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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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

Toronto’s public transportation consists of a connected network of subways, buses and streetcars that offer safe, efficient and reliable transportation. With all of those options, as well as a light rapid transit reaching to the harbour front, you can get anywhere in the city. The subway has four lines and buses and streetcars can be boarded at every major subway stop. After 1:30am the Blue Night Network services the main streets. And don’t be afraid to travel alone if you’re a woman. The Request Stop Program allows women to get off the bus anywhere between stops. Cabs are easy to find and you can take ferries to the Toronto Islands. Renting a car in the city isn’t worth it. Traffic is awful and parking expensive.

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