International Travel:Getting There by AirInternational air services are available through
Air Canada (AC). Many other international airlines offer direct services into Toronto. Charter airlines often offer an economical alternative to the scheduled airlines. Local air services are operated by a number of operators.
Main AirportsOttawa (YOW) (Macdonald-Cartier) (website:
www.ottawa-airport.ca) is 10km (6 miles) south of the city.
To/from the airport: A regular bus service
departs every 30 minutes (journey time – 45 minutes). Taxis are also available (journey time – 20 minutes).
Facilities: Bar, restaurants, cafes, duty free shops, currency exchange and ATMs.
Toronto (YYZ) (Lester B Pearson) (website:
www.gtaa.com) is 27km (17 miles) northwest of the city.
To/from the airport: A regular bus service departs every 20 to 30 minutes (journey time – 20 to 30 minutes). Taxis are also available.
Facilities: Duty-free shops, cafes, restaurants and bar.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate travel times from
Toronto (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns and tourist destinations in the surrounding area.
| Air | Road | Rail |
| Niagara Falls | - | 1.50 | 2.00 |
| Ottawa | 1.00 | 4.50 | 4.00 |
| Sudbury | 1.05 | 5.00 | 8.00 |
| Thunder Bay | 1.45 | 15.00 | - |
Getting There by WaterMain ports: The only port on James Bay with rail links to the south is
Moosonee, which is also the base for a limited local air service.
The principal ports receiving sailings from the USA are
Windsor (to Detroit/Lake St Clair);
Sarnia (to Port Huron/St Clair River);
Leamington (to Sandusky/Lake Eire);
Kingston,
Brockville,
Cornwall and
Ogdensburg (to the USA across the St Lawrence Seaway); and
Wolfe Island to New York.
Getting There by RailVIA Rail (website:
www.viarail.com) connects Toronto to western Canada. Several corridor services connect Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa with Montréal and Québec City in Québec. Links to the USA are with
Amtrak (website:
www.amtrak.com) and
VIA Rail. Services run from Toronto to New York via Niagara Falls, and to Chicago via Windsor and Sarnia.
VIA Rail also serves all the major cities of the province, concentrating in the southern region, which holds most of the population.
Ontario Northland Rail (website:
www.ontc.on.ca) runs services from Toronto to Timmins, with a connection at Porquis for Cochrane and Kapuskasing. From Cochrane, services run northeast to Moosonee and west to Hearst. For details, contact local offices.
Getting There by RoadThere are several bridges connecting Canadian and US territories, notably at Cornwall, Fort Erie, Fort Frances, Niagara Falls, Rainy River, Sarnia, Sault Ste Marie and Windsor. A tunnel also connects Windsor to Detroit. The domestic highway network is excellent around the Great Lakes, but does not extend to the north of the province. Good trunk roads run throughout.
Bus: Services linking most towns are operated by
Go-Transit,
Greyhound Canada,
Ontario Northland,
PMCL,
Trentway-Wagar Bus Lines and
Voyageur Colonial.
Car hire: International companies are represented at hotels, at Ottawa and Toronto airports, and at main railway stations. Drivers must be over 21 years old, and the wearing of seat belts is strictly enforced.
Bus,
trolleybus,
metro,
tramway services and "red rocket"
street cars are provided by the
Toronto Transit Commission (website:
www.ttc.ca). Flat fares are charged and there are free transfers. Pre-purchase tokens and multi-tickets may be obtained. Services are integrated with those of the regional
Go-Transit bus and rail system. Bus services in Ottawa, Carleton and surrounding areas are provided by
OC Transpo. A flat fare operates with a premium on express routes. There are free transfers, and pre-purchase multi-journey tickets and passes are sold. An unlimited one-day pass (cost: C$8) is available for use on all forms of transport within the Toronto Metropolitan area.
Taxis: Metered with standard fares. Drivers expect a 10-15%.
Bus: Drivers do not give change. Exact amount required.
Parking: In Ottawa, parking is prohibited on the streets Nov-Apr 0100-0700. The prohibition is not signed and is enfornced only when seven or more centimeters of snow is forecast. To be safe, park off-street overnight if you can.
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