Toronto Pearson International Airport stop over.

[Extra Kim]

We will arrive in Toronto to terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport at 12:50. Our departure from terminal 1 is at 16:15.

Would we be able to leave the terminal to meet some friends that we met at a cruise back in 2015 and then go back in again?

If I got it right, we will be doing the CBP check for the U.S in Toronto? If that's true, is this something that normaly takes a long time? Would this process be longer if we would leave the terminal?

[zqvol]

You can always leave the airport during a layover. Just make sure to allow enough time to clear US customs when you come back. I would allow 2.5 hours.

[Nic6318]

We will arrive in Toronto to terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport at 12:50. Our departure from terminal 1 is at 16:15.

Would we be able to leave the terminal to meet some friends that we met at a cruise back in 2015 and then go back in again?

If I got it right, we will be doing the CBP check for the U.S in Toronto? If that's true, is this something that normaly takes a long time? Would this process be longer if we would leave the terminal?

 

 

Hi

 

It sounds possible, but where were you planning on meeting your friends? Also, where are your friends coming from?

 

Just generally speaking, it sounds like a lot of effort (for both you and your friends) for a very short meeting. I certainly wouldn't venture too far from the airport. I don't know what your intentions were, but you wouldn't be able to go into the city for example, maybe a restaurant near the airport.

[diane.in.ny]

I noticed the OP is from Sweden. I don't know if that complicates things.

[Extra Kim]

Hi

 

It sounds possible, but where were you planning on meeting your friends? Also, where are your friends coming from?

 

Just generally speaking, it sounds like a lot of effort (for both you and your friends) for a very short meeting. I certainly wouldn't venture too far from the airport. I don't know what your intentions were, but you wouldn't be able to go into the city for example, maybe a restaurant near the airport.

They would be coming to the airport and yes it would be a very short meeting, but since they live in Canada and we live in Sweden it's not easy for us to meet up. We had a baby in December and this would be the first time they would be able to see her.

[CruiserBruce]

You will clear US Immigration and Customs in Toronto. I imagine once you clear US Immigration and Customs, you are considered in the US. So, you may need to act like you are entering Canada, go out and visit your friends, the enter the Terminal, and clear the US procedures at that time.

 

If Canada requires a visa or some other permissions, you will need to have those permissions in order to meet your friends.

[Extra Kim]

We have eTA for Canada and ESTA for the U.S, that wouldn't be a problem.

[smplybcause]

Customs can be really long. A recent flight out of Toronto was delayed for 1.5 hours because customs was backed up and there were STILL people that missed the flight. Assuming they weren't coming in last minute that means the customs line was well over 3 hours long.

 

I've never done a connecting flight, but I know when I get off the plane in Toronto those with connecting flights go one way and those without go the other. You'd have to clear Canadian customs too.

 

I would venture it be a very quick under 30 minute meeting, unless there's a way you can find out how long the customs line is.

 

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[Nic6318]

They would be coming to the airport and yes it would be a very short meeting, but since they live in Canada and we live in Sweden it's not easy for us to meet up. We had a baby in December and this would be the first time they would be able to see her.

 

 

Hi Kim,

 

Well...congratulations. If your friends are willing to do this, then you probably can make it happen.

 

You will have to clear Canada customs to get out of the airport. Sometimes that can be a long process, just because of the volume of people at any given time. It is a busy airport and if a number of planes arrive in the same timeframe, there can be a lot of people headed to the same place. You might get lucky. :)

 

Your only other decision would be, whether your friends park nearby and you have your visit in the arrivals area, or if they can time it right and you can call them when you are there (arrivals area) they can drive by and pick you up. There are restaurants nearby that might be more comfortable. Just give yourself enough time on return, because as was mentioned already, you will have to go through U.S. customs/immigration before your final leg.

 

good luck

[LHT28]

I would not do it

 

You arrive at 12:50 you then need to go through immigration maybe claim your bags

 

this can take up to 1 hr then you need to check in again at least 2 hrs prior to the flight to USA clear US immigration ..than can take 1 hr or more depending on the lines

 

JMO

[Extra Kim]

Thank you Nic6318 :)

 

LHT28

Our bags will be checked all way to Miami, no need to claim them.

 

 

We are still not sure what we will do.

[smplybcause]

Thank you Nic6318 :)

 

LHT28

Our bags will be checked all way to Miami, no need to claim them.

 

 

We are still not sure what we will do.

You might want to ask about that. I'm pretty sure you'll have to pick them up at some point when you're going through both Canadian and US customs.

 

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[mom says]

You might want to ask about that. I'm pretty sure you'll have to pick them up at some point when you're going through both Canadian and US customs.

