Downtown Toronto to Canada's Wonderland by public transport?
Oct 1st, 2009, 04:04 AM
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Downtown Toronto to Canada's Wonderland by public transport?
Hi,
We're visiting Toronto in a couple of weeks (from the UK) and are planning a trip to Canada's Wonderland. We've staying at the Westin Harbour Castle and I'm wondering how easy / how long it will take to get there by public transport or whether we should hire a car for the day? I think you can get a bus from Yonge station.....
Can anyone help please?
Also any restaurant recommendation near the hotel would be appreciated.
Thanks
We're visiting Toronto in a couple of weeks (from the UK) and are planning a trip to Canada's Wonderland. We've staying at the Westin Harbour Castle and I'm wondering how easy / how long it will take to get there by public transport or whether we should hire a car for the day? I think you can get a bus from Yonge station.....
Can anyone help please?
Also any restaurant recommendation near the hotel would be appreciated.
Thanks
Oct 1st, 2009, 04:42 AM
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Wonderland is only open weekends in October for a Hallowe'en-type event.
Here's the TTC link for the bus (which you likely saw): http://bing.search.sympatico.ca/?q=T...&setLang=en-CA. It seems to take just under an hour from York Mills station the Yonge line but it says it's a summer service so likely not running this month.
From the Harbour Castle, you could walk to the subway (a few blocks) to Union Station on the Yonge line, take the subway north to York Mills - 25 or so minutes and then the bus trip to Wonderland is it's open.
GO buses take half an hour: http://bing.search.sympatico.ca/?q=T...&setLang=en-CA
Here's the TTC link for the bus (which you likely saw): http://bing.search.sympatico.ca/?q=T...&setLang=en-CA. It seems to take just under an hour from York Mills station the Yonge line but it says it's a summer service so likely not running this month.
From the Harbour Castle, you could walk to the subway (a few blocks) to Union Station on the Yonge line, take the subway north to York Mills - 25 or so minutes and then the bus trip to Wonderland is it's open.
GO buses take half an hour: http://bing.search.sympatico.ca/?q=T...&setLang=en-CA
Oct 2nd, 2009, 05:32 AM
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Wonderland is mostly outdoors, and October is cool and windy and maybe rainy, just so you are warned.
Try a Google search for GO Transit to Wonderland and if that does not work, try GO Transit and then look for TAble 60.
On Saturadys and Sundays in October there is frequent service from the York Mills Subway Station and from the Yorkdale Subay station.
You get to York Mills or Yorkdale by TTC -- Toronto Transit Commission subway, and then you change carriers to GO TRansit, with has big green buses that take you to Canada's Wonderland.
Easier to get a seat on the bus if you get on at York Mills.
Across from the hotel, very slightly west, there's a TTC stop underground, where you can catch a streetcar to Union Station, which is where the real subway is.
Once in the real subway station, you'll be at the bottom of a U-shaped route, and you want to look for signs saying Yonge, (not University) Get on the train going up the Yonge route and perhaps 20 minutes later you'll be at York Mills.
RESTAURANTS< ETC... The hotel is right on the shore of Lake Ontario, a short walk from the Air Canada Centre -- hockey, basketball, concerts -- and there are some good restaurants nearby.
Ten minutes walk west along the side of the lake, or Queen's Quay, which is the street in front fo the hotel, gets you to Harbourfront, where there are more reasonably good restaurants.
If you walk north from the hotel along Bay street or Yonge Street, once you walk under some railway tracks and highways, you'll be in the heart of the business district -- lots of good restaurants during the day, a fair number open weeknights, fewer open weekends, but you are stil only ten-fifteen minutes by foot from dozens of other good to excellent restauanrts a few blocks east and a few blocks west.
Have no fear of starving.
Tell us what kind of food you are looking for, and budget, and we'll be more specific.
BAK
Try a Google search for GO Transit to Wonderland and if that does not work, try GO Transit and then look for TAble 60.
