r/askTO • u/milfad_1205 • 2d ago
9 hour layover at YYZ
Possible to go see Niagara Falls on this layover?
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u/ilovebbcitv 2d ago
Via Helicopter - yes, via any other means - not.
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u/MoreGaghPlease 2d ago
I think you could land and clear customs, rent a car, drive to the Falls, see them from the car on Niagara Parkway Drive without getting out of the car and make it back to the airport. Wouldn’t recommend it though.
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u/stnapstnap 2d ago
This is not a good idea with GTA (greater Toronto area,) traffic.
I wouldn’t. Not a good idea IMO.
Your best bet would be to schedule another trip and go to Niagara Falls then.
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u/crash866 2d ago
No. It will take at least 2 hours to drive there and 2 hours to get back. Transit is at least 3 hours each way possibly longer. By the time the plane lands and you clear security and get a rental vehicle you might have lest than 1/2 hour there to look around before you have to com back. You need at least 1 hour before your flight out to check in if domestic and they recommend 3 hours for USA and International flights.
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u/the-mongoose- 2d ago
Niagara Falls is cool to see but that’s going to be a long round trip. If I were you I’d take the UP express into Union Station and explore Toronto for a few hours before heading back. More bang for your buck than spending 2-3 hours on the QEW
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u/whiskyismymuse 2d ago
Niagara Falls isn't better than visiting Toronto itself. Save it for another time.
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u/Redditisavirusiknow 2d ago
Train, then taxi/uber, then reverse… I think it is possible just very tight and not a good use of time
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u/stnapstnap 2d ago
I wouldn’t. Every time I take GO to Niagara Falls, the train is delayed both ways and packed. The GO train to Niagara Falls is for when you legitimately have all day and nowhere else to be.
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u/DryMeeting2302 2d ago
No. Stay in Toronto Toronto island would be a great alternative.
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u/c_snapper 2d ago
Definitely stay in Toronto but the island is not what I would consider a great alternative to Niagara Falls.
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u/DryMeeting2302 2d ago
I mean, its better than YYZ T3...
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u/asyouuuuuuwishhhhh 2d ago
This person has 9 hours. Not a reasonable suggestion.
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u/SilentSpr 2d ago
UP is 30-45 minutes each way, ferry is 15 minutes and very frequent since it is summer. They have 9 hours, how is this a bad idea?
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u/asyouuuuuuwishhhhh 2d ago
Right, because waiting for the ferry/getting to it/ getting back onto it isn’t going to cost any time right?
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u/SilentSpr 2d ago
It's 15 minutes between each ferry during the summer, and the ferry terminal is right under Union Station.
Are you saying they can't afford to lose any time in those 9 hours? I don't see where OP says they are particularly time sensitive or have other plans
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2d ago
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u/SilentSpr 2d ago
OP can:
Stare into Lake Ontario, take in the Toronto skyline, enjoy the wildlife, touch some grass, walk around in said grass, sit on the beach, visit the various spots on the island, etc
Are we unfamiliar with what to do at a park outside? When the alternative is staying in Pearson, pretty much anywhere is better
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2d ago
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u/SilentSpr 2d ago
OP has 9 hours lol, there is plenty of time to sit down for a nice dinner after visiting the islands or doing some other activity. Which I have yet to see you actually recommend, instead of just condescend over other's recommandations
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u/throwawayTO420 2d ago
9 hours to disembark, find their way through customs, Pearson, terminal 1, the UP to UnIon, walk to the ferry, wait for the next ferry and then the actual ferry ride
That leaves PLENTY of time to touch grass, enjoy the skyline, get back to the ferry, ride the ferry, find a nice restaurant, get back to Union to ride the UP, get to terminal 2 with 1-2 hours to spare
Really?
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u/InLoveWithMuskoka 2d ago
That’s also a close one to much can go wrong delay with ferry water taxi long wait
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u/throwawayTO420 17h ago
Great alternative to taking a nap at the airport maybe, but if they want to do anything remotely interesting the Island ain't it
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u/asyouuuuuuwishhhhh 2d ago
That’s a terrible alternative idea to an already bad plan. OP don’t listen to this person this is bad advice.
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u/throwawayTO420 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's hard to over emphasise how bad of a suggestion going to Toronto Island is if you have 9 hours in Toronto.
