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Tyler and I made it to Toronto a few days ago, and we’ve been settling in quite nicely. That being said, we ran into some hiccups flying into the city that delayed us getting to our hotel. Obviously, travel rules continue to change, but if you’re flying into Toronto any time soon, this is what you need to know:
- Fill out ArriveCAN in advance. We somehow missed this important piece of travel information for Canada, so it was a scramble to fill in our details upon landing. The app is free to download, and it’s used to get your passport and vaccine information. Note: if you’re fully vaccinated, you do not need to take a COVID test to enter, but they may still randomly test you; if you’re not fully vaccinated, you will need to test in advance of your arrival.
- You may experience a “customs hold.” This was our first time flying WestJet, so we didn’t quite know what to expect. (Verdict: not the best airline I’ve ever been on, but it was worth it for the better price and direct flight.) When we landed, the crew let us know that we were in a “customs hold,” so only passengers with connecting flights could deplane. This is done to help control the flow of passengers going into the airport, but it may keep you on your plane much longer than expected upon landing – we were lucky ours was quick.
- The actual customs experience moved quickly. Most recently, we experienced some crazy long customs lines in Madrid, so this was a pleasant surprise. We appreciated the many primary inspection kiosks (PIK) they had available to speed up the process of answering initial questions, and then our exchange with the border patrol office was super smooth. It seems the “customs hold” is working for them!
- The UP Express could be a great option to get into the city – or not. This train can get you to Union Station in downtown Toronto in 25 minutes. Tyler and I had planned to purchase tickets for it… until we realized that we had just missed the train, and another wouldn’t leave for 30 minutes. Considering we would still have had a ~20 minute walk from the station after arrival, we ended up ordering a Lyft to get to our hotel. While it was more expensive (~40 CAD vs ~24 for the UP), it saved us a ton of time.
Tomorrow, we head to Niagara Falls, and I can’t wait to see more of what Canada has to offer. Full itinerary coming soon!