Direction to Zoo-Aquarium Without Hassle (rental car, rental, amusement park)
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Hello, I will drive the kids from hotel at airport corporate Centre, Homewood hotel, to aquarium 1 day, 1 day to the zoo, maybe to china town for dinner. Is there an easy route and where to park (do not have to be free) during the day Monday to Thu on June? I do not mind extra miles to drive since it is rental car. Thanks in advance.
Hello, I will drive the kids from hotel at airport corporate Centre, Homewood hotel, to aquarium 1 day, 1 day to the zoo, maybe to china town for dinner. Is there an easy route and where to park (do not have to be free) during the day Monday to Thu on June? I do not mind extra miles to drive since it is rental car. Thanks in advance.
The Aquarium is amazing and the zoo is great too. I would suggest taking the TTC to the aquarium and then to china town for dinner on the same day using the ttc. You will get a great view of the city and both are appropriate to do in one day. The Scarborough zoo is much bigger and you will want to spend more time there. The Aquarium is great... but more then 3 hours is not needed. If you take a street car or the subway to China Town from the Aquarium it will be cheaper, fast and less of a headache. Park in extensive in these areas. Also you will get to see more for less. Kids under 12 are free to ride the TTC ( I am pretty sure it is 12 and under). If travelling the weekend there is a unlimited family day pass good for up to 2 adults and 3 kids and it is like 12 bucks. Please then even parking at one of those spots. Don't do China Town and Toronto Zoo in the same day ... the zoo is really big.
On top of what KLM said Henry - an option for getting Downtown from the airport is the Union Pearson Express. It is a bit more expensive than the TTC but is really cool taking the train into the city and it'll put you very close to the Aquarium. Check with your hotel to see if they have a free shuttle to Terminal 1 at Pearson airport and you can take UP directly DT. Otherwise you can still take the TTC from the airport to DT - but you'll have to bus it to the subway. Another option is to drive to a subway station like Kipling and park there and take the subway to DT. The kids will LOVE the Aquarium - it isn't the biggest but it is very interactive and fun and the jellyfish specimens are the best I've seen. Cool moving glass tunnel too with an impressive tank - Sharks are just spectacular.
As for the Zoo - I'd drive from the airport to the Zoo. Just time it so you aren't in rush hour or weekend would even be better. The Zoo is just out of the way for PT for my liking! That said, it is a massive Zoo with an impressive number of animals. It would take a good 5 hours to see it even at a pretty decent clip - I went last year with my partner and we just couldn't do the whole thing - it was too hot and the legs were giving out so make sure you see the areas you want to see first because you might just not be able to do the whole thing! You can still catch the Giant Panda bears - the parents and also two cubs (Jia Pan Pan and Jia Yue Yue) that were actually born at the Toronto Zoo. They are on loan to the zoo for until next year I believe and then head to Calgary for a few years before going back to China.
If you are checking out the Zoo and Aquarium for sure might be best to look at a City Pass. Since you're at the Aquarium the CN Tower is right there and if time permits you can also check out Casa Loma and the ROM (kids will love the dinosaur section!). The ROM is completely accessible on the subway line and is a few stops north of Union station which is closest to the Aquarium and CN Tower.
final note and hopefully it reopens when you come in June but keep an eye because unfortunately the Toronto Zoo is on strike now. If the zoo is on strike another kid approved and fun option since you have the rental car is Canada's Wonderland. Its about a half hour drive from the airport and just north of Toronto in Vaughan - it is the best amusement park in the country and has more than enough kids stuff to do for an entire day.
If you really feel the urge to take your car to downtown, keep the following in mind:
- be prepared to pay $25-$40 per day in parking
- be prepared for traffic chaos, at all times of the day regardless of rush hour or no rush hour (esp. the expressway leading into downtown and Chinatown). One way drive from Mississauga plus finding parking could easily take 1.5 hours (whatever Google Maps tells you always add another 30 min on top of that). Save yourself the pain and take the UP Express train or the TTC like others said - enjoy great views of the city and your kids will love you for it.
where are you Henry? A lot of people have responded with information to help you. It actually takes time to write helpful messages so its always nice to hear a response to the effort....
