Back in April I travelled from London to Toronto and landed at Hamilton Airport rather than at Toronto Pearson. I didn’t even realise that I was not going to land at Pearson when I booked the flight. Turned out though that the experience was so much quieter and from landing to getting on the bus to Hamilton I didn’t spend more than half an hour. In this article I want to tell you how to get from Hamilton Airport to downtown Toronto, as after I found out that I was landing at a different airport, I didn’t find much information about the local transport. Also, after spending a bit of time in Southern Ontario, I realised that public transport is just not the greatest, and many people just drive everywhere.
So, if you are looking to book a flight with Play Airlines, which is who I used for a cheap fare from Europe to Canada, you will land in Hamilton. Now, Hamilton is quite a way from Toronto, halfway between the metropolis and Niagara Falls. And whilst the public transport might not be the best, there are several options that will take you to Toronto without too much hassle -and cheap!
How to Get From Hamilton Airport to Downtown Toronto
Option 1: Megabus
The fastest option to get from Hamilton Airport to downtown Toronto is the direct Megabus. Unfortunately, there is only one bus a day, at 6:25 PM. Which, if you arrive in Hamilton from Europe with Play, is very convenient, as the plane lands at 5 PM.
For other flights though, it may not be so convenient.
In the opposite direction, the bus leaves Toronto Union Station for Hamilton Airport at 1:30 PM.
Megabus takes one hour to reach Toronto Union Station, which is very centrally located in the city. Prices start at 9,99 Canadian dollars if booked in advance, and range to around 19,99 Canadian dollars for a last-minute ticket. If you book online, there is another 3,99 Canadian dollars booking fee. You can click here to book.
Option 2: Local bus + Go Train
The other most convenient option to get from Hamilton Airport to Downtown Toronto is a combination of the local bus and the Go Train service. The local bus 20 connects the airport to the Hamilton Go Transit Centre, from where you can take a train directly to Toronto Union Station. Most of the day, there are 4 hourly buses connecting the airport with Hamilton. You can click here to see the schedule. The ticket costs 3 Canadian dollars and you can pay using your contactless card, which is very handy, especially when you come from an international destination and don’t yet have local money. It takes around half an hour to reach the Go Transit Centre. From here, there is a Go Train every hour, which reaches Toronto Union Station in one hour and 20 minutes. The price for the ticket is $13,60.
Option 3: Local bus + Go Bus
The third option is combining the local Airport express bus, number 20, with the Go Bus. You will have to follow the same route until reaching the Go Transit Centre. From there you will have to change to the Go Bus number 16, in the direction of Union Station. The trip takes one hour and 10 minutes and costs 13,60 Canadian dollars. The bus runs every hour.
It is good to mention that both the Go Train and the GO Bus offer accessible trips.
Option 4: Private Transfer
The easiest but most costly option is to book a private transfer between the airport and downtown Toronto. While a private transfer is the most expensive option, it offers significant advantages in terms of convenience, comfort, and personalized service. If you’re travelling with a group or have substantial luggage, you can split the cost and have a more hassle-free experience reaching your hotel in Toronto. Prices start at 100 Canadian dollars each way and include a door-to-door service in a comfortable private car. The driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall and will track the flight to make sure that he is there when you land.
A private transfer is the quickest way to reach Toronto as well, with a travel time of just one hour, depending on the traffic and which part of the city your hotel is in.
Click here to see the latest private transfer offers.
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Really helpful. Love it when public transport is an option. Although the time of the mega bus only an hour after my flight is scheduled to land gives me anxiety!
Private transfer seems like my type of method as it’s much more convenient and as you mentioned, you can split the costs if you’re with a group. I will keep these tips in mind for when I visit Toronto.
Really useful information here, but it brought back the nightmare of one of my worst driving experiences ever. (Driving a large RV from the airport in Toronto).
Some good info for when I travel to Toronto!
I love when cities have SO many options to get from the airport to the city!
Great tips! I’ve only flown into Pearson (which has really easy transport into the city), but I’m always looking for flight deals so it’s good to have the info for Hamilton!