If we're talking about commuter experience, GO Transit is miles (or in this case, kilometers)…read morebetter than TTC. Cleaner, less frequent delays, well displayed departure times and more spacious seating. It pretty much operates on an honour system with the occasional fare inspector check here and there in the mornings. It's funny cuz you can usually spot the fare evaders fast walking away from them up and down the train. I do think they could improve it by having more digital signage throughout the trains indicating the stops. At the moment of this review, they STILL only announce train stops via the loudspeaker and depending on the train cabin you're in, the speakers might be muffled or not very clear. As far as payment methods go, I would say using PRESTO card as the preferred method is not so clear cut anymore. The only benefit PRESTO card provides is the ability to set default trips between two GO stops. So if you're a frequent commuter and you always get on and off at the same two stops for work for example, then using PRESTO is convenient. Otherwise, if you're always getting on and off at different stops there's literally no difference between using PRESTO and NFC credit card tapping w/ your phone.

When traveling from Niagara Falls to Toronto, our friend recommended taking the train rather than…read moredriving. He earned traffic would be bad, and parking would be expensive. So at his advice we drove about half way to the Oakville station which has trains coming and going every 30 minutes. It was easy to get to, right off the highway, and plenty of parking. To make things a little sweeter parking was even free!!! We grabbed our bags and made our way over to the station. With user friendly kiosks it was easy to buy a ticket to Toronto, and only $9 each way...a great value, especially when you add in free parking! The train was decently clean for public transportation, plenty of space, and even had wifi. There was apparently a bar car with food and drink available for sale, but we didn't look. I'd absolutely use the Go Transit again, and would recommend to friends. It's hassle free, reasonably priced and free parking.

Yelp Review 2023 #74:…read more Whenever I'm in Toronto, I rely on trams aka streetcars to get around using my Presto card. I normally stay at hotels along or near Queen Street because they are more accessible. 501 streetcar runs during the day and is the longest tram line. It runs east and west of Toronto. From Neville Park to Dufferin which is over 20km. If I want to go to lululemon, it's a quick streetcar ride. The City Hall is along Queen Street. You can also get to Eaton Center using 501 streetcar. If you're a fan of the show Kim's Convenience, just get off Sherbourne. The times I've used the 501, I've not really experienced any riff raff. Except for when I went to Kim's Convenience. I didn't know it was in a bad neighborhood and people were openly talking about drugs and they're dealing in broad daylight as I was waiting for a streetcar to go back to my hotel and it was 10 minutes delayed and I had to tell myself I'll be fine. And then the streetcar was delayed another 5 minutes. I can see how a visitor's experience might be different from a local's experience because visitors aren't here long enough to know how it really is. I did notice that in the winter, homeless people ride the tram and go up and down, or left to right on trams for hours just to stay warm. If I were homeless, I'd probably do the same thing too. I don't blame them. A problem in Toronto that seems more obvious in the winter than when I went in the summer.

Out of all the TTC routes, the 501 Queen route is closest to my heart. I grew up in the Beaches and…read morelived on Queen Street East. There was a streetcar stop right in front of the apartment building where I grew up, heading eastbound, at Scarborough Beach Boulevard. Recently, I drove by and noticed that this streetcar stop is no longer there. It has moved a block east to Glen Manor Drive. It's a bit sad to see a stop that has been there for decades move. I could start a petition, but will likely not get the results that I want. Going westbound, I had the option of either boarding at Glen Manor or Wineva. I always did the latter because there were a set of traffic lights and it was safer to cross. The 501 route is one of the longest that the TTC offers. I know the eastern part better. The Neville Loop is where the streetcar turns around. The loop is a few steps away from Scarborough and the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. It's actually a beautiful area with a nice park and Lake Ontario as its backdrop. It opens up once a year, so you can do a tour inside. On the other end of this route is Long Branch. i have recently spent some time in this area, as two of my favourite empanada and ice cream places are on that end of the spectrum. I dig it. Tourist or not, I used to enjoy plopping myself on the streetcar and cutting through the city. You go through a series of cool neighbourhoods, such as Leslieville, downtown Toronto (Eaton Centre, Old City Hall, and Nathan Phillips Square are all viewable from the streetcar if you do not have time to drop by), Parkdale, and more. A number of cool parks are also along the way. High Park, Trinity Bellwoods Park, and Humber Bay Park are just a few. I am biased and love seeing Kew Gardens, because I will always be a Beacher at heart. I have been on this route countless times. I used this route to commute to my summer jobs at the Ex and resting my tired feet after standing all day. Heading to Chinese school, both at the Spadina and Broadview Chinatowns, required taking this streetcar and transferring to another streetcar or bus. Going downtown? I'd take this streetcar to Yonge Street and walk around like the teenager that I was. I haven't taken the TTC for several years. It's what happens when I live in the suburbs and use a car to get around. I hope to board one of the newer streetcars as a passenger someday. As of late, I am either admiring them while waiting for the traffic light to turn or I'm trying to drive past one. Service had its hits and misses. When things were running smoothly, it was a treat taking the streetcar along Queen Street East and West. When it was bad, I'd be waiting for the third or fourth streetcar to come along so I could actually board it without feeling like a suffocating sardine. I do like this route and now I'm all nostalgic. It was nice to see the streetcars on this route in action when I was recently in Leslieville and the streetcar tracks along Queen Street East again. (25)