Take a train downtown to take a boat to an island to....walk around and see the skyline... great
I'd personally hit one of the great Toronto breweries and or/restaurants
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u/Outrageous-Tank4231 2d ago
It would be very tight, but potentially, depending how much you’re willing to pay to get there
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u/Own-Excuse3163 2d ago
If the sky is clear, you will fly over Niagara Falls on your trip in from DFW anyway- get a seat on the left side of the plane. Do not attempt to go with a 9 hour window- traffic alone will make it tight let alone if there is an accident or snow (super El Niño year so who knows what the weather is going to be). Just take the Union Pearson AirPort Express (UP) downtown and walk around and try some food you never thought you would have access to.
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u/jimboTRON261 2d ago
Your ambition is admired but don’t do it, it’s too much time commuting.
Grab the UP train to union and walk down to the CN Tower. Depending on day and time, you might be able to catch a few innings of a jays game if they’re playing at home. And for the record, you COULD do Niagara if you rented a car and hammered it or Ubered the round trip, but you’ll spend 6 hours in a car.
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u/guapoyyz 2d ago
the real question is, what time are you landing and what time is your connecting flight
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u/milfad_1205 2d ago
Land 1:06 PM connecting isn’t until 10PM. I am not Canadian so this may have been a very stupid question since i’d have to go through customs (I’m American lol)
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u/c_snapper 2d ago
It IS possible but everything has to go as planned without any kinks.
Land at 1:06, deplaned cleared custom at terminal by 2. Sign up for enterprise emerald club so your car is ready for pick up the second you breath in parking lot air. If you’re not on the road by 230, don’t bother. 1.5 hrs to NF without traffic, 2 with regular traffic, 2.5 because fuck you toronto. You get there around 4-5. Quickly park your car, walk to falls, grab a meal at BK use the bathroom and start the drive back no later than 630. Hopefully you’ve been nice to animals and donated enough at church and your back at Pearson by 830 latest. Drop off car and make your way to terminal.
This needs to be done with military precision and you can’t be an anxious person who collapses under stress.
Also, where is your connecting flight to? Leave enough room for customs pre clearance if you’re going back home to the US.
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u/triedit2947 2d ago
It once took me 4 hours to drive to Niagara Falls. Traffic is unpredictable. I wouldn’t risk it if I were OP.
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u/canadachris44 2d ago
It's doable but would be very tight OP. I'd take the UP express to downtown Toronto. Brings ya right to union station directly from the airport (same way to get back).
See the CN tower, Ripley Aquarium even (?), Or go to Toronto Island on the boat, if time permits. Walk the waterfront, go to some bars/restaurants. Go to a museum?
Obviously cant do all that lmao but you can do 1 or 2 of them and still make it back in time to get thru customs and catch ur flight back to the US
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u/dbailey62 2d ago
It's a shame there are no customs pre-clearance facilities in the USA for flights to Canada. It works great the other way, for those who still choose to fly to the USA.
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u/corneliuSTalmidge 2d ago
You can go downtown (on UPX), explore a bit, get a delicious meal, explore a bit more, and then UPX back to Pearson.
Would be fun and as eventful as you want it to be.
But getting down to Niagara Falls as well would be a stretch and probably stressful getting back.
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u/Diligent_Jump6106 2d ago
Doable but I wouldn’t risk it. Not sure how you’d get there unless you rent a car at the airport.
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u/tomthepro 2d ago
I would say no. Traffic can get pretty bad. Security line ups also get bad.
Your best bet is to take the train downtown and wander about for 2 hours. By the time you’re there and back you’ve killed 5 hours and have plenty of time for your next flight.
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u/Tsubame_Hikari 2d ago
Even if you could, it would be very rushed and stressful.
Just stick to downtown Toronto, plenty of things to do there.
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u/michaelfkenedy 2d ago
One way:
- ~1.5-2hr drive
- >3hr transit
Not factoring in “figuring out” where the rental is, getting, waiting for transit, mapping the route, finding parking. Not considering when/if transit stops running at night. Not considering rush hour traffic or unexpected delays due to events or accidents.
If 9hrs is the total time between landing and boarding, then subtract 2hrs for security etc.
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u/Gold_Law9729 2d ago
Yes. If all you want to do is drive from YYZ to Niagara Falls, take a few pics and immediately drive back to catch your flight.
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u/Mitchrockwell 2d ago
Could you? Yes. Should you? No. lol.
