By Air

Flights into Toronto land at the Lester B. Pearson International Airport (tel. 905/676-2275). Flying times: 1 1/2 hours from New York and Chicago, 4 1/2 hours from Los Angeles. Carriers From the U.S. Toronto is served by American (tel. 800/433-7300), Delta (tel. 800/843-9378), Midwest Express (tel. 800/452-2022), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525), United (tel. 800/241-6522), USAir (tel. 800/428-4322), Air Canada (tel. 416/925-2311 or 800/268-7240), and Canadian Airlines International (tel. 416/798-2211 or 800/665-1177), as well as more than a dozen European and Asian carriers with easy connections to many U.S. cities. Air Ontario, affiliated with Air Canada (tel. 416/925-2311), flies from the small, downtown Island Airport to and from Ottawa, Montréal, London (Ontario), and Newark. It is a convenient alternative to Pearson International if you're staying downtown and making trips to these cities. From the U.K Contact Air Canada (tel. 800/776-3000) or British Airways (tel. 020/8897-4000 or 0345/222-111 outside London). Between the Airport and Town Although Pearson is not far from the downtown area (about 32 kilometers, or 18 miles), the drive can take well over an hour during Toronto's weekday rush hours. By Bus Pacific Western (tel. 905/564-6333) offers express coach service linking the airport to three subway stops in the southwest and north-central areas of the city. Buses depart several times each hour from 8 AM to 11:30 PM. Fares average $6-$7. The service to and from several downtown hotels operates every 20 minutes from 6:25 AM to 12:45 AM daily and costs approximately $12. Some airport and downtown hotels offer free shuttle bus service from the three terminals. By Car If you are renting a car at the airport, be sure to ask for a street map of the city. Route 427 runs south some 6 kilometers (4 miles) to the lakeshore. Here you pick up the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW or Queen E) east to the Gardiner Expressway, which runs east into the heart of downtown. If you take the QEW west, you'll find yourself swinging around Lake Ontario, toward Hamilton, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Niagara Falls. By Taxi Taxis and limos to a hotel or attraction near the lake typically cost $30 or more. Airport cabs have fixed rates to different parts of the city. You have little choice but to pay the full fare from the airport, but it is often possible to negotiate a lower fare from downtown, where airport cabs have to compete with regular city cabs for business. It is illegal for city cabs to pick up passengers at the airport, unless they are specifically called-a time-consuming process, but sometimes worth the wait.

By Bus

The bus terminal (610 Bay St., north of Dundas St., tel. 416/393-7911) serves a number of lines. Greyhound (tel. 416/367-8747 or 800/231-2222) has regular bus service into Toronto from all over the United States and Canada. From Detroit, the trip takes five hours; from Buffalo, two to three hours; from Chicago and New York City, 11 hours. Several other bus companies, such as Trentway-Wagar and Voyageur, offer service to many of the same destinations.

By Car

Detroit-Windsor and Buffalo-Fort Erie crossings can be slow, especially on weekends and holidays. The wonderfully wide Highway 401-reaching up to 16 lanes as it slashes across metro Toronto from the airport on the west almost as far as the zoo on the east-is the major link between Windsor, Ontario (and Detroit), and Montréal. It's also known as the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway but is really never called anything other than "the 401." There are no tolls, but be warned: In weekday rush hours the 401 can become dreadfully crowded, even stop-and-go. Plan your trips to avoid these times. If you're driving from Buffalo or Niagara Falls, take the Queen Elizabeth Way, which curves up along the western shore of Lake Ontario, eventually turns into the Gardiner Expressway, and flows right into the downtown core. Yonge Street, which begins at the lakefront, is called Route 11 once you get north of Toronto and continues all the way to the Ontario-Minnesota border, at Rainy River. At 1,896 kilometers (1,178 miles), it is the longest street in the world. Requirements In Canada your own driver's license is acceptable. If you have rented in the United States, be sure to keep the rental contract with you to indicate that use in Canada is authorized by the rental agency. Insurance Drivers must have proof of insurance coverage, which is compulsory in Canada. The Canadian Non-Resident Inter-Provincial Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card, available from any U.S. insurance company, is accepted as evidence of financial responsibility anywhere in Canada. The minimum liability coverage in Canada is $200,000, except in Québec where the minimum is $50,000. If you are driving a car that is not registered in your name, carry a letter from the owner that authorizes your use of the vehicle. For more information, contact the Insurance Bureau of Canada (181 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3M7, tel. 416/362-2301).

