Maybe someone could help me out with the logistics of this. Is there public transportation that goes from Brampton into the city centre of Toronto on a Saturday? Where is the station in Brampton, is it safe to leave the car there?

I'm trying to figure this out, it seems like it would be preferable to driving into the city (will help to avoid fights about driving, directions, parking etc. with my husband and me <--- who tends to stress).

Is there a website with this info, timetables etc? Will we be able to get back to Brampton in the evening?

Is this even possible? Advisable?

Thank you!!!!!!!

Check here for GO trains and buses:http://www.gotransit.com/

When you look at timetables, I think the line you want is to Georgetown.

IT passes through BRampton, and there are stops in, at least, Bramalea, wich is south east of downtown Brampton, and downtown Brampton, just off of Main Street, a few blocks north of Queen, near the Rose theatre.

As for car safety -- we certainly do not worry about leving our car at the Oakville station, and I can't imagine any need to worry about Brampton.

Wisdom of taking the train? We take the train from OAkville, which is about the same distance, when there's only one traveller. Round trip is $12. If there's two of us, it's generally about the same total expenditure to park downtown and buy enough gas for the round trip, so comfort of the car, and convenience regarding departure times, takes precedence over whatever benefits there are to tain travel.

Two of us will take the train if we're going somewhere near the train station in Toronto, so we don't have cab fares or subway fares in Toronto, and when we think that traffic out of Toronto will be awful. i.e. train to a baseball game, (the stadium is near the station) but drive to a meeting in the Yorkville area.

The train is comfortable, there are almost always seats except in weekday rush hour, each train car has a washroom, conductor calls out the stops in advance so you won't miss your station, scenery is fairly interesting.

GO Trains started to Brampton and on to Georgetown around 1971-72, and I was involved in the first train trip.

BAK

Thank you BAK, that is all very good detailed information.

Is there a pass that would include in the fee, the round trip train, and also unlimited subway use downtown?

Where is the station stop at in downtown?

amelie, the downtown stop that you'd likely be using is Union Station. It's the main terminal for trains in Toronto.

Unfortunately, GO train and TTC fares are not harmonized. You'll need separate tickets (or daypasses) for GO plus tickets (or daypasses) for TTC. BTW, "GO" stands for "Government of Ontario"; these trains are run by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

The TTC daypass is a good deal for a couple if you plan to take more than two trips, giving unlimited travel for the day.

http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/fares.htm

Warning: There is some talk of a transit strike by the TTC union. However the union has said they would give 48hrs notice of any action.

Thanks! All very helpful.

There are four of us, so maybe it is more economical to drive in and then see if we want the day passes for the subway or if we will walk.

But, I still like the idea of not having to worry about driving into the city. How is city driving on a Saturday morning? I guess there wouldn't be a baseball game early when we'd plan to arrive.

The Georgetown GO line doesn't operate on weekends, if I'm not mistaken; the Lakeshore and Milton trains run about once an hour.

On a weekend, driving downtown would be fine but parking downtown is still problematic.

Instead I recommend you drive to the Kipling subway station, park (free on weekends), buy your daypass, and take TTC downtown - about 45 minutes including your transfer at St. George or Yonge. This would be the least hassle and cheapest to boot.

Thanks,
How far is Kipling Station from Brampton?

Are you sure GO doesn't travel that line on Saturdays? I put in a Saturday at the Brampton Mall stop (something like this) and it gave me some times.

But what you said sounds more economical.

Depending what area from Brampton you are travelling allow at least 30 to 45 minutes from Brampton to Kipling Station. If I am reading the GO schedule correctly the GO Train operates Monday to Friday only but there is a GO Bus service on Saturdays from Brampton to Union Station.

About weekends.

I just keyed in the GO schedule, and it runs buses, not trains, ont he weekends.

Since there are four of you, I would not think twice about driving.

Depending on where you come from, it may or may not be a long drive; on Saturday morning I'd allow about 45 minutes from downtown Brampton to Downtown Toronto.

KIPLING; The Kipling subway station, where there's lots of parking (don't know if it is still free) is at the corner of Dundas Street West and Kipling Avenue and Bloor Street West, (the multitude of streets is why the area is called Six Points)

EAsy enough drive from Brampton. Down Main Street, which is Highway 10, and which changes its name to Hurontario Street, to Dundas, takingyou thorugh some suburbs and part of Mississauga. Turn left at Dundas, and drive until you see signs for the Kipling suway station. (Not too far after you cross highway 427.

