Transportation

Major gateways are Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR) and Montreal (YUL). From Pearson the UP Express train reaches downtown Toronto in about 25 minutes, while Vancouver's YVR is linked to downtown by the Canada Line SkyTrain. Taxis and Uber/Lyft serve all airports at fixed or metered fares. Confirm the current option and price for your specific airport on arrival.

Big cities have solid public transit run by local agencies — the TTC in Toronto (subway, streetcars and buses), SkyTrain and buses in Vancouver, and the STM Metro and buses in Montreal. Service is clean and reliable in urban cores but thins out in suburbs and smaller towns, where a car is often easier. Tap a contactless card or the local transit card to ride.

There is no single national transit card — each region has its own. Toronto and the surrounding area use Presto, Vancouver uses Compass, and Montreal uses OPUS. On many systems you can now simply tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet instead of buying a local card, which is easiest for short visits. For a longer stay, a reloadable regional card can work out cheaper.

Uber and Lyft operate widely in Canadian cities and are usually easy to hail through the app, with the fare shown upfront. Traditional metered taxis are also plentiful and can be flagged on the street or found at ranks. Both take cards, and tipping the driver around 10 to 15 percent is customary. In smaller towns, rideshare coverage can be limited, so a local taxi number is handy.

Canada is vast, so intercity distances are large. VIA Rail runs passenger trains, best known for the busy Toronto–Ottawa–Montreal corridor and scenic long-haul routes like the Canadian to Vancouver, though the transcontinental trips are slow and infrequent. Long-distance coaches (such as Flixbus and regional lines) connect many cities more cheaply, while flying is often the practical way to cover the biggest gaps.

Given the size of the country, flying is often the sensible way to cross Canada — a coast-to-coast drive takes days, but a flight takes hours. The main carriers are Air Canada and WestJet, with Porter strong in the east and various low-cost options on busy routes. Book ahead for better fares, and remember there are multiple time zones, so double-check local departure and arrival times.

Plan around Canada's scale and seasons: what looks like a short hop on the map can be a long haul, and winter weather can delay or cancel travel, so build in buffer time. Pedestrians should note traffic comes from the left as cars drive on the right. In cities, transit apps and contactless payment cover most needs; for the mountains and remote areas, a rental car with winter readiness is best.