I'm coming in from Detroit for one day on the 401. I'm thinking of parking at a Go Train lot and taking the train into the city. What would be the best park and ride. Is this a stupid thought?

I figure it would save me expensive parking and mean not having to deal with fighting traffic on outbound rush hour.

If your schedule permits MILTON is the best place and keep you off the 401 parking lot the longest.

http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/...x?station=MNGO

The Lakeshore trains run frequently in both directions all day. Leave 401 at Woodstock and use 403 to QEW and use one of the lots at the various stations in Burlington or Oakville. Aldershot (Burlington) is convenient and one example
http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/...x?station=ALGO

Many of the GoTrains turn around at Oakville, and not all go all the way to Aldershot, possibly buses at other times, so it depends on your schedule whether or not you can use those further out of TO. Milton line trains are only during rush hours, but GO bus service also supplants at other times.

Your idea of parking at a GO station and saving on the high downtown TO parking fees is a good one, but be aware that at rush hours in the mornings, many of the lots fill up very quickly and you may have to really search for a parking space. Later on the day, when people are starting to head home, it may be much easier to find parking.

You might want to have a look at the GOTrain website for each station's parking information and schedules.

bj-21.

Only a few rush-hour trains turn at Oakville. The majority now run to/from Aldershot offering what is essentially an every half-hour service throughout the day.

http://www.gotransit.com/timetables/...814/Table1.pdf

As the OP said he is coming from Detroit and Aldershot is very easy to reach by merging onto the 403 near Woodstock and exiting at Waterdown Road......GO Aldershot is right there.......straight ahead.

https://goo.gl/maps/RhrXA

But as Blackjack-21 said......parking can fill-up fast early in the day.

Whenever I have business in downtown Toronto, I will take the GO Train in from Aldershot station, the traffic chaos in Toronto is not worth it anymore. They recently (about a year or so ago) opened a parking lot on the south side of Aldershot station, and I have never had any trouble finding a parking spot there, even in the middle of the day! It is also convenient because most of the trains during the day travel on the track closest to the south parking lot, so that you don't have to take the stairs/tunnel to get to the appropriate track. There is a self service kiosk on the south side where you can buy a day pass. Trains to/from Toronto every half hour through out the entire day! Very convenient!

Ooops, I let my secret to abundant parking at Aldershot out! Darn! OK, don't go on the days I head into the city!!

To get to the south parking lot at Aldershot GO Station, take Waterdown Road south across the tracks (hang a right at the end of the ramp from the 403), and head east on Masonry Court, all the way to the end of the street. Parking lot will be straight ahead on the left. You can't miss it!

If I'm running late, I'll sometimes drive onward to Appleby GO station. The parking lot on the North side of the tracks always has parking available, especially with the new lot they recently opened up on the east end of the station (which isn't even shown on Google maps yet!!).

It depends when you are planning on coming in and hour of the City.

I echo the recommendations to take the Lakeshore West line which has regular service and runs no less than every 30 minutes and as frequently as every 10 minutes.

If you're going to be catching the train before 8:00am then pick Aldershot or Burlington GO Stations.

If you're catching the train a bit later then drive to Oakville GO Station and use the parking garage. The traffic chaos around Burloak Road will likely have dispersed by then and it will be a faster ride on the "milk run" which stops at all stations.

In either event you'll be able to skip the cluster**** they've created on the Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore (look to the right out the window as you come into the city and you'll see the mess you're skipping).

Even during the day, I find the traffic on the QEW through Burlington and Oakville to be very unpredictable in both directions, hence why I usually catch the train from Aldershot even in the middle of the day. And if the OP is leaving the city during afternoon rush hour, the further west the train station you originated from, the less traffic you need to fight getting home.