Transportation within Canada
Canada offers a wide variety of transport:
- Taxi – can be very costly to use. In Ontario the typical cost per kilometre is around $4.40, subsequent kilometres are charged at $0.25. In British Columbia the average is around $3.30. The fare is based on time of day, distance travelled and time taken. Fares elsewhere will vary from place to place and are more expensive in the evenings, at weekends and during public holidays.
- Bike – cheap alternative and healthy too! But wear a helmet and buy a good lock for your bike. Many cities have bike lanes. These are designated lanes just for bikes
- Coaches – offers efficient travel between major cities
Route information can be found at:
Gray Line (Canada): www.grayline.ca
Greyhound (Canada): www.greyhound.ca
Coach Canada (Toronto/Montréal): www.coachcanada.com
Pacific Coach Lines (BC): www.pacificcoach.com
Quick Shuttle (Vancouver-Seattle): www.quickcoach.com
- Buses – convenient way of getting around. Public transport can be inexpensive if used with student discounts on offer. The cost of travelling on Toronto’s TTC buses is $2.00 for a student ticket. If you are going to travel on the buses or underground frequently then buying a Metropass may be a more cost effective option. Toronto bus information can be found at: www.ttc.ca/Routes/Buses.jsp. Outside of Totonto check your local town government website for details of buses in your area.
- Trains - Canada train networks are vast and fairly inexpensive. If you are able to plan your journey in advance and book online it is generally cheaper than buying a ticket at the station. For details of tickets, train times, and journey planners contact Rail Travel www.viarail.ca. For discounted travel visit: www.viarail.ca/en/fares/travel-passes/via-6-pak. The VIA 6 pak saves you up to 50% on the adult regular fare with the purchase of 6 one-way trips on the VIA network. You are eligible for this if you are aged between 12 and 25.
- Air Travel - There are many airlines that fly to Canada, try a comparison website like Expedia www.expedia.co.uk/Flights or Sky Scanner www.skyscanner.net. These will search many providers for the flight you are looking for.
Canada has couple of domestic airlines offering internal flights within Canada
Air Canada: www.aircanada.com and West Jet: www.westjet.com
Just a few of the international airlines that fly to Canada are:
Air Canada: www.aircanada.com
United Airlines: www.united.com
- Toronto Subway - The subway and is a cheap and convenient way to get around the city. The cost for a student ticket is $2.00. A Metropass offers larger discounts if you are studying in the city. One day travel cards are also a cost effective way to visit the city. Visit the website for details: http://www.ttc.ca. The following link will take you to an interactive map of the subway: www.ttc.ca/Subway/interactive_map/interactive_map.jsp