Ontario — Travel Tips
International Travel
Getting There By Air
International air services are available through Air Canada (AC) (www.aircanada.com). Many other international airlines offer direct services into Toronto. Charter airlines often offer an economical alternative to the scheduled airlines. Local air services are run by a number of operators.
Main Airports
Ottawa (YOW) (Macdonald-Cartier) (www.ottawa-airport.ca) is 14km (8 miles) south of downtown. To/from the airport: A regular bus service and shuttles depart regularly (journey time - 20 to 30 minutes). Taxis are also available (journey time - 20 minutes). Facilities: Bar, restaurants, cafes, duty-free shops, newsstand, gift shops, car hire, currency exchange and ATMs.
Toronto (YYZ) (Lester B Pearson) (www.gtaa.com) is 27km (17 miles) northwest of the city. To/from the airport: Public transit buses depart regularly, providing connections to metro stations (total journey time to downtown - 60 minutes). Shuttles leave frequently (journey time - 30 to 60 minutes). Taxis are also available. Facilities: Duty-free shops, gift shops, newsstand, currency exchange, ATMs, car hire, cafes, restaurants and bar.
Getting There By Water
Main ports: The only port on James Bay with rail links to the south is Moosonee, which is also the base for a limited local air service.
The principal ports receiving sailings from the USA are Thunder Bay (to Duluth); Sault Ste Marie (to Sault Ste Marie, Michigan); Windsor (to Detroit/Lake St Clair); Sarnia (to Port Huron/St Clair River); Leamington (to Sandusky/Lake Erie); Kingston, Brockville and Cornwall (to the USA across the St Lawrence Seaway); and Wolfe Island to New York State.
Getting There By Rail
VIA Rail (tel: 1 888 842 7245; www.viarail.ca) connects Toronto to western Canada. Several corridor services connect Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa with Montréal and Québec City in Québec. Links to the USA are with Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245, in the USA; www.amtrak.com) and VIA Rail. Services run from Toronto to New York via Niagara Falls. VIA Rail also serves most of the major cities of the province, mainly in the southern region, which is home to most of the population.
Ontario Northland (tel: (705) 472 4500 or 1 800 363 7512 ext. 0; www.ontarionorthland.ca) runs rail services from Toronto to Timmins, Cochrane, Kapuskasing, Hearst and Moosonee, with stops along the way.
Getting There By Road
There are several bridges connecting Canadian and US regions, notably at Cornwall, Fort Erie, Fort Frances, Niagara Falls, Rainy River, Sarnia, Sault Ste Marie and Windsor. A tunnel also connects Windsor to Detroit. The domestic highway network is excellent around the Great Lakes, but does not extend to the north of the province. Good trunk roads run throughout southern Ontario.
Coach: GO Transit (tel: 1 888 438 6646; www.gotransit.com), Greyhound Canada (tel: 1 800 661 8747; www.greyhound.ca, Ontario Northland (tel: 1 800 363 7512 ext. 0; www.ontarionorthland.ca) and Trentway-Wagar Bus Lines/Coach Canada (www.coachcanada.com) provide services linking most towns.
Car hire: International companies are represented at hotels, at Ottawa and Toronto airports, and at Toronto's Union Station (rail).
Regulations: Drivers must be over 21 years old to hire a car, and the wearing of seat belts is strictly enforced.
