Toronto. It is one of the busiest cities in Canada, and I love visiting it whenever I can. On my family’s latest visit to this mega metropolis, we wanted to try to give our car a rest and to use some of the transit options available. Since our hotel was close to my family’s home in Mississauga, ON (a suburban city just west of Toronto), we thought it would be a great idea to try using the UP Express to travel to downtown Toronto.
Transit Travel in Toronto
The Union Pearson (or UP) Express is a train service that makes connecting from Union Station in the heart of downtown Toronto to Pearson International Airport fast and convenient for travelers and commuters. To travel from one end of the line to the other takes only takes 25 minutes, and the train has four stops at these stations: Union, Weston, Bloor, and Pearson.
Cost and conveniences
This mode of transit in the city of Toronto is a bit more expensive since it is such a direct line from the airport to downtown Toronto. The prices also vary depending various circumstances. Whether you are hopping on for a One-Way or Round Trip ride, if you are trying to bide time in between flights, or are a group of people travelling on the train or are taking a visitor to the Pearson or to Union and want to say a fond farewell before they depart, the UP Express is a great way to travel. There are even separate fares for commuters who want to ride for one or two stops between Union and Pearson.
Riding the UP Express
The UP Express was a fabulous option for our family to use while on our vacation home. We were able to use our hotel’s shuttle service to take us to Pearson to catch the UP Express. We then weaved our way to the Union Station and took in the views while we waited for our train to arrive.
It was also nice to have the screens with details of when the next few trains were to depart and arrive.
Once on the train, we took our seats for our short adventure across the city. We were lucky enough to get a block of seats that was near the screen that showed us information about UP Express as well as a map of the train line.
The seats were comfy, too. The table and hook in the back of the seats made it easy to hang up a bag or coat or get some work done while in transit.
My family had an amazing trip on the UP Express. Out trip from Pearson International Airport to Union Station was really fast and smooth, allowing us to be able to reach downtown Toronto from the west side of the city with a lot more time to enjoy our visit. It was also great to have a lot of information about the service of this mode of transit at hand. Finally, it is so convenient to be able to hop onto other transit systems, like VIA Rail and the Toronto Transit Commission (or the TTC) within minutes of exiting a UP Express train car. The UP Express really helped us add a lot of fun and adventure to our transit experience in Toronto!
Would you use the UP Express as a mode of transit around Toronto or as a means to get to and from the airport?
Disclaimer: I received passage on the UP Express in order to write this post. The views I shared are my own.
Cool stuff, lots to see on the express.
I love the idea of an Express transit, much nicer than being stuck in traffic in a car. A very neat way to get around.
Haven’t been to Toronto in awhile now but would definitely give this service a try!
In Toronto Express transit is very nice. I would love to visit there and this information will come in handy.
Sounds like a great way to get downtown, I don’t know what it would be like to go by car, I have never been to Toronto and just the thought scares me..lol
It’s so nice to see transit like this and I’m assuming it’s totally wheelchair accessible which is awesome because I’m in a wheelchair and in the past I’ve only had my van for transportation
I’ve never been on the express before but really want to. Toronto is awesome to visit.
My folks love it. They live near Union station and there’s a seniors discount, especially if you have a Presto Card.
so cool!
The Union Pearson (or UP) Express is very convenient and fast way to get to the airport!
I haven’t used the UP Express, but I do love traveling the subways in Toronto, or anywhere for that mater. Just love subways!
I am the same! I haven’t been on 1 in ages though!