Going UP: The Best Way to Travel From Pearson Airport to Downtown Toronto

In most cities, getting from the airport to your final destination can be extensive and often expensive. Through our travels, I am confident that most of us have been in the unfortunate situation of deciding which pricey mode of transportation will best get us to our destination (and out of the airport asap!). With the dominant transportation choices often being taxi cabs and rental cars, cities are finally recognizing the inefficiency of this system and changes are being made.

In the summer of 2015, Union-Pearson (UP) Express opened to the public, completely changing the gruelling commute for Torontonians. Although the UP train has been open for several years, I only recently had the opportunity to take it into Toronto’s city centre.

After deplaning in Toronto from London, UK, I followed the normal airport procedure and made the long walk to customs and baggage claim. If you are anything like me, after I land, all I want to do is get out of the stuffy confines of the airport. As I have zero sense of direction, I was a bit intimidated to find my way to the UP Express after baggage claim. Lucky for me, the signs in Pearson airport were helpful and I made it to the UP track in no time!

Before boarding the train, you must pay for a ticket through one of two machines placed on either side of the ramp leading up to the tracks. As of now, each adult or student one-way ticket costs $12.35 CAD, and each senior one-way ticket costs $6.20 CAD. For those of you that have a PRESTO card, this process is made extremely easy, only requiring you to tap your card on the normal pad for payment. For those of you only looking to purchase a ticket, the machine will take you through a step-by-step process of payment.

The UP Express trains run every 15 minutes from both Pearson Airport and Union Station, keeping your transportation quick and efficient. Once I boarded the UP train I was happy to see that it was clean, spacious and had plenty of seating for commuters. As there were many people on the train car that I hopped on, I chose to stand and observe the scenery from the large windows placed on either side of the train.

The UP train makes three stops from Pearson Airport: Weston, Bloor and Union Station. This is helpful for tourists and commuters as it provides access to different parts of the city. I stayed on the train all the way to Union Station and watched as people trickled off the train. To my surprise, the ride from Pearson Airport to Union Station was only a short 25 minutes!

Upon arriving at Union Station, I left the train with my baggage and stepped into downtown Toronto!

UP Express is now my first choice for efficient, reliable and inexpensive transportation to and from Pearson Airport. If you are looking to try the UP Express, I hope you enjoy its ease of use as much as I do!

Have you tried Toronto’s UP Express? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!