Very convenient service but needs an extension of hours! I know it may be wishful thinking but 24/7…read moreservice would be amazing. Or at least starting around 4am, as there are many early flights. Coming in late also might limit folks, as they plan to take the UP and come in later than expected. However, fast and efficient!

My wife and I rode the UP Express to Pearson to ride back downtown with our friend flying into…read morethere. It is a convenient and fast way to get to and from Downtown to Pearson with a couple stops on the way. You can pay by credit card easily. Ample room for luggage. Only complaint is it would be nice if it was cheaper.

Never on time, the streetcars are always being blocked and they always bunch up. Most days I have…read moreto walk all the way from the start of Roncy near Queen to Dundas West Station because the streetcars do not come.

Toronto has really good public transport especially when you compare it to other American cities…read more It was a hot hot day in downtown Toronto and I was dreading a walk from the waterfront to the Union Station. Streetcar to the rescue. A nice short underground trip brought me in style to Union Station with no sweat dropped.

Union Station is a major railway station and transportation hub on Front Street West, Downtown…read moreToronto. It is close to Toronto landmarks like Scotia Bank Arena, CN Tower, Rogers Centre, and Metro Toronto Convention Centre. All is accessible directly from the Union Station through the SkyWalk. It is also a shopping, dining and cultural destination with many shops, specialty stores, bacafe's and restaurants, and entertainment with a full calendar of free events. There's also a storage services for your luggages if you need one. Check it out!

Beautiful old building. Lots of vending machines around for snacks, and super easy to get there and…read moreback from the airport. When I showed up there was a pop-up restaurant and band stage going on that was so much fun I stopped and listened to the band for a while before walking to my hotel.

A work in progress but I eagerly anticipate the completion of the new station on the GO & Ontario…read moreline.

It's very convenient to use Go Train and get on/off at Exhibition Go station if you're going to CNE…read moreor BMO Field. The station is wheelchair accessible and has elevators (not escalators), you just need to read the signs and make sure not following the crowd to the stairs and the pedestrian bridge that crosses the tracks.

It's the newest state of the art facility of Toronto Transit Commission. The new streetcar main…read morestorage facility with a green roof. Came here as a visitor but you have obtain a visitor pass to get in or the guard house won't allow you in. Lots of parking. Free wifi.