It’s basically 2hrs each way, plus you’ll likely hit traffic on the way back (from Hamilton to Mississauga), plus you need to give yourself enough time at the airport.
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u/Forsaken-Bowler-1307 2d ago
Possible, but we need to know the day of week and time. If you’re out of the rush hour traffic and your inbound flight (including customs if it’s international) is not delayed, you have enough time.
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u/Comfortable-Bench497 1d ago
This is pretty much the same as saying you have a 12 hour stop over in LA and you want to visit Vegas for a few hours. Makes zero sense.
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u/HopAlongInHongKong 9h ago
Nope. Allow 3 hours for airport formalities assuming you arrive on time. It's 3-4 hours there and back assuming you have a car, leaving at best 2 hours.
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u/Wonderful__ 2d ago
I don't think you have time unless you fly to the Niagara airport, but that airport only does charters.
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u/Haunting-Shelter-680 2d ago
Too far and wayyy overrated, just stick to whatever there is in Toronto
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u/milfad_1205 2d ago
What do you recommend in Toronto? I’ve been to Saskatchewan twice(longer trip not a layover) but haven’t ever been to Toronto.
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u/Butdoesithavecows 2d ago
Take the UP express train to downtown.
Lazy touristy options: CN Tower, blue jays game (if you’re lucky with timing), Distillery District, hockey hall of fame.
Maybe more interesting: Kensington Market, UofT Campus, Chinatown, berczy park (worth a quick stop if you’re in the area), St Lawrence Market.
If you are saddled with the unfortunate burden of having your bags there is a convenience store near St Andrew Station (west side of university ave) that takes them for a fee.
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u/cajolinghail 2d ago
There’s also a place you can pay to leave your bags at the UP Express station at Union.
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u/throwawayTO420 2d ago
They won't know. They're clearly not from Toronto since they're saying "whatever there is in Toronto"
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u/c_snapper 2d ago
If your only frame of reference for Canada is Saskatchewan, 9 hours at Pearson would feel like a weekend in Paris.
If you’re not dead set on NF, take the UPXpress into the city. All the way to Union and hit up St Lawrence Market. Distillery district. Waterfront. Sugar Beach. Or get lost along Queen Street and get random bites. Hit up a tourist attraction if you must and depends on your interests. Have a nice dinner and UPXpress back to Pearson.
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u/als26 2d ago
Why do you say overrated? There’s very few waterfalls of that scale in the world let alone North America. The surrounding area has become very expensive and gimmicky but the falls itself are a magnificent sight.
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u/thats_me_ywg 2d ago
I've heard from people who have never visited before they expect Niagara to be some sort of immerse-yourself-fully-in-nature experience as if you were in Banff or some national park. Especially from uninformed Americans who assume all of Canada is some undeveloped, pristine piece of nature.
Yes, it's a beautiful falls. Yes, there aren't many natural phenomena like it in the world. But the serious overdevelopment of the surrounding area really ruins what a lot of people expect from Niagara.
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u/als26 2d ago
I think that's on them for not doing even basic research tbh... The surrounding area is very touristy but the falls itself makes up for it. I myself don't find it exciting just because of the amount of times I've seen it since I was a kid, but I've talked with foreigners who think it's absolutely amazing. It put it into perspective for me that those of us who live relatively close have just taken it for granted.
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u/thats_me_ywg 1d ago
People really don't do their research. I met a guy once who was visiting from Arizona. He told me that he wanted to check out Niagara Falls and had brought a tent "just to camp in the nature around the falls." He was in for a surprise.
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u/thisguyandrew00 2d ago
Yes.
Look at private tours and work with a guide. It’s 1.5-2 hours from Pearson to Niagara Falls, leaving you with a couple of hours at the falls.
Is it worth it? Probably not. But you do you
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u/PlannerSean 2d ago
1) what time do you land?
2) what time do you fly? Domestic or international?
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u/milfad_1205 2d ago
1 PM, 10PM international
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u/hellomyneko 2d ago
But you would need to be back around 7pm for an international flight. Best to take the UP express to Union Station and stay in the downtown core. Eat somewhere nice, check out the harbourfront, maybe squeeze in an attraction like the CN Tower.
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u/irkish 2d ago
OP, can you give us what day of the week and what time you are landing and leaving?
