🛫 T1 — Air Canada / Star Alliance Hub

Airlines: Air Canada (all flights), Lufthansa, United, ANA, Asiana, Singapore, Turkish, Egyptair, Ethiopian, Emirates, Etihad, plus most Star Alliance long-haul.

Vibe: The flagship — UP Express station inside, three Maple Leaf Lounges (one with US pre-clearance), Plaza Premium, runway-facing concourse. The Air Canada Café opened in 2024.

🛬 T3 — Oneworld + SkyTeam + LCC

Airlines: American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, JAL, LATAM, Qantas (Oneworld); Air France, KLM, Aeroméxico, Delta, China Eastern (SkyTeam); WestJet, Sunwing, Air Transat (Canadian non-AC); plus Saudia and a few others.

Vibe: Smaller, older but recently refurbished. The Plaza Premium Lounge here is solid; Maple Leaf Lounge T3 is for Star Alliance Gold connecting to AC departures.

eTA — CAD 7, Apply Before Flying

Visa-exempt foreign nationals (UK, all EU, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, +others) need an eTA at canada.ca/eta. CAD 7, valid 5 years, max 6-month stay. Apply online, usually approved in minutes. US citizens are exempt. Indian, Chinese, Russian and most African/Latin American passport holders need a TRV (Temporary Resident Visa).

US Pre-Clearance at T1

If you’re flying YYZ → US (any US destination), you clear US Customs and Border Protection at YYZ T1 before departure. Arrive at the US destination as domestic — no immigration queue at JFK/LAX/ORD/etc. Add 60 minutes to your YYZ arrival time; pre-clearance is its own queue. Bring your ESTA / B1/B2 / Green Card as needed.

NEXUS & Verified Traveller

Canadian/US NEXUS programme members get fast lanes at security AND US pre-clearance — under 60 seconds typical. CAD 50 / USD 50 for 5 years if eligible (pre-approved cross-border traveller). Worth it for frequent YYZ users.

⭐ UP Express — The Default Pick

Direct train from YYZ Pearson Station (inside T1) to Union Station in downtown Toronto. 25 minutes, every 15 minutes from 04:55 to 01:00. Air-conditioned, comfortable, free WiFi. Stops at Weston and Bloor en route.

🚇 TTC 192 Bus + Subway — Cheapest

TTC bus 192 (Airport Rocket) connects T1 / T3 to Kipling subway station (Line 2). CAD 3.35 single fare, valid 2 hours including transfer to subway. Total ~60 min to downtown via Bloor + Yonge subway. The cheapest, slowest option.

🚖 Taxi, Uber & Lyft

Taxi to downtown: CAD 60–80 on the regulated meter. Uber and Lyft work fine with a dedicated pickup zone — CAD 35–55 standard, CAD 70–100 surge. Pre-bookable. Pickup zone is the Ground Transportation level signposted from arrivals.

✨ Maple Leaf Lounge T1 International (F-pier, post-security)

If you order one Canadian thing at YYZ, it’s a double-double from Tim Hortons (coffee with two creams, two sugars) and a Boston cream donut or Timbits (donut holes). Multiple Tims locations in both terminals. Skip the Starbucks — Tims is the Canadian institution.

Poutine (fries + cheese curds + gravy) is the Quebec national dish that’s spread across Canada. Smoke’s Poutinerie in T1 serves a credible airport version. Skip the McDonald’s; you’re in Canada — eat the country’s indigenous comfort food.

For carry-on gifts: real Quebec maple syrup (look for “100% pure”), Roots-branded apparel (Canadian-made leather goods), Indigenous First Nations jewellery (silver, soapstone) at the Pearson craft shops. Avoid the “Canada” printed t-shirts — same product across every Canadian airport.

Toronto winters bring major snowstorms Nov–March. YYZ has solid de-icing but ground stops happen. Build a 60-minute buffer for January–February long-haul departures and watch Environment Canada warnings. UP Express keeps running through most weather; the 401 highway closes first.

The 401 is one of North America’s busiest highways and the YYZ access route. Construction projects through 2026–2028 add 15–30 min to evening rush-hour drives. UP Express bypasses the 401 entirely — strongly preferred during construction season.

If you’re flying YYZ → US, the airport-side experience is meaningfully different. US Customs and Border Protection at T1 clears you in Toronto; you arrive at JFK/LAX/ORD as domestic. Add 60 min to your YYZ arrival time (so 3.5h for non-Schengen-equivalent rules). Once cleared, you’re in a separate “domestic-US” sub-pier with its own gates and a Maple Leaf Lounge.

Toronto tap water is excellent — drawn from Lake Ontario and lightly treated. Refill at any airside washroom or drinking fountain. Don’t pay CAD 4–6 for sealed water; the tap version is genuinely better.

Foreign visitors should arrange roaming or buy a Canadian eSIM before arrival — YYZ has limited SIM-card kiosks and Canadian prepaid plans (Rogers, Bell, Telus, Freedom) require a physical store visit. Airalo, Holafly, Ubigi sell 30-day Canadian eSIMs from CAD 35–55, activated via QR code in advance. 5G coverage is universal in the GTA.

Toronto is one of the safest North American metropolises. UP Express runs to 01:00 with full CCTV; TTC subway runs until 01:30. Uber and Lyft are vetted-driver. The airport itself is well-policed at any hour. The Eaton Centre / Yonge-Dundas / Union Station areas late-night feel safe — Toronto’s night-life clusters are well-lit and well-trafficked.