Toronto Questions - Driving from Niagara / Parking
 

Hi,
We are off to Niagara / Toronto next weekend (very excited). Could someone give me good directions from Niagara Falls to downtown? We are staying at the Royal York. I could see what mapquest says and then ask you all if that is correct.

Also, parking at the Royal York is expensive. I think $30 (don't have access to that email at the moment). Is there somewhere near the hotel that we could park at all weekend (we won't be using the car) cheaper, or should I just suck it up and pay it?

Thanks!

You may want to consider taking the GO Train from Niagara Falls to Toronto next weekend. The Royal York is across the street from the train station.
www.gotransit.com

If the train works that certainly would be easy. If driving, exit the Gardiner at York (northbound) go under the train tracks and turn right when you emerge into daylight at Front St. The Royal York is right there on the north side of Front. The main entrance is at the east end of the building nearer to Royal Bank Plaza (gold windows). I have no experience with parking in that part of town as I am a GO Trainer. It seems to me that there ought to be a lot of surplus parking under the office towers available on weekends when the offices are closed but I don't know details.

Is the GO Train new this year? for some reason I thought it only ran on weekends, or that it ended already, but I think after looking at the website that I am wrong. So we would leave our car at the casino. hmm. I need to think about this and look up the price of the train.

The GO train is still running, at lest part of the week or weekend.

Worth checking the GO Transist web site, unless having a car actually is useful, and there are several people travelling, and they want to see anything between a train station and another train station.

DRIVING: From Niagara Falls or Niagara on the Lake, look for signs to QEW / Queen Elizabeth WAy.

4-6 lane highway.

Follow this over two big bridges and when you get to Burlington stay on the QEW as it turns toward toronto, and just keep going.

As you get near a giant Ford factory in Oakville note the signage saying there are two ways to Toronto.

Keep in the left lanes, still following the QEW signs.

Keep going for another twenty minutes or so, until you see giant downtown Toronto just in front of you.

Pass the Spadina exit and look for the Bay - York exit. Take this, and stay on York Street as you curve off the (now elevated) highway.

Go up York Street, keeping inthe right lane, under a giant overpass and up a little hill.

Royal York will be right in front of you, on the right.

Turn right,. drive past the hotel, turn right through a gap in the flower beds and into the Royal York entranceway.

PARKING -- on the weekend the office buildings nearby offer slightly cheaper parking, but it really is easier to just park at the hotel.

BAK

From NF Canada, the train info is viarail.ca... they started a daily run to Toronto this spring...

From NF NY.. the train info is amtrak.com...

Parking is cheaper than train tickets, so you won't save anything unless you are there more than 2 nights... plus you will have to meet the train schedule... think it over...

We are only in Toronto for two nights. Driving may be easiest. I need to look over these sights though.

Thank you so much for the detailed directions BAK.

garyt, GO transit also has train service in addition to Via from Nigara Falls, Canada to Toronto (& return) but only on weekends & only seasonal.

BAK's directions are excellent but with one error. The hotel is on the north side of Front which is the left side of the street after a right turn from York Therefore you will turn LEFT off Front to reach the hotel. Search the Internet for photos of the hotel so you know what you are looking for.

Gavin, I think BAK means that the Royal York is on the right side of York street( i.e. East side of York) while you mean it is on the left side of Front Street (i.e., North side of Front St).
There is an entrance to the Royal York on York St. even though the address for The Royal York is Front Street!
Anyway, as you emerge from the tunnel on York Street you can't miss The Royal York . Just cross Front St & it's there on your right...Northeast corner of Front & York. However, when you exit the Gardiner Highway @ York/Bay/Yonge, if you go up Bay Street instead of York, then you will turn left ( west) on Front Street. The Royal York will be on your right on Front Street. Then when you get to York you will turn right.

GO's train/bus service to Niagara may have started out as seasonal, but it's not now. The schedule effective Sept 5 on the GO site shows several trains on wk-ends and throughout the wk. A one-way fare is very reasonable - less than $16CAD, although I tend to think this may be an introductory fare.

OceanBreeze1 I think you are right that BAK is sending amelie to the York St. entrance. I just phoned the hotel and was told that people arriving by car should go to the east entrance by Royal Bank Plaza not York St. Your idea of going to Bay St. and turning left on front is good because the hotel will be an easy right turn off front.

Here is a link to a parking alternative. It will take a phone call to find out the cost.
http://www.brookfieldplacenewsandeve.../locate_us.asp

Thanks for phoning Gavin, that was really nice of you.

I think we will just drive, since I did have my heart set on Ikea on the way back.

amelie... there's TWO Ikeas between Niagara and TO... lunch at one and dinner at the second!

Found the email from the Royal York:

"Valet Parking: $40 per night including taxes and in & out privileges
You can access the valet parking area on Front St.
Please note that oversized vehicles such as Hummers and Expeditions can be accommodated at the same rate.

Self Parking is available at 79 Wellington Street. The Parking facility is owned by Cadillac Fairview.
Rates fluctuate on a regular basis. There are NO in and out privileges
The Self-Parking cannot be charged to the room but must be paid directly at the parkade."

$40, worse than I thought. That is steep. Is this suggested parking place easy to find and close by? Off to check google maps.....

Yes, it's right there.
I just thought of another option for you. You cld drive from NF to the GO station in Burlington or Oakville. Park your car there for a couple of nights...or nearby. It wld be less than $40. Then take the GO train from Burlington or Oakville to Union Station which is right across the street from The Royal York. Enjoy your weekend in TO. Then take the GO train back to Oakville or Burlington & pick up your car. That way, you would avoid TO parking rates & still have your car for your Ikea trip.

Thanks OceanBreeze. I think we will just go with the one on Wellington Street.

Well, have a great time in TO next weekend. How about a trip report when you return?

Re.Go up York Street, keeping inthe right lane, under a giant overpass and up a little hill.

Royal York will be right in front of you, on the right.<

I was there yesterday. It had not moved since I wrote the above words.

BAK