By Train

Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245) runs a daily train to Toronto from Chicago (a 12-hour trip), and another from New York City (12 hours). From Union Station (Front St. between Bay and York Sts.) you can walk underground to many hotels-a real boon in inclement weather. There is a cab stand outside the main entrance of the station.

Getting Around

Overview

Most of Toronto is laid out on a grid pattern. The key street to remember is Yonge Street (pronounced "young"), the main north-south artery. Most major cross streets are numbered east and west of Yonge Street. In other words, if you are looking for 180 St. Clair Avenue West, you want a building a few blocks west of Yonge Street; 75 Queen Street East is a block or so east of Yonge Street.

By Car

By law, you are required to wear seat belts (and use infant seats). The price of gasoline ranges from 44 cents to 63 cents a liter. (There are 3.8 liters in a U.S. gallon, 4.5 liters in a Canadian Imperial gallon.) Distances are always shown in kilometers, and gasoline is always sold in liters. The Imperial gallon is seldom used. Pedestrian crosswalks are sprinkled throughout the city; they are marked clearly by yellow overhead signs and very large painted Xs. All a pedestrian has to do is stick out a hand, and cars (you hope!) screech to a halt in both directions. Right turns on red lights are nearly always permitted, except where otherwise posted. You must come to a complete stop before making the turn. Requirements In Canada your own driver's license is acceptable. If you have rented in the United States, be sure to keep the rental contract with you to indicate that use in Canada is authorized by the rental agency. Car Rental The major car-rental companies represented in Canada are Alamo (tel. 800/327-9633 or 0800/272-2000 in the U.K.); Avis (tel. 800/331-1084 or 800/879-2847 in Canada); Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 or 0800/181181 in the U.K.); Dollar (tel. 800/800-4000 or 0990/565656 in the U.K., where it is known as Eurodollar); Hertz (tel. 800/654-3001, 800/263-0600 in Canada, or 0345/555888 in the U.K.); and National InterRent (sometimes known as Europcar InterRent outside North America; tel. 800/227-3876 or 01345/222-525 in the U.K.). In Toronto, rates begin at $27 a day and $169 a week, not including 14% tax.

By Mass Transit

Call the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC; tel. 416/393-4636) from 7 AM to 11:30 PM for information on how to take public transit to any street or attraction in the city. The TTC publishes a very useful Ride Guide each year. It shows nearly every major place of interest and how to reach it by public transit. These guides are available in most subways and many other places around the city. The subways stop running at 2 AM, but the TTC has bus service from 1 to 5:30 AM on many major streets, including Queen, College, Bloor, Yonge, part of Dufferin, and as far north as Finch and Eglinton. Bus All buses and streetcars accept exact change, tickets, or tokens. Paper transfers are free; pick one up from the driver when you pay your fare. Subway The TTC runs one of the safest, cleanest, most trustworthy systems of its kind anywhere. There are two major subway lines, with 60 stations along the way: the Bloor/Danforth Line, which crosses Toronto about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the lakefront, from east to west, and the Yonge/University/Spadina Line, which loops north and south, like a giant "U," with the bottom of the "U" at Union Station. Tokens and tickets are sold in each subway station and at hundreds of convenience stores along the many routes of the TTC. Get your transfers just after you pay your fare and enter the subway; you'll find them in machines on your way down to the trains.

By Taxi

The meter begins at $2.50 and includes the first.2 kilometer (roughly.1 mile). Each additional.235 kilometer (.145 mile) is 25 cents-as is each passenger in excess of four. The waiting time "while under engagement" is 25 cents for every 33 seconds-and in one of the horrible traffic jams, this could add up. Still, it's possible to take a cab across downtown Toronto for $8 to $9. The largest companies are Beck (tel. 416/461-1131); Co-op (tel. 416/504-2667); Diamond (tel. 416/366-6868); Metro (tel. 416/504-8294); and Royal (tel. 416/785-3322). For more information, call the Metro Licensing Commission (tel. 416/392-3000).