Toronto airport guide: Pearson vs Billy Bishop
Two airports, two very different distances from downtown
| Pearson (YYZ) | Billy Bishop (YTZ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance from downtown | ~25km | Toronto Islands, offshore |
| Fastest transit | UP Express, ~25 min, $12.35 CAD | Ferry/tunnel + short taxi, ~15-20 min |
| Route network | Large — international + domestic | Narrower — mostly regional/US |
| Taxi to downtown | Around $55-70 CAD | Under $15 CAD from mainland dock |
Toronto has two passenger airports serving the city, and the difference between them is less about the airports themselves than about the 25-kilometre gap in how far you have to travel afterward. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), in Mississauga, is Canada’s busiest airport and handles the overwhelming majority of international and domestic flights into the city. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), on the Toronto Islands just offshore from downtown, handles a smaller volume — mostly regional and some US routes on Porter Airlines and Air Canada — but sits close enough to the financial district that “downtown” isn’t a euphemism the way it often is for city-branded airports elsewhere.
Pearson: the workhorse, and the honest transit reality
Pearson sits roughly 25 kilometres northwest of downtown Toronto, and getting into the city takes real planning depending on budget and time constraints. 35 CAD one-way with a PRESTO card (roughly $2 more without one). It’s genuinely the best option for most visitors: no traffic risk, predictable timing, and a direct downtown drop-off. Taxis and rideshare run $55-70 CAD to downtown depending on traffic, which can add 30-60 minutes during rush hour on the Gardiner Expressway or Highway 401 — a real risk if you’re cutting a connection close.
35 CAD) but takes 60-90 minutes with a transfer, generally not worth the savings unless budget is the only consideration.
Billy Bishop: closer, but with its own quirks
Billy Bishop sits on the Toronto Islands, connected to the mainland by a free 90-second ferry (or, more commonly used now, a pedestrian tunnel) directly across from the base of Bathurst Street, putting it within a 10-15 minute taxi or streetcar ride of most downtown hotels. That proximity is the airport’s entire selling point — for anyone flying a route Porter or Air Canada serves from Billy Bishop, the time saved on the ground transfer alone can exceed the flight time difference on some routes. The catch is coverage: Billy Bishop serves a narrower set of destinations than Pearson, mostly Eastern Canada, the US Northeast and a handful of other regional routes, so it’s often not an option at all depending on where you’re flying from.
Cost comparison, side by side
Getting downtown from Pearson via UP Express costs $12.35 CAD and takes 25 minutes; from Billy Bishop, the ferry/tunnel is free and the total transfer, including a short taxi or streetcar ride from the mainland ferry dock, typically runs under $15 CAD and 15-20 minutes door to door. The gap narrows if you’re comparing Pearson’s UP Express against Billy Bishop’s full transfer, but widens considerably if you compare either against a Pearson taxi in traffic, which can run double the UP Express cost and take three times as long on a bad day.
Which one should actually drive your flight choice
If both airports serve your route at comparable fares, Billy Bishop’s downtown proximity is worth prioritizing, particularly for a short trip where every hour matters — landing at Billy Bishop and being checked into a downtown hotel within 30 minutes of touchdown is a genuinely different experience than the hour-plus Pearson often demands. That said, price and route availability should usually win over airport convenience alone — Pearson’s far larger route network means it’s frequently the only option, or the significantly cheaper one, for a given itinerary, and a $12.35 UP Express ride is not a meaningful inconvenience in the context of an international trip.
Where each airport lands you for onward Ontario travel
For visitors planning day trips beyond Toronto — Niagara Falls, Muskoka, Stratford — Pearson’s location actually works slightly in your favour if you’re renting a car, since it sits closer to the 401/QEW highway network than downtown does, shaving a few minutes off drives toward Niagara.
Landing at Pearson and heading straight to Niagara without a downtown detour is common enough that some tours build the pickup in directly — the Niagara Falls scenic day tour with airport pickup is one option for travellers who’d rather start sightseeing the same day they land than check into a hotel first. See our how to get to Niagara Falls from Toronto guide for route options either way.
The honest bottom line
Neither airport is objectively better — Pearson wins on route selection and overall reliability of transit options (UP Express is excellent), Billy Bishop wins decisively on raw proximity for the routes it actually serves. Check both for your specific origin city before booking; the fare difference, if any, usually matters more than the ground transfer time either way.