On Saturadys and Sundays in October there is frequent service from the York Mills Subway Station and from the Yorkdale Subay station.
You get to York Mills or Yorkdale by TTC -- Toronto Transit Commission subway, and then you change carriers to GO TRansit, with has big green buses that take you to Canada's Wonderland.
Easier to get a seat on the bus if you get on at York Mills.
Across from the hotel, very slightly west, there's a TTC stop underground, where you can catch a streetcar to Union Station, which is where the real subway is.
Once in the real subway station, you'll be at the bottom of a U-shaped route, and you want to look for signs saying Yonge, (not University) Get on the train going up the Yonge route and perhaps 20 minutes later you'll be at York Mills.
RESTAURANTS< ETC... The hotel is right on the shore of Lake Ontario, a short walk from the Air Canada Centre -- hockey, basketball, concerts -- and there are some good restaurants nearby.
Ten minutes walk west along the side of the lake, or Queen's Quay, which is the street in front fo the hotel, gets you to Harbourfront, where there are more reasonably good restaurants.
If you walk north from the hotel along Bay street or Yonge Street, once you walk under some railway tracks and highways, you'll be in the heart of the business district -- lots of good restaurants during the day, a fair number open weeknights, fewer open weekends, but you are stil only ten-fifteen minutes by foot from dozens of other good to excellent restauanrts a few blocks east and a few blocks west.
Have no fear of starving.
Tell us what kind of food you are looking for, and budget, and we'll be more specific.
BAK
Oct 2nd, 2009, 07:32 AM
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Not for us to say "don't go to Wonderland" but I think you wll have guessed, you must have very compelling reasons (kids?) to be there in October!
So assuming you are traveling with children, let us know ages, so we can help with restaurants in the area that will appeal to them, too.
So assuming you are traveling with children, let us know ages, so we can help with restaurants in the area that will appeal to them, too.
Oct 6th, 2009, 09:55 AM
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Sorry been so busy haven't had chance to check back before now.
Thanks for your recommendations - I agree probably not the best time of year to be planning a trip to Wonderland, so we'll see what the weather is like on the weekend that we're there. No kids - just rollercoaster fanatics!
We're happy with any type of food really and don't mind splashing out on something that will be worth remembering!
We booked the hotel through priceline, so didn't know what area we were getting - and wasn't sure whether the Westin was further away from the decent restaurants or not - but sounds like I needn't have worried!
Thanks for your recommendations - I agree probably not the best time of year to be planning a trip to Wonderland, so we'll see what the weather is like on the weekend that we're there. No kids - just rollercoaster fanatics!
We're happy with any type of food really and don't mind splashing out on something that will be worth remembering!
We booked the hotel through priceline, so didn't know what area we were getting - and wasn't sure whether the Westin was further away from the decent restaurants or not - but sounds like I needn't have worried!
Oct 6th, 2009, 12:02 PM
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You are in a great area for dining out and you will have just about every choice imaginable. It is very hard to help you without a better idea of what you are looking for. But I will suggest that you check out some of the zillion online resources for dining in TO. My fave is Chowhound.com, but for real reviews from accredited food critics, try Toronto Life or Joanne Kates.
And let me put in a plug for the restaurant that has been so good to the Fodor's folks at our get-togethers for 3 years in a row now: The Hot House Cafe is not far from you (certainly walkable in good weather) and the food is varied, dependable service and it has a fun atmosphere. Sort of contemporary casual fusion. You can get really good crab cakes or fresh pasta with homemade sauces and the desserts are nice. Dinner would be $80-$100 for 2 with wine and tip.
And let me put in a plug for the restaurant that has been so good to the Fodor's folks at our get-togethers for 3 years in a row now: The Hot House Cafe is not far from you (certainly walkable in good weather) and the food is varied, dependable service and it has a fun atmosphere. Sort of contemporary casual fusion. You can get really good crab cakes or fresh pasta with homemade sauces and the desserts are nice. Dinner would be $80-$100 for 2 with wine and tip.
