Getting There

By Plane

From the U.S. -- Canada's only national airline, Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.ca), operates direct flights to Toronto from most major American cities and many smaller ones. It also flies from major cities around the world and operates connecting flights from other U.S. cities.

One new option is Porter Airlines (tel. 888/619-8622 or 416/619-8622; www.flyporter.com), which flies to Montréal and Ottawa from the Toronto Island Airport. At press time, Porter had just received clearance to fly to U.S. destinations.

There are also a couple of discount Canadian carriers servicing select routes. One is CanJet (tel. 800/809-7777; www.canjet.com), which operates flights to Toronto from New York, Orlando, and Palm Beach. WestJet (tel. 888/WEST-JET; www.westjet.com) has service between Toronto and San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Among U.S. airlines, American (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) has daily direct flights from Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and New York. United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com) has direct flights from Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington (Dulles); it's a code-share partner with Air Canada. US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) flies direct into Toronto from a number of U.S. cities, notably Baltimore, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com) flies direct from Detroit and Minneapolis. Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) flies direct from Atlanta and Cincinnati.

From Abroad -- There's frequent service (direct and indirect) to Toronto from around the world.

Several airlines operate from the United Kingdom. British Airways (tel. 0845/773-3377; www.ba.com) and Air Canada (tel. 08705/247-226) fly direct from London's Heathrow airport. Air Canada also flies direct from Glasgow and Manchester. In 2007, flyglobespan (tel. 08712/710-415; www.flyglobespan.com) began service to Hamilton, Ontario, a city that is a 45-minute drive from Toronto. Hamilton is now connected to 13 U.K. destinations.

In Australia, Air Canada (tel. 02/9286-8900) has an agreement with Qantas and flies from Sydney to Toronto, stopping in Honolulu. From New Zealand, Air Canada (tel. 09/379-3371) cooperates with Air New Zealand, scheduling on average three flights a week from Auckland to Toronto via Honolulu, Fiji, or both.

From Cape Town, South Africa, Delta (tel. 011/482-4582 in South Africa) operates via New York; Air Canada (tel. 011/875-5800), via Frankfurt; and South African Airways (tel. 021/254-610; ww2.flysaa.com), via Miami or New York. Several airlines fly from Johannesburg, including British Airways (tel. 011/441-8600) via Heathrow and South African Airways (tel. 011/333-6504) via Miami or New York.

Most flights arrive at Pearson International Airport, in the northwest corner of metro Toronto, approximately 30 minutes from downtown. The trip usually takes 10 to 15 minutes longer during the weekday morning rush (7-9am) and evening rush (4-7pm). A few (mostly commuter) flights land at the Toronto Island Airport, a short ferry ride from downtown.

Pearson serves more than 50 airlines. In 2004, its long-awaited new terminal, officially named Terminal 1, opened to international traffic; however, it didn't open to U.S. flights until 2007. The other passenger terminal is the Trillium Terminal 3. Both terminals are airy and modern, with moving walkways, huge food courts, and many retail stores. For general airport information, including the Lost & Found department, call the Greater Toronto Airport Authority at tel. 416/776-3000 (www.gtaa.com).

Arriving at the Airport -- Pearson International Airport is the busiest in Canada, and its terminals are massive (particularly Terminal 1). Expect a long walk to the Immigration and Customs area, which you will have to clear in Toronto even if you're flying on to another Canadian destination. (There are maps of both terminals online at www.gtaa.com). There are tourism information booths at both terminals.

Getting into Town from the Airport -- To get from the airport to downtown, take Highway 427 south to the Gardiner Expressway East. A taxi costs about C$46 (US$44/£21). A slightly sleeker way to go is by flat-rate limousine, which starts at C$50 (US$48/£23). Two limo services are Aaroport (tel. 416/745-1555) and AirLine (tel. 905/676-3210). You don't need a reservation. Most first-class hotels run their own hotel limousine services; check when you make your reservation.

The convenient Airport Express bus (tel. 905/564-6333) travels between the airport, the bus terminal, and major downtown hotels -- the Westin Harbour Castle, Fairmont Royal York, The Sheraton Centre Toronto, and the Delta Chelsea -- every 20 to 30 minutes, from 4:55am to 12:55am. The adult fare is C$17 (US$16/£7.65) one-way, C$29 (US$28/£13) round-trip; children under 11 accompanied by an adult ride free (applies to two kids per adult). There is also a GO Transit bus (tel. 416/869-3200) that at press time is picking up passengers at Terminal 1 and delivering them to the Yorkdale or York Mills subway stations. The fare is only C$4.05 (US$3.85/£1.80). GO buses do not have under-floor luggage compartments, but if you're traveling with only a carry-on bag, it can be a great option.