Terminal logistics at Pearson worth knowing ahead of time
Pearson operates two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, and which one you land in depends entirely on your airline — Air Canada and Star Alliance partners generally use Terminal 1, while most other international and domestic carriers use Terminal 3. The two terminals are connected by a free Terminal Link train, but confirming which terminal you’re arriving at and departing from (if connecting) saves genuine confusion, particularly for anyone with a tight connection. The UP Express serves both terminals directly, so terminal choice doesn’t affect the trip downtown either way.
Billy Bishop’s ferry vs tunnel choice
Passengers at Billy Bishop have a choice between the pedestrian tunnel, which most travellers now use since it’s faster and unaffected by weather, and the original ferry crossing, still running and offering a brief, mildly scenic alternative if there’s no time pressure. Both are free and take well under two minutes total crossing time; the tunnel is generally the more reliable choice if connecting onward to a flight or meeting, since ferry service can be briefly suspended in severe weather while the tunnel operates regardless.
Which airport for a Niagara or Muskoka-focused trip
For visitors whose primary purpose is day trips beyond Toronto rather than the city itself — Niagara, Muskoka, wine country — Pearson’s proximity to the highway network makes it the more practical arrival point if renting a car, since Billy Bishop’s downtown island location actually adds a short detour back through the city to reach the 401 or QEW. This is a minor consideration relative to route and fare availability, but worth factoring in for a trip weighted heavily toward regional exploration rather than downtown time.
A note on connecting flights and layovers
Travellers connecting through Pearson on a longer international itinerary should build in genuine buffer time — Pearson’s size and, at times, customs and security volumes can make tight connections riskier than a smaller airport would, particularly for international-to-domestic transfers, which require a full re-clear through Canadian customs even for onward domestic travel.
Currency exchange and SIM cards on arrival
Both airports offer currency exchange counters and mobile carrier kiosks for SIM cards or eSIMs, though rates at airport exchange counters are consistently worse than a bank or downtown exchange service — withdrawing CAD from an ATM using a no-foreign-transaction-fee card generally beats airport currency exchange on both convenience and rate, worth planning ahead of the trip rather than relying on the arrivals-hall counter.
Baggage and connection buffer times worth knowing
Pearson’s size means checked-bag delivery after a long-haul international arrival can run 30-45 minutes past touchdown during busy periods, worth factoring in if a tight ground transfer or hotel check-in deadline is part of your plan. Billy Bishop, being a much smaller airport, typically has bags out within 15-20 minutes given its lower passenger volume per flight. Neither is a reason to change airport choice on its own, but it’s worth building a slightly more generous buffer into a Pearson arrival than a Billy Bishop one if your onward plans are time-sensitive.
Getting from either airport straight to a downtown hotel
For visitors heading straight into the city rather than picking up a rental car, the UP Express from Pearson drops directly at Union Station, within easy walking or short taxi distance of most Downtown hotels and a reasonable starting point for a Toronto city walking tour the same day if energy allows. From Billy Bishop, the ferry/tunnel plus a short taxi or streetcar covers most downtown hotels within 15-20 minutes total, similarly close to St. Lawrence Market and the Entertainment District.
Frequently asked questions about Toronto’s airports
How do I get from Pearson Airport to downtown Toronto?
The UP Express train is the fastest reliable option — 25 minutes to Union Station for $12.35 CAD with a PRESTO card. Taxis and rideshare cost $55-70 CAD and take 30-90 minutes depending on traffic.
Is Billy Bishop Airport actually in downtown Toronto?
It’s on the Toronto Islands just offshore from downtown, connected by a free 90-second ferry or pedestrian tunnel, putting most downtown hotels within a 10-15 minute onward transfer.
Which airport should I fly into for Toronto?
Check route availability and price first — Pearson serves far more destinations. If both serve your route at similar fares, Billy Bishop’s downtown proximity is a genuine advantage for short trips.
How much does it cost to get downtown from Pearson?
$12.35 CAD via UP Express (25 minutes), $55-70 CAD via taxi or rideshare (30-90 minutes depending on traffic), or roughly $3.35 CAD via TTC bus connections (60-90 minutes).
Does Billy Bishop Airport have international flights?
It handles mostly domestic Canadian routes, some US Northeast routes, and a handful of other regional connections via Porter Airlines and Air Canada — a narrower network than Pearson’s international route map.
