First, how do I get to Toronto? This post is intended for US and international travellers coming to the APUG Conference. I'll assume most Canadians will know how to get to Toronto.
1. Trains...
1. Rental Cars.
All of the major company's are present at Pearson and many are near Union Station. Avis, Hertz, National, Budget, Enterprise. The closest major intersection to the conference is Eglinton Avenue and Laird Drive. Industrial Drive is the 4th street on your left south of Eglinton. Driving in Toronto can be frustrating, well driving is fun, but parking is hell! Try to avoid driving on the 401 through Toronto during rush hours - 7:30am to 10:00am and 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
2. Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/ttc/
The following busses run nearby on Laird (closest stop is Wicksteed/McRae): 56 Leaside and 88 South Leaside. The 56 runs to the Eglinton subway stop (on the Yonge Line) which is near the Roehampton Inn on Yonge Street. About a 5-10 minute bus ride to the conference.
3. Walking - http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/path/
Toronto is very safe to walk around at all times. Even the most herdened areas are no where near in comparison to some urban centers in the US like Compton, South Chicago, etc... in terms of violence. Total murder rate in all of greater Toronto averages around 50 per year for a metro population of about 6 million people. The Holiday Inn Toronto Don Valley Hotel is a 20-30minute walk (most of it uphill) and the Roehampton Inn is a 30-40 minute walk from the conference.
4. Cycling - http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/cycling/
Not at all like Amsterdam, but you can bike around in Toronto. Ther are some places where you can rent bikes near Harbourfront, but I don't think cycling with loads of camera gear is all that fun!
5. Taxis
There's lots of them. A taxi ride to/from the airport to any of the hotels or the conference site is about $30CAD. Like any other city, none of the taxi drivers really speak the local language that well, but you really won't get ripped off by them and most know their way around Toronto pretty well. I think the taxi commission upped the lisencing standards a few years ago with an actual driver's knowledge test.
I'm sure there will be enough people with cars to shuttle people around during the conference as well.
Art.
1. Trains...
Amtrak - http://www.amtrak.com/
Toronto's station abbrieviation is TWO and is part of the Northeast Region when you are doing a search. Direct trains from NYC Penn Station daily - this called the Maple Leaf Route with major transfer stops at Albany and Buffalo. There use to be a Chicago to Toronto direct route, but no more. The closest you can get from Chicago is Detroit direct.
Via Rail - http://www.viarail.ca/
Everyone in Canada will know about Via Rail. Clean, efficient, friendly, relaxing way to travel. If you're in Detroit, get over to Windsor across the river and hop on a Via Rail train - direct daily routes to Toronto.
Union Station - http://www.ttrly.com/
When you arrive, you will be arriving at the venrable (and ubiquitous) Union Station in the heart of downtown. The station is operated by the Toronto Terminal Railway.
2. Planes...Toronto's station abbrieviation is TWO and is part of the Northeast Region when you are doing a search. Direct trains from NYC Penn Station daily - this called the Maple Leaf Route with major transfer stops at Albany and Buffalo. There use to be a Chicago to Toronto direct route, but no more. The closest you can get from Chicago is Detroit direct.
Via Rail - http://www.viarail.ca/
Everyone in Canada will know about Via Rail. Clean, efficient, friendly, relaxing way to travel. If you're in Detroit, get over to Windsor across the river and hop on a Via Rail train - direct daily routes to Toronto.
Union Station - http://www.ttrly.com/
When you arrive, you will be arriving at the venrable (and ubiquitous) Union Station in the heart of downtown. The station is operated by the Toronto Terminal Railway.
Air Canada - http://www.aircanada.com/
The cheapest class of tickets are called Tango, but I'd wait a bit before booking any tickets. You can also get cheaper Tango Plus tickets (more service for less) if you watch the site on a regular basis. Booking directly on the website is cheaper than any other method.
WestJet - http://www.westjet.com/
Those in Canada will know about discount airline WestJet. They also have direct flights from Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Palm Springs, Pheonix, San Diego, San Francisco and Tampa.
Star Alliance - http://www.star-alliance.com/ and One World - http://www.oneworldalliance.com/
Air Canada is of course a member of the Star Alliance network, with several member airlines having direct flights to Toronto. Then, there's rival One World, also with several member airlines serving Toronto directly.
Destina - http://www.destina.ca/
Canada's equivalent to Expedia and Travelocity. Personally, if you are comfortable booking online, I'd do that and book directly with the airlines, hotels, car companies directly. You can get deals, but you will be locked in.
Lester B Pearson International Airport - http://www.gtaa.com/
All international and most domestic flights land at 'Pearson' as it's known locally. The airporty's abbreviation symbol/code is YYZ when you're doing searches. The Greater Toronto Airport Authority operates Pearson. The airport itself is about a 30 minute ride from downtown Toronto or about a 30-40 minute ride to any of the hotels I listed in the accommodations thread (depending on traffic - which I'll get into later).
