Toronto Flights and Travel Guide

Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto is the largest city in the country - a cosmopolitan conglomeration of cultures. In this city, you can walk - and eat - your way around the world. The Irish, Greek, Indian, Chinese, Brazilian, Portuguese and Polish communities, to name just a few of the 100 or so groups who call Toronto home, give the city a profusion of senses. For travellers arriving on cheap flights to Toronto, it's a city of sights, smells and flavours.

Toronto is thriving. The Distillery District is a relatively "new" neighbourhood, the old red-brick buildings and warehouses are now galleries, artist studios, boutiques, cafes and brasseries. The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on Queen West is a glittering space with world-class acoustics. Near Chinatown, the Art Gallery of Ontario has been transformed by Frank Gehry. In Yorkeville, the Royal Ontario Museum has been spruced up with a new wing by Daniel Libeskind. The Gardiner Museum stands across from the museum; it's Canada's only ceramics museum.

When the city gets too busy, Dundas Square or the Beaches offer a respite. A ten-minute ferry journey from the Harbourfront will deliver you to the Toronto Islands.

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Toronto Climate

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When to Fly to Toronto

Peak Season:
June to August is when most visitors arrive on cheap flights to Toronto. The weather is at its best and events are in full swing. These include the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana) Festival, Canada Day celebrations, Toronto Jazz Festival and the Beaches International Jazz Festival.

Shoulder Season:
February to May and September to mid-November are good times to visit. The summer crowds have thinned and the weather is still good. This is when the Toronto International Film Festival takes place and when leaf peepers arrive for the glorious fall foliage. The start of February is when the WinterCity Festival takes place. Three festivals in one, WinterCity consists of the WOW! Series at Nathan Phillips Square, the Warm Up Series at Toronto's cultural/tourist attractions, and the restaurant promotion, Winterlicious.

Off Season:
Late November to January is, in general, off season.

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Getting Downtown Toronto

There are five rental-car agencies based at Toronto Pearson International Airport, offering 24-hour support for travellers who arrive on cheap flights to Toronto. Licensed taxis and limousines are available. Several companies offer public transportation including Toronto Transit Commission (bus and subway service to downtown), GO Transit (bus and train service to downtown and suburbs), Mississauga Transit (bus service within Mississauga), Brampton Transit (bus service within Brampton) and Pacific Western Airport Express (airport to downtown service).

From Toronto City Centre Airport there is a passenger and vehicle ferry - TCCA 1 - that makes the round-trip journey across the 121 metre-wide Western Channel every 15 minutes during airport opening hours.

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Getting Around Toronto

The Toronto Transit Commission is Toronto’s public transportation system. There's a fast subway system, numerous buses, and street cars. You can travel the city on a single fare (about $3) transferring between subway, streetcar, and bus as long as you get a transfer when you first pay your fare. Exact fares are required on buses and streetcars. Day passes are also available and cost about $10.

For travellers who arrive on cheap flights to Toronto and plan on making side-trips, Go Transit, Ontario’s inter-regional bus and public transit system, links the city with the Greater Toronto Area (Halton, Peel, York, Durham, Hamilton and into Simcoe, Dufferin, and Wellington Counties).

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Toronto Insider Information

• Woodbine Beach is a streetcar ride away. Hop on the Queen St. E. car to The Beaches, walk through the eclectic neighbourhood and sunbathe or play volleyball or Frisbee on the sandy shore.
• On Wednesday nights (9pm-11pm) at York University’s Observatory, there are free public stargazing activities. There's also a brief astronomy lesson from the experts.
• Located in the heart of historic Cabbagetown, once the Irish neighbourhood, Riverdale Farm has forested paths and trails, friendly farm animals and vegetable gardens where you can pick your own vegetables. There's a farmers' market every Thursday between 3pm and 7pm.
• The Santa Claus Parade has been a tradition in Toronto for more than 100 years. Last year's parade had 22 floats, 22 bands, 200 clowns, more than 1,500 volunteers, and, of course, Santa Claus.
• The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) ranks among the most prestigious international film festivals in the world. Every fall, film lovers, filmmakers, industry professionals and media take cheap flights to Toronto to watch the best in new cinema from established masters and new talent. There are about 20 programmes in which films from more than 50 countries are screened.

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Toronto Airports

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