mtadams

I have a layover in Toronto from 3pm till 8:30 pm in two weeks (on a Sunday.) So I'm thinking that this gives me a few hours to see a little bit of the city, maybe grab a meal or see one thing. I've never been before and heard nice things about it. Could anyone make a recommendation?

Thank you very much!

BAK

Thinking as I type -- Sunday aftrnoon is, at last, better than Sunday morning.

Hmmm.. mtadams doesn't say if the departure is from the same terminal ... that might cause some luggage storage problems, or maybe the luggage is checked right through.

Assuming the best ...out on the sidewalk at the airport at 4, and must be back at the airport at 7 - 7:15 for departure if it's not international.

How about a good walk? Grab the big downtown express bus for around $15 if it leaves close to the time you get to the sidewalk, and if it isn't going to spend twenty minutes going to other terminals before heading downtown.

Otherwise, grab a limo (Lincoln Town Cars, for the most part, and very close in price to a taxi)

Get dropped off at College and Spadina, at the north end of Chinatown.

It'll be about 4:30, the sun will still be shining, and the streets will be teeming with people (Distillery District, if this trip is March or April, will be pretty much dead by now)

Walk down the street, heading west into the side streets in the Kensington Market area, and enjoy the live and the smells and buy a couple of snacks here and there as you walk.

Walk south on Spadina to Queen Street West, and turn left, east, toward the downtown office towers, and walk along Queen Street until you get to John Street. CITY TV, Starbucks, Second Cup and a convenience store there.

Turn right, south, toward the CN Tower, and look at your watch. Depending on the time, go intothe chapters book store, look around, kill some time, and have a refreshining non-alcoholic beverage in the Starbucks there.

Or, if it is getting on to time to eat...

Walk past Chapters and look into Milestones, and Friscos Brasserie across the street, and pick one. If neither appeals, keep walking south and you'll pass to fake British pubs, which may appeal, and then you'll be at John and King. Look south-west andthe entire block is full of restaurants.

Pick an open one (it's Sunday, after all) and make sure you tell the waiter what time you need to leave.

I'd pick the Kit Kat, myself, with the cow statues over the door.

After dinner, either take a cab to the royal York Hotel and take the big highway bus to the airport, or take a cab back to the airport, or call the limo company whose name is on the receipt from the earlier trip, and arrange a pickup.

Make sure you're in the car by 6:30 if you need to be at the airport by 7.

BAK

mtadams

Thanks, BAK!! Those sound like really nice ideas, especially if the weather is good. Our flight is international, so we may not have time to do all of that, but we did want to get out and see a little bit of the city, and stretch our legs before we head across the pond to Europe. I'll print out your walking itinerary and take it with us, and hopefully we can do some of it! I appreciate your post.

dina4

mtadams,

i was wondering if you ever popped into Toronto on your layover.
My daughter and I also have a 5.5 hr layover (arriving and departing from terminal 5) and would love to go into the city a bit.

BAK you gave great suggestions.

thanks!
dina

BAK

How old's the daughter? And what day is your visit?

And when's the visit?

We can probably come up with some date-specific ideas, from weekend animation classes at the National Film Board for kids to weekday adult cooking classes for grownups.

BAK

wow

Terminal 5?

Apres_Londee

I don't know, I would be very nervous about coming into town during a 5 hour layover. Unfortunately there is no direct rail link between Pearson and downtown, so one is left to the mercies of the 401. I definately wouldn't want to do it on a weekday. Saturday or Sunday would have less traffic, but an accident, construction, or wet weather could still cause a delay.

A five hour layover is really only three hours free. Then getting to and from downtown, on a good day with no traffic hold-ups, whittles that down to two. Only two hours downtown, and that is the best case scenario. Barely enough time to eat.

If we had a rail system, I would say do it, spend two hours poking around downtown. But with things as they are, I'm not sure it's worth the risk, hassel, or cost of comng into town (cab/limo is approx. $45 each way- money better spent in Europe, IMO)

dina4

Oh, wow -- thanks SO much for all the responses...

Here's more specific info:

My daughter is 15.

We will be coming into terminal 1 and leaving from terminal 1 on Tues, 6/17
(an Air Canada flight from L.A. to Rome)
Landing at 2:40 and departing at 8:25.
(sounds like rush hour to me!)

It'll be about noon L.A. time, so we'll be ready for a nice lunch!

(not sure if we'll have to go through customs in Canada or they'll just transfer our luggage from plane to plane?? -- does anyone know??)

