Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

For first-rate visitor information, go to the Visitors' Information Centre by the river, on York Street at Erie Street. From May to early November, it's open Sunday through Wednesday 9am to 5pm and Thursday through Saturday 9am to 8pm. At other times, contact Tourism Stratford (tel. 800/561-SWAN [800/561-7926] or 519/271-5140; www.welcometostratford.com).

Getting There

Driving from Toronto, take Hwy. 401 west to I-278 at Kitchener. Follow Hwy. 8 west onto Hwy. 7/8 to Stratford. (Hwy. 7/8 turns into Ontario St., Stratford's main drag, once you enter city limits.)

For me, nothing beats the train, and Stratford is a small and very walkable town, so unless you're planning to tour the surrounding area, call VIA Rail (tel. 800/VIA-RAIL [800/842-7245] or 416/366-8411; www.viarail.ca). Canada's national rail company operates several trains daily along the Toronto-Kitchener-Stratford route. The toll-free number works within North America; if you're traveling from overseas, you can book your rail travel in advance through one of VIA's general sales agents (there's a long list of local agents on www.viarail.ca).