Canadian customs

[sugarcharlie]

Flying from Chicago to Montreal I am taking Porter Air which stops in Toronto. I have never used them before but they advertise that they stop in downtown for easy access to the city. My thoughts were to have a four hr layover so I could possibly see downtown and maybe have lunch before continuing on to Montreal.

 

Does anyone know what to expect there as far as time to go through customs in Toronto and then get back to board the next flight? I know Canada isn't subject to the slowdown from the sequester in the US and if I can't have enough time Ill plan for a shorter connection there.

 

Thanks for any input.

[TheEmerson]

YYZ customs is a mixed bag. All depending on the number if flights and pax count that land around the same time as you. I have cleared customs in less than five minutes to taking over an hour. Once tagged for secondary screening. I personally think if you have a 4 hour layover, that is cutting it close if you want to get into the heart of Toronto or the Theater District. That trip along takes about 20min at midnight.

[sail7seas]

Tempting as it is, I would not leave the airport.

Find a place to have a decent lunch in the airport....... IMO

 

[Kamloops50]

Flying from Chicago to Montreal I am taking Porter Air which stops in Toronto. I have never used them before but they advertise that they stop in downtown for easy access to the city. My thoughts were to have a four hr layover so I could possibly see downtown and maybe have lunch before continuing on to Montreal.

 

Does anyone know what to expect there as far as time to go through customs in Toronto and then get back to board the next flight? I know Canada isn't subject to the slowdown from the sequester in the US and if I can't have enough time Ill plan for a shorter connection there.

 

Thanks for any input.

They stop on Toronto Island Airport . The airport is a ferry ride into town.

Customs could take up to an hours depending on the number of planes arriving.

[Daisyloo]

Which airport are you flying into and out of? Is it Toronto Island Airport? If so you would have to take a ferry to the mainland. This plus having to do the security checks would probably make it too tight on time. Too bad really, because Toronto is a great city to explore.

[juiceless]

The ferry ride from Billy Bishop airport to Toronto is less than 10 minutes. If you can clear customs quickly, you may have time for a quick cab ride somewhere for lunch. Personally, I'd be too nervous of missing my flight :S

[elizabeth612]

I believe you would need to clear customs IN TORONTO if you have a connecting flight to another Canadian destination. I'm sure if you called the airline you can find out for sure.

 

Also, it looks like the ferry runs every 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hrs. If you time it right you could actually make it.

 

Here's the ferry schedule for the summer:

 

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm

 

Take chances in life, have fun and good luck!!!!

-Elizabeth

[juiceless]

Elizabeth, the schedule you posted is for the Toronto Island ferry, which (confusingly, I know), is not the same ferry as you'd take from the airport. The airport ferry schedule can be found here:

 

http://www.torontoport.com/Airport/Getting-To/Ferry-Schedule.aspx

 

Looks like it runs roughly every 15 minutes.

 

Also, as you'll see on that page, I was wrong. It's not a 10 minute ride - it's a 90 second ride. :)

[elizabeth612]

Thank you juiceless, I stand corrected, and with that info there's an even better chance of seeing a bit of TO.

[sugarcharlie]

Elizabeth, the schedule you posted is for the Toronto Island ferry, which (confusingly, I know), is not the same ferry as you'd take from the airport. The airport ferry schedule can be found here:

 

http://www.torontoport.com/Airport/Getting-To/Ferry-Schedule.aspx

 

Looks like it runs roughly every 15 minutes.

 

Also, as you'll see on that page, I was wrong. It's not a 10 minute ride - it's a 90 second ride. :)

 

Thanks for the info..if my plane lands on time at 1:30PM and I can check my luggage on to Montreal, I think I will be able to take the ferry in and spend about an hour and a half seeing Toronto downtown. I can then get back to the airport and eat lunch there before boarding the next connection to Montreal which is scheduled for around 6:30PM. Another option could be to contact Porter Air and see if they will give me a connecting flight an hour or more later.

I find the airline pricing and regulations indecipherable for the most part. An example: I was originally planning to cruise from Boston to Montreal and then fly back to Chicago. The one way fare from Montreal to Chicago was $372, so for the fun of it I checked what the fare from Chicago to Montreal would be on the same day......it was $172!! Voila, I am now doing the reverse cruise from what I had planned to do, starting in Montreal and ending in Boston. By the way a one way ticket Chicago/Boston either direction was available for $68.98.

 

According to HAL, the cruise I booked, Maasdam June 1-June 8th is now completely filled.

 

Looking forward to seeing Canada and New England!!!

[realnurse2]

It might be a little tight but if you want a nice lunch, by all means go downtown. Try to get to the CN tower and it also has a revolving restaurant ( you'll have to Google for the hours of operation)

There is absolutely nothing except fast food places at Pearson.

[sail7seas]

What is CN Tower?