3. and Automobiles.The cheapest class of tickets are called Tango, but I'd wait a bit before booking any tickets. You can also get cheaper Tango Plus tickets (more service for less) if you watch the site on a regular basis. Booking directly on the website is cheaper than any other method.
WestJet - http://www.westjet.com/
Those in Canada will know about discount airline WestJet. They also have direct flights from Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Palm Springs, Pheonix, San Diego, San Francisco and Tampa.
Star Alliance - http://www.star-alliance.com/ and One World - http://www.oneworldalliance.com/
Air Canada is of course a member of the Star Alliance network, with several member airlines having direct flights to Toronto. Then, there's rival One World, also with several member airlines serving Toronto directly.
Destina - http://www.destina.ca/
Canada's equivalent to Expedia and Travelocity. Personally, if you are comfortable booking online, I'd do that and book directly with the airlines, hotels, car companies directly. You can get deals, but you will be locked in.
Lester B Pearson International Airport - http://www.gtaa.com/
All international and most domestic flights land at 'Pearson' as it's known locally. The airporty's abbreviation symbol/code is YYZ when you're doing searches. The Greater Toronto Airport Authority operates Pearson. The airport itself is about a 30 minute ride from downtown Toronto or about a 30-40 minute ride to any of the hotels I listed in the accommodations thread (depending on traffic - which I'll get into later).
From Detroit, cross into Canada via the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, follow the signs to Highway 401 and take the 401 to Toronto. Driving this route is the easiest, quickest way from the US MidWest - Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, Cinnicinati, Indianapolis - and points further west for really long road trip.
From Buffalo, cross into Canada at the Peace Bridge or Queenston-Lewis Bridge to Highway 405 to Hamilton, take highway 403 to Highway 401 to Toronto. Driving this route is the easiest and quickest way from the US East coast - Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh.
Coming in from the east, it's basically get to Highway 401 and go west to Toronto.
GreyHound - http://www.greyhound.com/
Well, it's not quite an automobile, but it's on wheels. All busses will arrive at the Metro Toronto Coach Terminal at 610 Bay Street at the corner of Dundas (near the Eaton Centre) and right at the Dundas subway station on the Yoonge line. There is no website for the terminal, but the phone number is 416-393-7911.
Now what about transportation in Toronto? From Buffalo, cross into Canada at the Peace Bridge or Queenston-Lewis Bridge to Highway 405 to Hamilton, take highway 403 to Highway 401 to Toronto. Driving this route is the easiest and quickest way from the US East coast - Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh.
Coming in from the east, it's basically get to Highway 401 and go west to Toronto.
GreyHound - http://www.greyhound.com/
Well, it's not quite an automobile, but it's on wheels. All busses will arrive at the Metro Toronto Coach Terminal at 610 Bay Street at the corner of Dundas (near the Eaton Centre) and right at the Dundas subway station on the Yoonge line. There is no website for the terminal, but the phone number is 416-393-7911.
1. Rental Cars.
All of the major company's are present at Pearson and many are near Union Station. Avis, Hertz, National, Budget, Enterprise. The closest major intersection to the conference is Eglinton Avenue and Laird Drive. Industrial Drive is the 4th street on your left south of Eglinton. Driving in Toronto can be frustrating, well driving is fun, but parking is hell! Try to avoid driving on the 401 through Toronto during rush hours - 7:30am to 10:00am and 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
2. Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/ttc/
The following busses run nearby on Laird (closest stop is Wicksteed/McRae): 56 Leaside and 88 South Leaside. The 56 runs to the Eglinton subway stop (on the Yonge Line) which is near the Roehampton Inn on Yonge Street. About a 5-10 minute bus ride to the conference.
3. Walking - http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/path/
Toronto is very safe to walk around at all times. Even the most herdened areas are no where near in comparison to some urban centers in the US like Compton, South Chicago, etc... in terms of violence. Total murder rate in all of greater Toronto averages around 50 per year for a metro population of about 6 million people. The Holiday Inn Toronto Don Valley Hotel is a 20-30minute walk (most of it uphill) and the Roehampton Inn is a 30-40 minute walk from the conference.
4. Cycling - http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/cycling/
Not at all like Amsterdam, but you can bike around in Toronto. Ther are some places where you can rent bikes near Harbourfront, but I don't think cycling with loads of camera gear is all that fun!
5. Taxis
There's lots of them. A taxi ride to/from the airport to any of the hotels or the conference site is about $30CAD. Like any other city, none of the taxi drivers really speak the local language that well, but you really won't get ripped off by them and most know their way around Toronto pretty well. I think the taxi commission upped the lisencing standards a few years ago with an actual driver's knowledge test.
I'm sure there will be enough people with cars to shuttle people around during the conference as well.
Art.
