Jessica

I'm going to be visiting Toronto and need to know if it is absolutely necessary to rent a car for sightseeing on my own or is the subway system a good way to get around town? What is the best way to sightsee (on my own).

Mike

I've been to Toronto by myself a number of times and everything I've wanted to see/do was accessible by streetcar or subway. Toronto may be one of the easiest cities to find your away around in that I've ever seen, especially in the downtown area. I wouldn't rent a car.<BR><BR>Also, a few times I was out late or didn't want to do mass transit, I found cabs were easy to find and quite reasonable (at least in US$).

Bonnie

Are you going to be staying downtown? That makes a difference in getting around. I always like to take the hop-on, hop off bus tours in cities I visit when I can because you pay one price either for one day or several and can visit the high points of the city either from the vantage point of the tour bus or trolley or you can get off, spend some time,get back on or walk to the next place if you like. You have the most flexibilty. Again, if it's the downtown attractions that you want, then you definitely don't need a car. Subway, taxis, or walking would do it. I'm including Yorkville/Bloor as downtown, by the way, and Harbourfront at the lake, as well. Once you want to go to the Beaches you can take the bus. <BR>Check toronto.com for info as well.

JX

<BR>Oh heavens, no. You don't have to rent a car. I'm not sure where you're planning to visit in Toronto but you can get to most any place by public transit, it's one of the safest, cleanest, and easiest to navigate that I know of; there are terrific maps available from the TTC (pick up at any subway station). I grew up across the street from a subway in Toronto and never learned how to drive. Many urbanites do not have cars because parking can be very difficult or expensive downtown.<BR><BR>Cabs are also plentiful, and very reasonable especially if you're travelling with a friend or two, although I know you said you'll be travelling on your own, I still think cabs are quite inexpensive if you're going short distances. If you're staying downtown you'll have easy access to transit and cabs, and if the weather's nice you'll probably enjoy walking around the city during the day. Have a great time!

Brian Kilgore

You might want to rent a car for one day, or even two, if you want to go to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake (both in a day) or the McMichael Art Gallery in Kleinberg (if you really care about Candian art) or the Toronto Zoo.<BR><BR>But otherwise, as long as you stay in a downtown hotel, you'll just need some Toronto Transit ticketrs (bus, subway and streetcar) and a comfortable pair of shoes, and maybe some cab fare.<BR><BR>Bonnie's pretty much defined two downtown edges: Bloor Steet across the top, the lake at the bottom, and I'll add Jarvis on the east and Spadina on the west.<BR><BR>I keep seeing double-decker tour buses with open top decks. That's what I'd want to ride in, but there are several other tour companies. There are also several sets of signs for self-guided walking tours. Hotel rooms seem to have good maps (lots of tourists use them) included in the "Where" magazines found in most rooms.<BR><BR>A bit of planning helps: try to stay in one corner of the interesting parts of the city each day instead of going from edge to edge several times.<BR><BR>BAK

Brian Kilgore

You might want to rent a car for one day, or even two, if you want to go to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake (both in a day) or the McMichael Art Gallery in Kleinberg (if you really care about Candian art) or the Toronto Zoo.<BR><BR>But otherwise, as long as you stay in a downtown hotel, you'll just need some Toronto Transit ticketrs (bus, subway and streetcar) and a comfortable pair of shoes, and maybe some cab fare.<BR><BR>Bonnie's pretty much defined two downtown edges: Bloor Steet across the top, the lake at the bottom, and I'll add Jarvis on the east and Spadina on the west.<BR><BR>I keep seeing double-decker tour buses with open top decks. That's what I'd want to ride in, but there are several other tour companies. There are also several sets of signs for self-guided walking tours. Hotel rooms seem to have good maps (lots of tourists use them) included in the "Where" magazines found in most rooms.<BR><BR>A bit of planning helps: try to stay in one corner of the interesting parts of the city each day instead of going from edge to edge several times. For instance the real big museum (the Royal Ontario Museum), the Bata Shoe Museum and the Gardiner Ceramic Museum are close together. Plus there are lots of commercial art galleries nearby.<BR><BR>Then, several miles away, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Thomson Art Museum (in the Bay department store at Queen and Yonge)and the Textile Museum are close together, along with the Jane Corkin Gallery, a commercial gallery with some of the best photography shows in the world.<BR><BR>BAK<BR><BR>BAK

al

I echo other posters' comments. The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission)offers an all day pass for $7.50/day which allows unlimited use of subways, buses and streetcars in the city. It is good Mon-Fri after 9:30am and all day Sat or Sun. Sunday is a bargain as 2 adults and 4 children can use one pass.

xxx

TTC is definately more economical than the "hop on, hop off" tour buses. <BR><BR>The Hop On/Off tour bus is $31 per person for a two day ticket.