 

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Agree. Even though the bags are checked through, you are preclearing both US Immigration and Customs in TO. If you leave the secured area to meet your friends, you'll also have to clear Canadian Immigration. Knowing how long both of these lines can be (plus the security lines), the 3 1/2 hours you have really don't allow much, if any time for a visit.

[cruising cockroach]

If you haven't paid yet, you can arrange a layover of up to 23:59.

[tropicalkerry2002]

There is a LOT of walking at the Toronto airport.

If it were me, I am afraid I wouldn't enjoy the visit, as I would be worrying about whether we would make the next flight....

[LHT28]

Thank you Nic6318 :)

 

LHT28

Our bags will be checked all way to Miami, no need to claim them.

 

 

We are still not sure what we will do.

i would check the guide for connecting at YYZ

https://torontopearson.com/#

[martincath]

When we lived in Toronto, we did this frequently (our buddy in Boston often flew Air Canada via Toronto to Europe, many times every year). Sometimes we'd just go grab a drink at an airport bar, other times he had a longer stopover and we'd leave the airport to go to a good resto - but any time he had 4 hours+ to kill at YYZ we'd meet up. As long as you stay on-site at the airport you will have enough time for a drink and a chat at least - 2 hours for CATSA (our security, much nicer than TSA but not necessarily any more efficient!) and CBP is probably enough, but exactly how long it will take you to get through Canadian immigration & customs is very random too, so as suggested above if you really want to meet up with these folks I'd try to extend your layover by taking a later flight.

 

Also, do ensure that you KNOW what to do with your bags, rather than assuming they are checked all the way through - heading to the US via YYZ can mean having to collect your checked bags and recheck them! If you use Karens link above, check the Connecting page, and look at the bottom you'll find a handy little set of dropdown options - choose Arriving From International, Departing To The US, if you put in both your airlines it will give you a custom guide to exactly what process you can expect if you stayed in the airport. If that says you need to collect bags, make sure you do so before you head out to meet your friends.

[Extra Kim]

"Step 4 - Proceed to the USA Connection Area This area includes a 3 Step process that eliminates the need to collect your baggage. Airline representatives are available to help guide you through this process and for questions."

 

Like I said, no need to collect the bags, but that might change if we leave the terminal.

[cruising cockroach]

What's been happening for the past few years is that instead of physically collecting your bag for U.S. pre-clearance, the bags are photo'd (which you apparently have to wait for the handlers or whoever to do so) and the customs officer can decide whether they want a closer look or not. If not, you, you go through. If they do, you'll have to wait while they retrieve your bags. No ideal what happens if you don't go through customs within a certain time though.

[#55worktoplay]

I wouldn’t leave the airport. If your friends could meet you within the airport maybe but the last time I connected through Toronto it was a very long process with walking, lineups etc. We had what we thought was more than enough time but nearly ran out of time and definitely out of steam.

[Extra Kim]

Sounds like a lot could go wrong, might have to pass on doing this. :(

[electro]

"Step 4 - Proceed to the USA Connection Area This area includes a 3 Step process that eliminates the need to collect your baggage. Airline representatives are available to help guide you through this process and for questions."

 

Like I said, no need to collect the bags, but that might change if we leave the terminal.

This is true if just connecting. If you leave the terminal, you will be required to go though Canadian customs and I'm pretty sure they will not let you leave the terminal without your bags.

[maryann ns]

There are people on Trip Advisor's Air Travel forum who have good knowledge of such things. Try posting there: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowForum-g1-i10702-Air_Travel.html

[CocoLocomotion]

We recently flew LHR > YYZ then onward to the US. Other than the very long walks, the longest delay (25 minutes) was in a holding area waiting for our names to pop up on a screen.

 

After deplaning (and waaaaaalking), you stop at kiosks to enter your information. We have Global Entry so no waiting and the agent entered our information. (No clue what this pre-entry area is called.)

 

Then if you have checked bags, you wait in another area for your name to appear on a screen which indicates that your bags have been X-rayed and sent for loading onto the connecting flight.

 

The next stop was a Global Entry kiosk; we gave the printout to an Immigration agent and made our way to our connecting gate. Those without Global Entry had longer lines waiting to be cleared by the agents. (I don't recall if we went through another security check between this step and heading to our very distant gate. My brain starts going numb to cope. LOL)

 

Overall the process to our connection gate took approximately 1 hour 15 minutes after landing. Our checked bags had neon-colored Priority and Transfer tags. If you are not using the Connecting Flights "shortcut", add extra time for Immigration and Security (re-entering) lines.

 

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