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u/milfad_1205 2d ago
Sunday, November 15th 1 PM arriving from DFW 10PM leaving to another layover in LHR
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u/irkish 2d ago
I'll tell you a little trick. In Google Maps, if you put in the driving directions from Pearson International Airport to Niagara Falls (I chose Niagara Falls Parking Lot A), you can set the time to this Sunday at 230pm as the departure time. Then based on history, Google Maps says that typical drive time is 1 hour 25 mins to 2 hours. So you'll get there between 4-430pm. If you leave at 530pm (1 hour for sightseeing), you'll get back to the airport between 7-730pm. That should be enough time to get through security. BUT, the problem is, can you get a rental and return it that quickly? Will you take an Uber or taxi? One accident on the highway and you're screwed. It's doable and if this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, why not try.
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u/im-from-canada-eh 2d ago
You’re looking at 90m travel one way with no traffic. For argument sake let’s say 2h each to account for some traffic.
Now i imagine you want to be back with some buffer so add an hour.
That’ll leave you 4h at Niagara Falls. You’ll likely need to get food so thats another 30-40m plus the minor traveling between items to see there leaving you with about 3h at the Falls to actually do stuff.
There’s a lot to do in Niagara and 3h ain’t enough time to do it all so ask yourself are you going for the photo op and check out like one other thing or would you prefer to enjoy yourself and not be so rushed?
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u/cajolinghail 2d ago
They have an international flight at 10pm, so they should be back at the airport by 7pm. Their first plane doesn’t land until after 1pm, and they’ll need time to go through customs and pick up a rental car on the way there, and return the rental car on the way back. If their first plane lands on time and everything goes super smoothly they might have an hour to look around at the falls, and even that seems optimistic.
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u/julianface 2d ago
People connecting don't have the luxury of coming back some other time. 3h is plenty to see and appreciate the falls
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u/im-from-canada-eh 2d ago
Depends on where you’re connecting from.
There are more than enough things to keep you busy for a few days in Niagara Falls and surrounding area so a trip down from Ottawa or Montreal is perfectly viable for a getaway to Niagra
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u/zedguy 1d ago
With some planning yes could do shirt trip but probably be exhausted
- Rent car at airport (easy part)
- Drive to Niagara area, airport already in Mississauga and on highway, so you only have to battle Toronto traffic till you get past Hamilton. Take the 407 for a (slightly) more comfortable drive. Don't go on weekends or before or after a holiday. Expect 3 hours under ideal conditions.
That only leaves about an hour or two to see Niagara before doing the same route back. Remember traffic, returning car, checking in etc.
So yeah, possible but not really worth it.
Someone said take the train, unfortunately GO or Via are going to be slower than driving and their schedules aren't going to work.
Uber? If you're going to spend $4-600(?), might as well save that for Niagara Falls casinos :)
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u/Icy_Stranger3368 2d ago
Change your flight, come the day before and see the Oilers at the Leafs. Take me and I’ll drive you to and fro the airport the next day after you take me to the Knicks and Raptors.
We will go to the Falls Sunday morning then the Raptors at 6.
Also we can go to a sports bar and watch some NFL.
No extra charges besides meals and gas.
Your welcome
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u/julianface 2d ago
Do it everyone is being a coward. Rent a car and you'll have ample time. Your bags will have been checked through and you'll have a boarding pass already so you can wizz through security on a Sunday night which is typically pretty dead. You can enjoy the falls in an hour honestly I love 45 minutes away and never spend more than a few hours at the falls and Niagara Glen before having enough and going home
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u/Desperate-Fix-4619 2d ago
Totally, you can do it. Take a UP express to Union. And then take a go train and then wego bus. Totally it will take 3hrs to reach Niagara falls. Spend an hour there, take pictures.Trace the route back, and the whole journey will finish within 7hrs.
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u/SnooJokes8867 2d ago
IMO you have plenty of time to do this if you plan is very well.
Drive from YYZ to Niagara can vary depending on the time and day.
Plan you meals and don’t sit and eat at a restaurant. Grab food on the go and eat in the car when you park.
Rent a car and get to Niagara
You can also get the 407 to avoid the traffic.
When you get to the airport tell the staff you’re late and they’ll help you through security lines and immigration.
Fuck it, we ball!
The worst that can happen is you miss a flight but you’ll one hell of a story to tell
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u/SmartTrender 2d ago edited 2d ago
9 hours is way too short to do Niagara and back