Not sure if it's all worth it or too risky. I'm a bit of nervous traveler.

What's the airport like in Toronto -- are there nice places to eat and shops?

Thanks again,
dina

wow

Hi, Dina: There are lots of shops & restaurants in the Toronto airport.
Given your flight departure time, you wld be trying to get back to the airport during rush hour. I wld forget going into Toronto. But that is just me.

If I were you, I wld take the airport monorail from T1 over to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel located @ T3 & have a very nice lunch or early dinner. You may even be able to get a "stopover rate"/"day rate" or something like that @ The Sheraton that wld allow you & your daughter to use the fitness facilities & the pool. Poke around the airport, head over to The Sheraton Gateway & then back to T1 for your flight. I wld get there about 6:30 but I like to be there 2 hours b/f the flight.

I do not know about your luggage question. When I fly from a US destination to a Canadian destination where I connect in Toronto, Air Canada unloads my luggage. I retrieve my luggage & then have to go & checkin again for my connecting flight to my final Canadian destination. Don't know what they do LA/To/Rome. In your case, you are entering Canada from the US & then leaving so I do not know what they do. I wld think that you wld have to clear Canadian Customs the same way that I do when I come in from the US but I don't know. Maybe not.

dina4

wow, i think you're right. It just sounds like I might just be too nervous to actually enjoy toronto.

i do LOVE your idea of going over to the Sheraton, though. I'll ask about a day rate.

Do they have a nice place to eat there?

thanks,
dina

wow

Yes they do. I often stay there the night b/f when I have an early morning flight out of Toronto. The food is very good.

Apres_Londee

Terminal 1 is all shiney and new, having opened only about a year ago. It has lots of stores and different places to eat. If you google Pearson Airport, I'm sure the website will have a list of restaurants and other services available.

BAK

My math gives you from 3:30 to 6:30 to be out of the Terminal One building.

Even I, who is generally in favor of doing things rather than backing off, thinks this is not enough time to get downtown and back, and do anything interesting / useful downtown.

So let me think about things to do in that three hours, off the airport property but reasonabley close.

I'll be back.

BAK

LJ

Dina: I am going to cast a vote for actually leaving the airport (Once you've seen your luggage safely transferred).

IMHO, traveling with a 15-year-old means the threat of boredom (on her part) is much more menacing to your happiness than if, for example, you were traveling with your spouse or best pal who is happy to lounge around sharing a drink and chat.

You might want to consider a quick taxi ride over to Sherway Gardens. Just a shopping mall, it is true, but if you Californian/Americans, perhaps just seeing the difference in the retail environment would be of interest? Holt Renfrew, Roots, The Bay may all be new and there are loads of places to eat,you would pass Canadian suburbs en route and get a bit of exercise between two long flights.

Buon viaggio in any case

dina4

BAK, thanks.

Apres,
Nice to know we'll be in a brand new terminal.

LJ -- how far is the mall?

My daughter is a pretty good travel companion. I don't think she would get too grumpy at the airport, actually. She would be happy with a book or at least a few PEOPLE and US Weekly magazines! And we could browse in the stores at the airport.

LJ

Sherway wouldn't be more than a 10 minute cab ride (I am guessing perhaps $15.00?), but if your daughter is happy with a book then you will do fine-the Terminal is quite nicely decorated and has lots of good snack/restaurants,a decent book store with an excelllent variety of magazine, a good chocolatier, a LUSH store (high end soaps) and some other browsing destinations.

dina4

Thanks again.
You are all so great !

CanadaKate

dina4,

If you and your daughter want to squeeze in a movie, you could head to the Rainbow Cinema at Woodbine Mall, probably less than a 15 minute cab ride from the airport:

http://www.tribute.ca/theatre/Rainbo...entre/RAINBOWW

Canada Kate

dina4

ok, so i'm bringing up this old post again... just found out my flight is now a 6.5 hour delay!!

we land at 2:07 and take off at 8:30! (a thursday afternoon)

not sure we'll be into going to a mall or movie.
am now thinking maybe to pop into Toronto?

Is the traffic really bad?? ( I live in L.A.!)

thanks,
dina

BAK

With limos, etc., it would cost you $150 or so to go downtown, visit harbourfront, go to the top of the CN Tower, and get back to the airport.

Which only you can say is good value or more than the budget allows.

But it would be fin.

It's been a while since I dorve in LA, but my feeling is that the two cities have similar conditions, but LA may have longer distances.

BAK