Hotels & Travel >> Travelling to Toronto

Travelling to Toronto

• Getting to T.O.:
      by Car, by Train, by Air
      UK runners—from £299 return: click here
      US runners—daily direct flights from most US cities
• Entry into Canada

Did you know that it's sooooo easy to get to T.O.?

By CAR

There are 5 million Canadians living within an hour's drive of Toronto.
Just jump in the car, hop on Highway 401, 407, the Queen Elizabeth Way, or Highway 2, and you'll be here in no time!

Note: on race morning, ONLY the Spadina off-ramp from the Gardiner Expressway will be open downtown. See all road closures in the FAQ section.

• Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge are just 1 hr 15 minutes away
• London is 2 hours.
• Buffalo is 2 hours
• Rochester is 3 hours
• Kingston is 3 hours
• Syracuse is 4 hours
• Detroit is 4 hours
• Ottawa is 4.5 hours
• Cleveland is 5 hours
• Pittsburgh is 5 hours
• Montreal is 5.5 hours
• Cincinnati, Philly and Washington, DC are 8 hours
• Boston, Chicago and NYC are 9 hours

The closest Canada-U.S. border crossings are at Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Windsor.

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By TRAIN

VIA Rail and AMTRAK connect Toronto with the rest of Canada, plus the north-east and mid-western USA. When you arrive relaxed at historic Union Station, you'll be literally steps away from the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon start & finish line—and our race hotels—in the heart of downtown.

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BY AIR

Fully 60% of the U.S. population lives less than 90 minutes away by air, so there's no excuse for not coming to run the Waterfront!

Toronto Pearson International Airport (see www.gtaa.com) is Canada's principal airport, and ranks among the top 30 world airports in terms of passenger traffic and aircraft movements. There are over 65 scheduled and charter airlines currently serving T.O. that provide non-stop service to 25 Canadian and 43 United States (trans-border) destinations and same-plane service to 42 other International cities.

Pearson is located just 27km (16 miles or 25 minutes) from downtown and is accessible by public transit and airport shuttle coaches to most downtown hotels. It's only Cdn$14.95 one-way or $25.75 return, with Toronto Airport Express coach lines... www.torontoairportexpress.com/.

An airport limo to downtown costs Cdn$35 (US$27) one way. If you call A1 AIRLINE SERVICES limo as soon as you land and get your baggage, (1-800-884-5860) they'll be there in minutes to take you door-to-door.

Flying Times to T.O.:

Atlanta, GA = 2hrs, 20 min Boston, MA = 1 hr, 30 min Buffalo, NY = 55 min Calgary, AB = 4 hrs Chicago, IL = 1 hr, 30 min Cleveland, OH = 1 hr, 10 min Detroit, MI = 40 min Frankfurt, Germany = 7 hrs, 25 min Halifax, NS = 2 hrs Hong Kong, China = 16 hrs, 30 min Houston, TX = 3 hrs, 25 min London, Manchester, England = 7 hrs Los Angeles, CA = 5 hrs, 20 min

Miami, FL = 3 hrs Minneapolis, MN = 2 hrs, 10 min Montreal, QC = 1 hr, 10 min New York, NY = 1 hr, 30 min Ottawa, ON = 1 hr Paris, France = 7 hrs, 25 min Philadelphia, PA = 1 hr, 30 min Pittsburgh, PA = 1 hr San Francisco, CA = 5 hrs, 20 min Tokyo, Japan = 13 hrs, 10 min Vancouver, BC = 5 hrs, 10 min Washington, DC = 1 hr, 30 min Winnipeg, MB = 2 hrs, 30 min

"We all enjoyed the marathon—really nice route with a good mix of city and countryside. We also very much enjoyed the city of Toronto, 4 of us from the Metro club in Aberdeen, Scotland, did the full marathon, all finishing under 3 hours and of course Nick did the half.
We then stayed for a week and had a great time visiting Niagara, the CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame; we also enjoyed just taking in the sights and kicking back. Torontonians all seem to have a very relaxed laid back outlook on life which I liked.
Our post race re hydration session at the Artful Dodger on Isabella Street was a hoot.
Hopefully we may return another year with even more members of the running club coming with us and with Canadian-Affair flights starting at £89 each way it's cheaper coming to Canada than getting to some of the European marathons."
—Kevin Tulloch, Project Engineer, Stolt Offshore Ltd.

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Entry into Canada

From the United States

Travel by Air

All persons, including U.S. Citizens, travelling by air between the United States and Canada (including in transit passengers who are transferring planes in the U.S.) are required to present a valid passport or NEXUS card, according to an American law, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

Frequently Asked Questions for Americans are available at: www.travel.state.gov.

Travel by Land or Water

The US has begun phasing in WHTI requirements by identifying new document requirements for entry into the U.S. by land and water. U.S. and Canadian citizens now need to present either a WHTI-compliant document or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Naturalized U.S. citizens should carry a naturalization certificate. Permanent U.S. residents who are not citizens are advised to bring their Alien Registration Receipt Card (Green Card).

U.S. citizens may now apply for the new U.S. Passport Card in anticipation of land border travel document requirements. The DHS expects cards will be available and mailed to applicants in spring 2008.

The passport card will facilitate entry and expedite document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air. It will otherwise carry the rights and privileges of the U.S. passport book and will be adjudicated to the exact same standards.

Final document requirements for travel by land and water will be implemented no earlier than June 1, 2009.

For more information, visit the US Department of State at www.travel.state.gov.

From Countries other than the United States

In general, passports are required; however, visitors from countries other than the U.S. should call for further information:

• from outside Canada, 1-800-992-7037
• from within Canada, 1-888-242-2100

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