15th of July, 2023
Toronto Harbour (259 Queens Quay West)
Come to our Wedding!
Updates below
What's the plan?
Plans may change, so please confirm with Katy & Dane if you’d like to join for any of the following
Katy will be in Canada from the 5th-25th, Dane will be there from around the 12th-23rd, with a home base in downtown Toronto. The “core” days are Friday 14th July to Wednesday 19th July, after this winging it..
Brits Canadian Tour Guide
Booking your trip:
If you'd like help from a travel agent, feel free to get in contact with Dane's cousin Lisa at Endless Escapes for flights, hotels, etc.
Where to Stay:
Dane and I are staying at the Residence & Conference Centre – Toronto Downtown. Each air-conditioned suite consists of two private bedrooms with one (double) bed in each room, a kitchenette and a private 3-piece bath. Book here
Get in contact with Katy/Dane if you’d like to find another person/couple to share with or to put your name down for potential group rates ($170+tax per night, need 10 rooms booked together)
Hotels in Canada vary a lot in quality, but in Toronto most places are reasonably comfortable, and most hotels have 2 Queen beds as standard
Airbnbs and Guesthouses have a huge range of quality and location, so be sure to check the booking thoroughly.
Residence & Conference Centre $$
Each air-conditioned suite consists of two private bedrooms with one (double) bed in each room, a kitchenette and a private 3-piece bath.
One King West $$$
One King West – can get 20% off from booking through mobile at onekingwest.com or if you book 60 days in advance, can get 20% off with code TRIPTAB
Sonder $$
Sonder- a few locations around TO: Discount code LHSPC10 for 10% off, can book directly through sonder.com.
Radisson Blu Downtown $$$
Radisson Blu Downtown – Can get 10-15% discount on their rate, have to book through them directly. They do have a rooftop pool, if you find that appealing
Getting around
Toronto is a city that was planned by rational people so almost all the roads go straight, and run East-West or North-South.
Toronto’s Southern edge is on the shore of Lake Ontario, if you know where the Lake is, you can figure out the rest of your directions. The CN tower is also a good landmark for directions
The TTC If planning on using the TTC information here. We’d recommend it, as it’s a really inexpensive way to get around the city. It’s about 2 GBP ($3.25 CAD) per trip. Unfortunately, you still need to use tokens, tickets, or buy a Presto card (which you can do at any subway station from the vending machines)
Uber is common, but isn’t regulated the same way it is in Europe, so there will be different rates between Uber, taxis, and other ridesharing apps.
The Path is a series of underground interconnected buildings in downtown Toronto, and is the largest underground shopping mall in the world.
Renting a car is relatively easy, and usually cheapest directly from the Airport, though there are options downtown as well. Speed limits and distances are in Kilometers (1 Mile = 1.6 km). We drive on the Right side of the road, and most of the roads go straight, so it’s generally easy to navigate.
Airports
The UP Express is a train that runs directly from the airport to Union Station in Downtown Toronto, and costs $13 per person or $26 for a family of up to 5. It runs every 20-30 minutes, gets you directly downtown, and is generally a lot cheaper than a cab!
If extending your trip to the US or elsewhere in Canada, you’ll probably still go to Pearson, but there is an airport on Toronto Island (Billy Bishop Toronto City), which runs shorter haul flights.
You’ll likely be flying into Toronto Pearson, YYZ.
How to keep yourself busy in Toronto:
I’d normally recommend going on a boat tour, but you won’t need to. There’s millions of things to do in Toronto/Ontario, we’d recommend any or all of the following:
Things to do outside Toronto:
General things for travellers to know:
Canada is big, if you’re thinking of popping over to Vancouver or Vegas, do yourself a favour and check the flights/driving time well in advance.
Everywhere is table service, you don’t need to go to the bar to order food
Tipping is generally part of common courtesy, the card machines will always be adjustable, if you’re on a budget, you don’t have to go with a pre-set.
Prices on tags don’t include sales tax, so the exact price of what you’re buying will be a bit higher than what the signage says
Sales Tax is only 13%, so if you want something luxury/designer, it’s usually cheaper in Canada than the UK
Some places only accept Credit cards
$100 bills are Maple Syrup-scented
Toronto is the set of every movie or show you’ve ever seen
Lemonade is different. It’s non-carbonated, and made of lemon juice with sugar and water, like any other fruit juice. If you want lemonade (fizzy), ask for it by the brand name as in Sprite or 7up
Roaming on your current phone plan is probably very expensive! You can get Pay as you Go Sim Cards from anywhere, like 7/11 or any cell kiosk (Mobile Companies: Wind, Koodo, Public Mobile, Speak out, Fido, etc), but data is a lot more expensive than it is in the UK. It’s relatively easy while in Toronto to use Public Wifi if you’re spending time in restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, The Path, etc.
Weather
Toronto is HOT in July. The average temperature is 27℃, and it’s sunny- you should wear sunscreen.
Beer?
Enjoy the beer. The cider is gross, though. Your “pint” may range from 12-20 oz, but it’s not usually less than 5%.
Bears?
You won’t see a bear, but you will see raccoons.
