute drive from your hotel using the 401 westbound to the 403 to Oakville). Train time from Oakville to NF is about 1 1/2 hours each way, and there are a couple of daily trains in each direction to/from NF. Check the VIA Rail website for schedules and fares, if you're interested.
Good info. Someone else I asked had said that taking the train to NF would be terribly inconvenient and we would definitely want to drive down. Different opinion? Pros/cons?

Didn't mean to confuse.

You had asked about cab fares from the hotel at the airport to the downtown area, in an earlier post on this thread. Just trying to save you some $$$ by suggesting the short drive to the subway, instead of cabbing it downtown. I wouldn't suggest driving downtown if you're totally unfamiliar with the area, and you mentioned that your downtown foray would only be for the one day. It's an easy drive for those who know the area (35/40 minutes, depending on traffic), so the choice is yours.

If you're going to be driving downtown from your hotel, take the 427 southbound to the QEW/Gardner eastbound, and exit at the York/Bay/Yonge St. ramp. Look for parking lots as you exit the Gardner or further up on Yonge or York (under some of the office towers). But I'd still suggest (as did others on here) to use public transit to get downtown rather then drive.

I only commented on the VIA Rail option as someone on here had mentioned that you have to catch the train from downtown TO to NF. But it wouldn't be necessary (and it's not the GO Transit train), as you could drive to Oakville to pick up the train from there. It's six of one/half a dozen of the other. Travel time either way is about an hour and a half. We always drive down to NF to visit the casinos there and have made it in as little as an hour under good conditions. It's an easy drive, on good highways. And The Falls are spectacular, and well worth the visit. The Festival of Lights should be on by then, and are an interesting display, along River Rd. in NF.


bj-21.

Couple of websites to check:

http://www.toronto.com/

And "Discover Niagara.com" (Use your search engine for correct URL for this one), for NF info.

bj-21.

Thanks for all the info. ^

Thanks, but not sure what you are getting at. if I have the rental why would I take the subway?

Because parking downtown is expensive and painful.

Someone else I asked had said that taking the train to NF would be terribly inconvenient and we would definitely want to drive down. Different opinion? Pros/cons?

I agree especially outside of peak summer tourist season take the car.

If you do decide to take the subway downtown, if it's a weekend be sure to purchase the Day pass for $8. On Saturdays and Sundays it's good for 2 adults and up to 6 kids -- a pretty good deal.

http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/family_pass.htm

Another tip: You can park for free in Niagara Falls at the Fallsview Casino. (You will however have to go in and sign up for a Players Card to get out of the parking lot without paying. A good deal if you planned to check out the casino anyway (although you kids will not be allowed on the casino floor))

Good tip about parking at the Niagara Fallsview casino (the new one, not Casino Niagara), which is on Fallsview Avenue in NF, across from the Hilton. However, if you go during the week, you won't even need to get a players card to partake of the free parking at the casino. Gates are up as you enter (meaning no ticket to get at the entrance), and on the way out there's no one manning the booths to check you out. On weekends though, you'll have to get a players card before you leave the casino, or you'll be charged for parking as you leave. Just a short one block walk to the Falls, which are along River Road.

To get to the Niagara Fallsview Casino, turn right as you leave the QEW, at the first traffic light, at Stanley Avenue. Continue about five or six blocks on Stanley, watching for the Hilton, or signs to the casino, which will be on your left. Left turn for one block, then right turn at Denny's restaurant to the casino. Parking entrance is just past the main casino entrance on your left. Elevators down to the casino at street level, for shops, or exit towards the Falls.

Hope you get good weather. It's turned much cooler the past few days, with some rain tomorrow, and possible flurries predicted for Friday.

bj-21.

ok.. this feels like a really dumb question, but I'm going to ask it anyway...

I'm traveling to Toronto later this week and plan to take the public trans. downtown.. Problem is, I hear from the buddy I'm going see that I'll need Canadian currency to ride the bus/train, they don't take large bills (nothing greater than $5) and that I'll have difficulty obtaining anything but twenties in the airport.

How does one go about obtaining a few bucks Canadian to pay for public transport?

PS, the Royal Bank of Canada here in NC (formerly Centura) will look at you as if you've requested that they split the atom of you ask to buy some canadian currency...

I'm traveling to Toronto later this week and plan to take the public trans. downtown.. Problem is, I hear from the buddy I'm going need Canadian currency to ride the bus/train, they don't take large bills (nothing greater than $5) and that I'll have difficulty obtaining anything but twenties in the airport.

How does one go about obtaining a few bucks Canadian to pay for public transport?

Once you clear customs pop by the ATM and make a withdrawl, yes you'll get twenties. Then pop into the "Relay" newstand and buy a pack of gum and ask them to break some of the change into additional coins. Pain in the butt I know but that's what you need to do.

FYI, you'll need $2.50 to get on the bus. (The bus driver will be happy to take any bill -- regardless of if it's $5 or $20, but they won't give change! So take Bytepusher's advice, and get some gum!)