Hello, I will drive the kids from hotel at airport corporate Centre, Homewood hotel, to aquarium 1 day, 1 day to the zoo, maybe to china town for dinner. Is there an easy route and where to park (do not have to be free) during the day Monday to Thu on June? I do not mind extra miles to drive since it is rental car. Thanks in advance.
Skip the zoo and take the kids to Wonderland (owned by Cedar Fair, same owners as the legendary Cedar Point). I have been to the zoo and it sucked. Wonderland was cool....
Hi all, sorry for the very late response. I have been so busy. Any way, I live in US, in a small town and have worked long hours. So I decided to take the kids and old parents (70s) to Toronto but afraid to take the train. Do not want to get lost. is the train safe? I heard many bad news about train in NY. I will get the rental car to drive to Canada and I hope that I can drive from hotel to zoo, aquarium, china town. Yes, I do not think about finding the parking and maybe foolishly to drive in Toronto. Please trying to understand that I am afraid of the train, can not afford taxi. Is it easy to find the parking space at the zoo or aquarium? Thanks all for the recommendations.
Hi all, sorry for the very late response. I have been so busy. Any way, I live in US, in a small town and have worked long hours. So I decided to take the kids and old parents (70s) to Toronto but afraid to take the train. Do not want to get lost. is the train safe? I heard many bad news about train in NY. I will get the rental car to drive to Canada and I hope that I can drive from hotel to zoo, aquarium, china town. Yes, I do not think about finding the parking and maybe foolishly to drive in Toronto. Please trying to understand that I am afraid of the train, can not afford taxi. Is it easy to find the parking space at the zoo or aquarium? Thanks all for the recommendations.
Toronto transit is crazy easy. Like really really easy. Plus you can always just ask people waiting for the bus for the drivers for directions. P.S. 70 is not that old lol . If doing to the Aquarium though there is a good amount of walking. My dad is close to 70 and we went to the rogers centre which is beside the Aquarium last night and it is at least a 10 minute walk from the subway to the aquarium, but even if driving you are still going to have the same amout of time to walk from the parking lot of the aquarium unless you drop them in front of it and then drive to the parking lot yourself. You will still have arounda 5 minute walk to get inside to the drop off area. Driving downtown is not a good idea as a tourist. From the hotel to the zoo is a more driveable route as it is not a dense as downtown when you head out to scarborough. Though the bus drops you right there too. It is not complicated at all. If unsuer all you need to go is look up the directions of google on the phone and it will tell you exactly which ways to get there and what time the bus is coming. Is really easy. Our transit system is pretty simple. Taxis are way too expense and not needed for the places you are going to. The trains are easy and come every few minutes. If you miss your stop you just need to cross over the other side of the platform in the station and go back. It does not cost extra as long as you dont actually go outside the station. Parking around the aquaqrium is $20 to $30 and limited as lots of events going on in that area at the same time. It is really not worth driving and it will be a huge pain. Toronto has a super simple transit system.
Skip the zoo and take the kids to Wonderland (owned by Cedar Fair, same owners as the legendary Cedar Point). I have been to the zoo and it sucked. Wonderland was cool....
Wonderland is good... but the zoo is really good too. The zoo is also cheaper and part of the city pass I think.
There is also Centre Island.
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. If doing to the Aquarium though there is a good amount of walking. My dad is close to 70 and we went to the rogers centre which is beside the Aquarium last night and it is at least a 10 minute walk from the subway to the aquarium, but even if driving you are still going to have the same amout of time to walk from the parking lot of the aquarium unless you drop them in front of it and then drive to the parking lot yourself. You will still have arounda 5 minute walk to get inside to the drop off area. Driving downtown is not a good idea as a tourist. From the hotel to the zoo is a more driveable route as it is not a dense as downtown when you head out to scarborough. Though the bus drops you right there too. It is not complicated at all. If unsuer all you need to go is look up the directions of google on the phone and it will tell you exactly which ways to get there and what time the bus is coming. Is really easy. Our transit system is pretty simple. Taxis are way too expense and not needed for the places you are going to. The trains are easy and come every few minutes. If you miss your stop you just need to cross over the other side of the platform in the station and go back. It does not cost extra as long as you dont actually go outside the station. Parking around the aquaqrium is $20 to $30 and limited as lots of events going on in that area at the same time. It is really not worth driving and it will be a huge pain. Toronto has a super simple transit system.