Or figure out how to get to Highway 427 from Brampton, get off at Dundas, and then go to Kipling.

Much more trouble than its worth unless you are scared of big cities. By the time you've drivn this far, you might as well keep going.

Care to tell us what you want to do in Toronto? There are several routes to the heart of the big city. (I used to work in downtown Brampton and I used to work in suburban Brampton, and always lived in the city and commuted.)

BAK

Is Brampton quite a large suburb? Or is it more of a city, since it has a downtown? We are staying in the Holiday Inn at the Brampton Conference Center on 30 Peel Centre Drive. (Is this downtown?)

And we definitely want to go to the Bata Shoe Museum and probably shopping at Eaton. We could make Eaton our base (my Dad parked in there before). There is another post of mine also with a tip on another place to park.

Maybe driving would be best if it's not that horribly confusing.

Ok this is where SusaninToronto suggested to park in Toronto:
"If you're downtown, one good place to park is right across from Nathan Philips Square (City Hall). It's at Bell Trinity Square, which is 483 Bay Street. I used to work in the building, which is why I know the parking there, but we always park there when we're downtown at the Eaton Centre or wherever. It's $6 for the day, so quite cheap parking."

Someone else mentioned driving to Yorkdale Shopping Center, parking for free and taking the subway from there. What about this for a stress-free option, or would driving into Toronto still be better than this?

If you are planning to go to both the Bata museum and Eaton Centre, then you'll probably need to take public transit - it is about a half-hour walk. The idea of parking at Yorkdale is a good one, since it's easy to access from the 401, free to park, and a direct subway ride downtown (no transfers required). Yorkdale is a nice mall as well.

I would definately drive to Yorkdale and get the subway from there. It's much shorter than the ride from Kipling and won't deplete your will to live.

That Holiday Inn is right next to a giant suburban shopping centre, Bramalea City Centre, in the part of Brampton known as Bramalea.

It's miles from downtown Brampton.

Scardy cats love to take the subway, part in obscure parking lots, wait inlines for tickets and trains, and go into underground tunnels over and over.

Me? With four people, just drive, and pay some attention looking at the city as you go from place to place.

The Bata Shoe Museum is on Bloor Street at St. George, and it should not be too difficult to find parking nearby.

As for Eaton Centre, the Bell building is a good idea, as is just parking underneath Toronto City Hall and walking a block.

Do you actually want to see some of Toronto, how Torontonians live and shop, etc.? If so,

From the Holiday Inn, drive south on Dixie Road to highway 401, east on 401 to 427 south, and exit at Dundas Street, heading east.

Take Dundas east to Six Points (as mentioned above) and there's a little weave to the road and keep going east but now on Bloor Street.

You'll go through the Islington area, the Kindsway (mansion size houses to the north, small, now expensive, houses to the south (I used to live there), cross a river, be in Bloor West Village -- more rapidly risinghouse prices and a lot of people ont he streets -- and keep heading east toward the giant office towers in the distance.

You'll pass htough a variety of neightborhoods, arrive in the area called The Annex (home to university professors and students and authors and reporters and movie producers, and a fw blocks later, arrive at the Bata Show Museum.

After this visit, get back in the car, and drive down St. George Street through the University of Toronto campus to Dundas Street, turn left, and pretty soon you're close to Eaton Centre and various parking lots.

Four people on and off subways, carrying parcels, trying to see the sights...more trouble than it is worth.

BAK

Really? We've all been to Toronto before, and have family that live in Brampton (maybe we can get one of them to just drive us!). We live in Cleveland, and I hate driving downtown and I know where everything is. The subway just seems less stressful to me (but I am kind of a worry wart freak).

We managed subways in NYC, and London, I see this one as being OK also.

We will consider all these options though.

I was wondering why Brampton...now I see you are staying with family. Just get one of them to drive you to Kipling (and arrange for pick-up). The subway, for the trip you want is SO easy. Or, as BAK has suggested, drive to Kipling Station yourself and park, it is no longer free but it is inexpensive...the route in from Brampton is totally doable on a Saturday. And the subway is not a scarey place for city folk who have seen Cleveland and New York City transit.

Thanks LJ.

Reporting back that we did end up driving from Brampton to the Yorkdale mall, parked there all day for FREE, and bought day passes to the subway. Couldn't have been easier and saved much stress!!! The two adults for $9 all day pass was also a steal.