UP Express
The UP Express train is an affordable way to get to and from Toronto Pearson Airport. It runs every 15 minutes (30 minutes during late hours). You can board the train from Terminal 1, and it will stop at Dundas West station (if you’re staying in the west end, get off here) and Union Station (if you’re staying downtown, get off here). It’s easy to get around on public transit or easy to hail a cab/ride share after you get off.
*If your flight is crazy early/late, check the train schedule first
TTC – Public Transit
Toronto is a very walkable city, but public transit is a great supplement.
The Presto Card is your key to paying for public transit in Toronto. You can purchase and load Presto Cards in any subway station, as well as most Shopper’s Drug Marts. When boarding the subway, tap your Presto Card on the green pad on the turnstile. When boarding the streetcar or bus, tap the card on one of the green pads. It’s CAD$3.25 per ride, and you get a 2-hour window of unlimited rides before you have to pay again.
There are three types of public transit in Toronto: the subway, the streetcar, and the bus. Between the three of them you can get virtually everywhere in downtown Toronto and most places in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Another note: people generally keep to themselves, but like in any big city, keep an eye out for people who might be unwell or behaving erratically. If someone is making you uncomfortable, feel free to move farther down the vehicle or get off and wait for another one.
Subway
The subway is a generally quick and reliable way to get around Toronto. The subway doesn’t provide the most comprehensive coverage of the city, but the stops downtown are situated close to streetcar and bus lines in case you need the extra connection for your trip. The yellow line 1 will take you north and south in the city and up to the northern suburbs, and the green line 2 will take you east and west through downtown and out to the east end and to Etobicoke.
Streetcars
As someone who never really experienced streetcars until he moved here, Noah enjoys riding the streetcars in Toronto. It’s not always the fastest way around since they operate in traffic with other vehicles, but it’s easy to just pop on and off of them as you move through the city. Each streetcar stop has a pole with a sign that has a phone number you can text to get the most up-to-date schedule for your stop. Keep in mind the tracks are in the street, so when the streetcar stops to let on passengers make sure to check that no cars are driving through the lane between you and the streetcar.
Note: Torontonians do usually keep to themselves when navigating the city, but a car blowing through the boarding path of a stopped streetcar will immediately unite everyone in the vicinity in cursing the driver, their family, their ancestors, and anything else they can think of. Don’t make this mistake if you’re driving!
Buses
Buses fill the transit gaps left by the subway and streetcar networks. Don’t always trust the departure times Google Maps gives you for the bus however — if you happen to miss one, buses also have the sign with the number to text for your bus’s schedule.
Driving in Toronto
As with any big city, driving in downtown can be a little chaotic. Toronto has its own brand of chaos, however, that you should be aware of.
This includes what we call the “Toronto U-turn,” which is where people initiate a u-turn in the middle of the street, in full traffic, with no warning. If someone does this in front of you, just honk at them and move on.
Another feature is the unspoken rule that you can just turn your hazards on and park pretty much anywhere on the side of the street, including bike lanes. Toronto Police generally don’t enforce traffic laws for these instances unless it’s particularly egregious. Definitely be aware of people randomly pulling off to do this or re-entering traffic.
Be sure to respect cyclists. As noted above, while there are bike lanes on many streets in Toronto, cars will frequently disregard them entirely. Keep an eye out for cyclists reacting to drivers doing unpredictable stuff. Also note that cyclists have the right-of-way when you’re turning right through a crosswalk. Be sure and check your side mirrors before completing your turn.
Highway driving in Toronto can be very fast. Your best bet is to pay attention, drive defensively, and try not to let whatever the hell that guy over there is doing get to you.
Overall, just be aware of your surroundings and don’t let other people’s confusing driving practices fill your heart with rage.
Bikes
We haven’t exactly figured out how to share the road, the infrastructure is lacking, and there are more and more people on electric bikes cruising through the city. So look out for cyclists. If someone if biking on the sidewalk though, feel free to yell at them because that’s not cool!
We’ve got Bike Share like many big cities and it’s such a fun way to get around. But regardless of where you are, we don’t recommend using it liberally if the last time you biked was years ago. If you’re a seasoned urban cyclists, by all means, go ahead! Just watch out for the street car tracks to make sure you don’t get trapped below.
Raccoons & other wildlife
We do get a different variety of wildlife than many other cities (i.e., foxes in London, pigeons in NYC). It’s true that Toronto is the raccoon capital of the world, and we’ve gotten so used to these fellas that we forget they’re strange to visitors. The residential streets are also often frequented by skunk friends at night.
What’s true 95% of the time: If you stay away, they’ll leave you alone.
If a raccoon is getting close to humans, especially during the daytime, it likely has something called distemper. Stay away and call 311 and they’ll come take these guys to a shelter.
Tipping in Toronto
It’s standard practice to tip 18%, unless the service was flawed.
LCBO
If you would like to buy some alcohol, in Ontario, the only liquor store is the LCBO (they sell all kinds of alcohol, not just spirits). You can also buy beer at The Beer Store, wine at Wine Rack (DO NOT GO THERE, the wine there sucks), and there are some more specialty wine or spirit shops.
Shoppers Drug Mart
If you need to grab any essentials or medication, go here. Shoppers Drug Mart (or “Shoppers” for short) is ubiquitous in Toronto.
Medical Emergencies
If you want to be better safe than sorry, check your international insurance coverage from your employer or credit card. Hospitals are very accessible and there are also many walk-in clinics around the city.