The cheapest way to go is by bus and subway, which takes about an hour. During the day, you have three options: the no. 192 "Airport Rocket" bus to Kipling station, the no. 58A bus to Lawrence West station, or the no. 307 bus to Eglinton West station. In the middle of the night, you can take the no. 300A bus to Yonge and Bloor. The fare of C$2.75 (US$2.60/£1.25) includes free transfer to the subway (which is available till 1:30am). All buses make stops at both terminals 1 and 3. It doesn't matter which bus you use; they all take roughly the same amount of time. (The Airport Rocket reaches the subway fastest, but the subway ride to downtown is twice as long as from the other stations.) For more information, call the Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC (tel. 416/393-4636; www.toronto.ca/ttc).

By Car

Crossing the border by car gives you a lot of options -- the U.S. highway system leads directly into Canada at 13 points. If you're driving from Michigan, you'll enter at Detroit-Windsor (I-75 and the Ambassador Bridge) or Port Huron-Sarnia (I-94 and the Bluewater Bridge). If you're coming from New York, you have more options. On I-190, you can enter at Buffalo-Fort Erie; Niagara Falls, New York-Niagara Falls, Ontario; or Niagara Falls, New York-Lewiston. On I-81, you'll cross the Canadian border at Hill Island; on Route 37, you'll enter at either Ogdensburg-Johnstown or Rooseveltown-Cornwall.

From the United States you are most likely to enter Toronto from the west on Highway 401 or Highway 2 and the Queen Elizabeth Way. If you come from the east via Montréal, you'll also use 401 and 2.

Here are approximate driving distances to Toronto: from Boston, 911km (565 miles); Buffalo, 155km (96 miles); Chicago, 859km (533 miles); Cincinnati, 806km (500 miles); Detroit, 379km (235 miles); Minneapolis, 1,564km (970 miles); Montréal, 545km (338 miles); New York, 797km (494 miles); Ottawa, 453km (281 miles); and Québec City, 790km (491 miles).

Be sure you have your driver's license and car registration if you plan to drive your own vehicle into Canada. It isn't a bad idea to carry proof of automobile liability insurance, too.

If you are a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA), the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Central Ontario Branch in Toronto (tel. 416/221-4300; www.caa.ca) provides emergency road service.

I don't recommend driving in Toronto, but if you're planning to make side trips outside of the city, you may wish to rent a car. Companies with outlets at Pearson International Airport include Avis (tel. 800/331-1084), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700), Enterprise (tel. 800/736-8222), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3001), National (tel. 800/227-7368), and Thrifty (tel. 800/367-2277). The rental fee depends on the type of car you want, but prices generally start around C$57 (US$54/£26) a day -- not including the 14% in sales taxes. This also does not include insurance; if you pay with credit card, you might get automatic coverage (check with your credit card issuer before you go). Be sure to read the fine print of the rental agreement -- some companies add conditions that will boost your bill if you don't fulfill certain obligations, such as filling the gas tank before returning the car.

By Train

Amtrak's "Maple Leaf" service links New York City and Toronto via Albany, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls. It departs daily from Penn Station. The journey takes 12 1/2 hours. Note that the lengthy schedule allows for extended stops at Customs and immigration checkpoints at the border. Both trains arrive in Toronto at Union Station on Front Street, 1 block west of Yonge Street, opposite the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The station has direct access to the subway. Call Amtrak at tel. 800/USA-RAIL or 800/872-7245, or visit www.amtrak.com.

By Bus

Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222; www.greyhound.com) is the only bus company that crosses the U.S. border. You can travel from almost anywhere in the United States. You'll arrive at the Metro Coach Terminal downtown at 610 Bay St., near the corner of Dundas Street.

The bus may be faster and cheaper than the train, and its routes may be more flexible if you want to stop along the way. Bear in mind that it's more cramped, toilet facilities are meager, and meals are taken at somewhat depressing rest stops.

Depending on where you are coming from, check into Greyhound's special unlimited-travel passes and discount fares. It's hard to provide sample fares because bus companies, like airlines, are adopting yield-management strategies, causing prices to change from day to day