NEW YORK CITY  ·  TORONTO  ·  NIAGARA FALLS

A Toronto Weekend from NYC: Itinerary and Getting Around Without a Car

How to get there, whether two days or three makes more sense, a day-by-day plan, and getting around downtown Toronto without renting a car you will mostly use for parking.

New York City sits close enough to Toronto that a weekend works, and far enough that the trip needs an actual plan. Flights run under two hours, the food and waterfront scene rival most East Coast cities, and Niagara Falls sits about ninety minutes further west if a day trip fits into the itinerary. This covers how to get from New York City to Toronto, whether two days or three makes more sense, a day-by-day plan, how to get around downtown Toronto once you land, and where a private transfer beats renting a car for a weekend spent mostly on foot.

Getting from New York City to Toronto

Direct flights connect the New York area airports, LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark, to Toronto Pearson International or the downtown Billy Bishop airport in under two hours, making flying the fastest option by a wide margin. A daily Amtrak train, the Maple Leaf, runs from New York’s Penn Station to Toronto’s Union Station, a scenic ride along the Hudson River and through western New York that takes about thirteen hours including a stop at the border. A handful of intercity bus operators cover the same route in roughly eleven to twelve hours, usually the least expensive option and the one that needs no vehicle or parking on either end. Driving covers about 800 kilometers, 500 miles, and typically takes eight to nine hours outside of border delays, a reasonable option for a group splitting the drive or continuing on to Niagara Falls afterward.

Is Toronto worth a weekend trip from New York City

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, and it holds up well against a two or three day visit: a walkable downtown core, a waterfront trail along Lake Ontario, a food scene that spans more cuisines than almost any city its size, and enough neighborhoods, Kensington Market, the Distillery District, Yorkville, to fill a weekend without repeating a block. The CN Tower anchors the skyline and stays visible from most of downtown, which makes orientation easy on a first visit. It is close enough from New York to reach without burning a full travel day each way, and different enough, a different currency, a different accent, a genuinely bilingual national identity, to feel like a real trip rather than a domestic hop.

Is two days enough, or should you plan three

Two days covers the downtown core comfortably: the waterfront, the CN Tower, one or two neighborhoods, and a proper dinner each night. Three days adds real breathing room, either for a slower pace through more neighborhoods or for a day trip to Niagara Falls, which sits about 130 kilometers, 80 miles, west of downtown. Travelers flying in from New York, who have already spent a travel day getting there, generally get more out of the trip with three days than two, since the first afternoon is often partly used up by arrival and check-in.

A 3-day Toronto weekend itinerary

Day one: arrive, check in, and spend the afternoon on the waterfront and around the CN Tower before dinner in the Entertainment District or King West. Day two: the Distillery District and St. Lawrence Market in the morning, then Kensington Market or Yorkville in the afternoon, with the evening left open for a show, a game, or a concert depending on what is on. Day three: a day trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario, about ninety minutes each way, which leaves a genuine afternoon at the falls instead of a rushed hour before the drive back. Travelers who would rather spend day three on more of Toronto itself can swap in another neighborhood or a Blue Jays or Raptors game instead.

Getting around Toronto without a car

Downtown Toronto is genuinely walkable: the waterfront, the Entertainment District, the Financial District, and Chinatown all sit within a reasonable walk of each other, and the subway and streetcar network covers most of what is not. Renting a car for a weekend trip usually adds more hassle than it solves, between unfamiliar one-way streets, paid downtown parking that runs well past what a few rideshare or transit trips would cost, and a return process at the airport that eats into the last day. Within Toronto, an Escalade runs $175 an hour with a 4-hour minimum, plus HST 13% and gratuity 15 to 20 percent, which covers a half-day of sightseeing or several point-to-point trips between neighborhoods, one vehicle, one driver who knows the city, and no parking to find between stops. Our chauffeur private car service covers point-to-point trips and full-day bookings around Toronto for visitors who would rather not navigate a rental.

From Toronto Pearson Airport to your hotel

Most flights from the New York area land at Toronto Pearson International, about 25 kilometers northwest of downtown. A pre-arranged private pickup means a driver meets you at the Pre-Arranged Limousine Desk after you clear customs, instead of you hunting for a rideshare pickup zone with luggage after an international flight. Pre-arrangement service runs $35 per passenger, plus HST 13% and gratuity 15 to 20 percent, confirmed as a fixed quote before you land. Booking the pickup in advance also settles the fare before you leave New York, with no surprise about currency or tipping once you are standing at arrivals. See chauffeur private car service for vehicle options.

A Niagara Falls day trip during your Toronto weekend

Niagara Falls, Ontario sits about 130 kilometers, 80 miles, from downtown Toronto, roughly ninety minutes by road along the QEW, which makes it a realistic add-on for a three-day weekend rather than a trip that needs its own visit. A private Sprinter van seating up to 14 passengers runs from approximately $720 one way, plus HST 13% and gratuity 15 to 20 percent, confirmed as a fixed quote before you travel. Larger groups can book a 27-seat mini coach from approximately $1,430 one way, plus the same HST and gratuity, confirmed as a fixed quote before you travel. Full vehicle options and pricing for the route are on our Toronto to Niagara Falls transfer page.

Weekend events and things to do in Toronto

What is actually worth doing changes by the weekend, since Toronto runs a dense calendar of festivals, markets, and sporting events year round, from summer waterfront festivals to a Blue Jays or Raptors home game. Checking the events calendar for your specific dates before finalizing the itinerary is worth the five minutes, since a weekend that lines up with a festival or a big game changes the plan, and the hotel prices, considerably. Groups traveling together for a specific event, a wedding, a game, or a conference weekend, can move as one unit instead of splitting across rideshares; our group transportation page covers vehicle options from a sedan up to a full coach.

Should you skip the rental car for your Toronto weekend

For a two or three day trip spent mostly downtown, a rental car is usually the wrong tool: parking runs $20 to $40 a day at most downtown lots, one-way streets and streetcar right-of-ways take some getting used to, and the car sits unused for most of a walkable itinerary. A private chauffeur covers the arrival, any point-to-point trips downtown, and a Niagara Falls day trip if the itinerary includes one, all in one booking with a fixed price confirmed in advance. Full rates by vehicle are on our rates. It is the option that fits a weekend built around Toronto, not around driving.

A Toronto weekend from NYC: frequently asked questions

Book your Toronto weekend transportation before you land

One fixed price for the airport pickup, a day of sightseeing, or the drive to Niagara Falls. See vehicle options on our chauffeur private car service, or check current rates on our rates.

See Toronto Transportation Options