I drive a lot. I run a lot of errands around the greater Toronto area with my car. It's how I get…read moreto and from work. Taking public transit between Markham and Mississauga would take me at least a couple of hours, I'd reckon. I visit Union Station several times a year. It's mainly because I cut through it to get to Scotiabank Arena. It's not because I take the subway or GO train to get there. The last time I commuted for work on public transportation was in 2010. The last time I took the TTC anywhere was likely to the Canadian National Exhibition (The Ex) in 2011. I've been driving everywhere ever since. Roughly two years ago, I decided to get a Presto card. I got one at a vending machine at Union Station. I ended up loading my card with $5. I recall telling a friend about it. She laughed and said that I'd probably never use it. I felt the opposite. I knew that I would. That opportunity occurred last Thursday when I snapped my TTC ridership drought. I was heading down to see Taylor Swift at Rogers Centre. A lot of the downtown core was blocked off. It was advised that if you were going to the show, to take public transit or park as close as you could to the venue. I ended up doing a hybrid of driving and taking the TTC. I parked in a lot in Chinatown (Spadina and Dundas). I met my friend and his sister at Dragon City for a bite to eat. We all took the Spadina 510D bus down and walked over to Rogers Centre. It was the best plan and decision. I downloaded the Presto app on my phone. I loaded $10. My $5 was still there, but adult fare is $3.30 when you use your Presto card, so I needed the reload. What I don't like about the app is checking your card balance. If you want to know your balance immediately, you place your card on the back of the phone while your Presto app is up and you are supposed to magically get your balance. I find this feature ridiculous. I have a MagSafe case with a compatible PopSocket. Checking my balance would require ripping off either my PopSocket or even my entire case, and risking demagnetizing the strip on my Presto card or dropping my phone. Why can't things be simple? You open a bank app on your phone and see your account balance. Why not here, Presto? It's the main reason why I took a star off my review. I opted not to do this check. The alternative was to tap any Presto sensor and my balance would appear in the app. I did when I boarded the bus heading down to Rogers Centre and used my card to pay the fare. You have the option of having a physical Presto card, or converting it to a barcode in either Apple or Android wallet. This conversion feature doesn't work if you use public transit in Ottawa. Keep your physical card. The caveat is that if you elect to convert your physical Presto card to your phone's wallet, the former won't work afterwards and you can't reverse your decision. I travel a lot by plane. As cool as it is to have your boarding pass on your phone, I always elect to get a paper boarding pass. If your phone dies, you can't board your plane. However, if you have a boarding pass, you don't have to worry about your phone's battery life to show your digital boarding pass. I feel the same way about having your Presto card as part of your wallet. If your phone dies, you can't get to where you need to go on public transit. However, if you have your physical card, you're good. I like that my physical card was recognized seamlessly when I boarded the Spadina bus a couple of times. A woman ahead of me had some difficulties scanning her Presto card on her phone. You can opt to reload your card if the balance falls below a certain amount. Since I don't commute that often, it's not worth setting it up. I'm good loading it up when I feel the need to. When you use your Presto card, you get a five-cent discount. It may not seem like much. If you do commute regularly, these savings add up. Although I do miss tickets and tokens, it's so much easier using a Presto card to pay for my commute. The Presto scanner also takes credit cards, but you won't get that nickel discount. It was nice to finally christen my Presto card. I had a decent experience using it. How you load money on your card through the app and see the balance needs work. The process is more complicated than it should be. Keep it simple, Presto. Folks will love you more if you do. (455)

I tried multiple times funding my newly registered Presto card online with a small remaining amount…read moreof a virtual credit card over a month ago. No success with their online account funding feature at all EVEN AFTER I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT ACCORDING TO THEIR RULES!!! Finally I called Presto about 2 weeks ago. After much annoying & quite intimidating verification process, the agent simply told me that there was nothing that he could do after I gave him detailed explanation of what I wanted to do, why & my repeated attempt failures online. I insisted to speak with a supervisor. This agent did the ''call back'' request very reluctantly. He showed even more resistance when I asked for a case/reference number of some sort. Eventually, he gave me an ''ID '' number *******5552 & told me a supervisor would call me in ''2-3 business days''. No call whatsoever I received from Presto for over 2 weeks!! No wonder I always feel this Presto card thing is not something for me since its launching decades ago. My gut feeling has been again so right about this uncaring, no help for even a simple issue, quite arrogant & indifferent as far as I am concerned. Another increasing bigger & much more bulky & inefficient government related institution of our mega city!

Man this route has really improved since 2023. It now runs all day, 7 days a week, and also…read moreovernight as well. And now they extended it all the way to Dufferin Gate Loop in the west as well. It's a really good route cause it lets you get from the east end all the way through downtown and even a bit into the west end now. It's pretty much the 501 and 504 combined into one route. Only downside is this route often either gets delayed badly or gets converted to buses when there is construction which sucks. Otherwise it's a great route, definitely one of my favourite streetcars!

i use 503 to go to work, from Coxwell ave to Beech and Kingston, and it is never, ever on time, im…read morealmost late for work everyday because 503 simply doesn't show up on schedule. this is really frustrating and disappointing. I have no other options to commute between home and work and i wish someone from the TTC would read this and fix it. :/

Great service, providing fast service from and to the 3 Toronto Islands. Great view of the Toronto…read moreskyline from the taxi. Efficient payment system (they accept cards). They leave each dock every 5-10 minutes, so no need to wait until each taxi is full before departing.

This is my preferred way with getting to Hanlan's beach. Service is fairly quick, but can get a bit…read morebusy during the weekends at the peak of summer. Streetcar stops right in front of the pier where the boats are docked.