Anyone know a decent location to exchange US cash for Canadian cash? Airport exchange kiosks are always a ripoff.

You'll find that Toronto has many bank branches (often competing on many corners in the downtown and outlying areas), which may be your best bet for exchanging your currency. Since you'll have a car and be staying near the airport, drive slightly north of the terminals along Airport Road, and you'll find branches of the Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, all within a short distance from the airport, on the right hand side of Airport Road. Good idea to take a small amount of currency from an ATM at the airport first though, to get you started. As noted above, most of the ATM's only dispense CAD $20's, so you may want to stop for a coffee and donut (suggestion: try Tim Horton's coffee, if you can find one in the terminal) to get some smaller bills and change.

BTW, turned much colder today, with windchills down to -10C tonight, and I heard they had to close the Skyway Bridge (on the QEW towards NF) briefly today, due to icing on the bridge, so check the weather conditions before you set out for your NF excursion.

bj-21.

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd let you know (if you care) how it all turned out.

We stayed at the airport Marriott because we got a good price on Priceline and it seemed like it would end up being central for us. Next time I would probably stay downtown (strictly based on location). The Airport Marriott is a very nice hotel and the staff was extraordinarily attentive for a Marriott. Several of the staff remembered our names and our kids names three or four days after the last time we saw them and they even had little goodies in a treasure chest for the kids, which they offered every time they saw them. If we asked direction to somewhere or information about something we were routinely asked how it went later that day or the folowing day. We had a minor issue where our credit card was accidentally billed twice for something on Thanksgiving Day (US) and the front desk manager personally called our credit card company multiple times over several hours until she got ahold of someone in the US to get the problem reversed, then called me to let me know she had taken care of it. Overall, the people were much more professional and diligent than one usually finds at US hotels.

The restaurant was typically over priced but the food was good and the waitress there was as attentive as the front desk staff. (She remembered from one day to the next what our daughter's food preferences were!) Only negative thing I can say about the hotel (and this is minor) is that no one seemed to be able to tell me where the nearest subway station was.

That leads me into transportation. We ended up taking balckjack-21's advice and driving to the Islington Subway station. BOY AM I GLAD I DID! I was surprised that Toronto freeway traffic rivals LA traffic and saw what other relatives who were visiting endured when parking downtwon. The subway was clean and efficient (I don't think we ever waited longer than 3 minutes for a train). The only drawback was that it snowed several days we were there, which made walking around downtown a chilly experience.

Nevertheless, we did do some shopping on Bloor St., ate lunch in Chinatown, went to Casa Loma and the Royal Ontario Museum. All via subway/walking. We did more touristy things than I normally like to do, but the chilly weather (mostly wind chill) made being outside less fun. IMHO Casa Loma is highly overrated but we did enjoy Bloor and the Royal Ontario and lunch in Chinatown was both delicious and cheap. It helped, though, that we had a native Mandarin speaker in our group and she was able to find a good place and convince the owner to prepare some dishes that were not on the menu.

The drive up to the Vaughan/Thornhill area for my wife's cousin's wedding wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, mostly because most of our travel was at non-rush hour times. We ended up not going to Niagara during this trip.

Thanks everyone, for your input and advice. Surprisingly I was actually more informed about your subway system than the locals we were visiting. It seems to me (from my limited experience with our relatives and the hotel staff) that a large percentage of the population does not utilize the subway. In any event, we had a wonderful time, in spite of, and partially because of, the snowy weather, and once again Flyertalk has turned out to be invaluable.

Hi kef,

Glad you had an enjoyable stay in TO, and sorry you had to miss NF due to the weather. More flurries predicted later today, after a "warmer" yesterday, but we're not yet into the heavier snowfall season yet.

Yes, the major highways can be just as jammed as the freeways in California during the rush hours, and bad weather makes the congestion worse at times.

Glad to have helped a bit, and hope you enjoyed TO. Next time, try for a summer (hot and muggy in July or August) or fall visit (for the fall colors), and maybe you'll be able to get to NF and the area around Niagara-On-The-Lake.

bj-21.

The restaurant was typically over priced but the food was good and the waitress there was as attentive as the front desk staff. (She remembered from one day to the next what our daughter's food preferences were!) Only negative thing I can say about the hotel (and this is minor) is that no one seemed to be able to tell me where the nearest subway station was.


I have stayed over 50 nights :( this year at the airport Marriott. The staff is very good. ^

Just an update and warning: if you plan to take the TTC from/to YYZ after noon on Saturdays and Sundays, note that service cutbacks have eliminated the Kipling Subway-YYZ runs on the 192 "ROCKET". These now appear to stop around 1p so there is no service to/from this west end Kipling subway station on weekend afternoons and evenings. Your only alternative by TTC is the 58 MALTON bus which takes about an hour to make its way from YYZ to the Lawrence West Subway station on the Spadina Line (connects with east-west Bloor/Danforth line at St. George or loops around to be come the Yonge line going north at Union Station.

Also note that the cash fare goes up to about $3 on November 1st for all TTC buses.