[2cruisecats]

It might be a little tight but if you want a nice lunch, by all means go downtown. Try to get to the CN tower and it also has a revolving restaurant ( you'll have to Google for the hours of operation)

There is absolutely nothing except fast food places at Pearson.

 

Porter flies to Toronto Island ("downtown") not Pearson which is miles away (a very long cab ride) from downtown. Porter is actually a nice "little" airline to fly. I have not taken the ferry from the island so I can not give times but you may be able to get more info from Porter. Downtown Toronto is quite walkable and there are lots of interesting places to eat.

[sammygoose]

What is CN Tower?

 

Toronto's equivalent to Seattles space needle or Paris's Eiffel tower. Not as sexy as the Eiffel though. As a tourist a must do I guess. I'm not convinced that TO has the cultural jam to warrant such an excursion in such a limited amount of time.

http://www.cntower.ca/en-CA/Home.html

 

I never left the airport in Frankfurt and personally that would be more worth the trip in the limited time that OP has.

[2cruisecats]

It seems the trip on the ferry is short! It may be customs that is the holdup but remember, not many flights arrive here and the planes are smaller. Here's the link to Billy Bishop (aka Toronto Island) airport. http://www.torontoport.com/airport.aspx

 

If you feel comfortable, do head over to the city. Toronto is a great city to visit.

[Heartfruit]

It is really too bad that you can't easily get from YTZ to the rest of the Toronto Islands because if the weather is nice, that would make a lovely break in your travels.

 

Taking the ferry to down town Toronto will put you right near the Toronto Music Garden park and only a few blocks from Queens Quay where you could get a nice lunch. I'm not sure I'd wonder much north from the lake. You'd have to cross the train tracks which are not very scenic. Probably better to enjoy the harbour.

[Blue12]

I've travelled Porter a few times now and it's usually pretty quick to get through customs and over on the very short ferry ride. There is a free shuttle (about a 15 minute ride) that takes you to the heart of downtown (it drops you off at the Royal York Hotel across from Union Station.) You would definitely have time to wander around and grab a bite to eat. Then you can take the free shuttle back to the airport in time for your flight - or even a taxi if time is tight. Flying Porter is great and Billy Bishop is a nice, small airport!

[sugarcharlie]

I've travelled Porter a few times now and it's usually pretty quick to get through customs and over on the very short ferry ride. There is a free shuttle (about a 15 minute ride) that takes you to the heart of downtown (it drops you off at the Royal York Hotel across from Union Station.) You would definitely have time to wander around and grab a bite to eat. Then you can take the free shuttle back to the airport in time for your flight - or even a taxi if time is tight. Flying Porter is great and Billy Bishop is a nice, small airport!

 

Thanks to everyone for the info. I am hoping to check my luggage at the airport so I won't have anything to take through customs. If I have to carry my bag around Toronto it might make it a little awkward!

 

My brother and sister in law went to the Toronto film festival last year and just raved about the city. I'm looking forward to seeing it, if only for a couple of hours. Maybe I'll return again on a road trip this fall. It's only about a 10 hour drive from Chicago I believe.

[world~citizen]

What is CN Tower?

 

Also see this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_Tower

 

Its one of the seven modern wonders of the world!

[Kamloops50]

Thanks to everyone for the info. I am hoping to check my luggage at the airport so I won't have anything to take through customs. If I have to carry my bag around Toronto it might make it a little awkward!

 

My brother and sister in law went to the Toronto film festival last year and just raved about the city. I'm looking forward to seeing it, if only for a couple of hours. Maybe I'll return again on a road trip this fall. It's only about a 10 hour drive from Chicago I believe.

 

You'll have to carry your baggage thru customs . Before you leave customs there will be a drop area for bags continuing on to other destinations.

[sugarcharlie]

You'll have to carry your baggage thru customs . Before you leave customs there will be a drop area for bags continuing on to other destinations.

 

Good to know! Once again thanks for all the info. These boards are so helpful to cruisers.

 

I now feel confidant I'll be able to see a little bit of Toronto!

[RickT]

1) You'll love Porter

2) You should have enough time to make a quick pit stop in downtown Toronto

- Research what you want to do. There is a lot close by but you'll only have time to do one thing

- Keep traffic in mind. Although it's close, your 6:30 flight time will put you in the middle of rush hour traffic

- In addition to the Ferry, Porter has a downtown shuttle which you may want to consider. There will also be a lot of taxis which may be the better choice

3) Customs won't be bad. As mentioned, the planes and airport is small.

4) The Porter lounge is pretty nice too. Last time I was there they had complimentary computer usage, pop, snacks. At one time they even had Scotch tasting. :)

[Northshorecruisers]

I don't know that I'd chance it. If going to the CN Tower just the line to get tickets can be really long and you may have to wait for elevators.

 

Please come back and let us know how things worked out.