How To Get From Toronto To Niagara Falls [All Transport Options]

Going From Toronto to Niagara Falls Has Never Been Easier!

Let us guess – you’re in Toronto and thinking how awesome it would be to see one of the most famous waterfalls in the world – Niagara Falls? Right?

Well, if you want to get a bit of nature’s beauty into your Ontario visit, Niagara Falls is a top Ontario attraction that you shouldn’t miss and there are lots of ways to get there.

The best way to travel from Toronto to Niagara Falls depends on your budget, your timelines, the season you are travelling in, and more.

So, we just wanted to go over basically all the Toronto to Niagara trip options so that you are covered!

So, from taking the Megabus to the GO Train – or even on a tour – we’ve got prices, distances, dates, schedules, and more! Let’s get you to Niagara Falls!

Toronto to Niagara Falls: All Options

If you want to get to Niagara Falls from Toronto, there are a few options that you can choose from.

They differ by the amount of time you have, your budget, and travel preference, among other things – each has its own pros and cons.

Below, we’ve outlined the travel options: driving by car, taking the bus or shuttle, or even hopping on the train. Keep in mind that you definitely could do Toronto to Niagara on a day trip – but staying overnight allows you to get the most out of the experience.

Plus, if you are in the Niagara Region it’s best to check out the wineries (if that interests you).

Staying Overnight? Check Here For Niagara Falls Accommodation Deals

Toronto to Niagara Falls By Car

Likely the most common way to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls is by car. The (driving) distance from Toronto to Niagara Falls is about 130 km and can take as little as 1.5 hours – depending on the route you take. Traffic is a big factor that determines the total time, quite frankly.

Toronto to Niagara Falls Self Drive

One of the best ways to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls is by car. The drive is pretty simple. From anywhere in Toronto, head southwest to hop on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW)/403 towards Hamilton.

You then drive on it the whole time… through Burlington, around the lake through St. Catharines, to the Niagara Region. The drive takes about 1.5 hours (and a bit more with usual traffic).

Once you are approaching Niagara Falls, follow signs and exit onto ON-420/ Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway East. This is basically downtown Niagara Falls. You can find parking downtown in lots or at your accommodation.

This drive is the most direct route but there are other routes that are slower but more scenic. You could, for example, take Highway 81 through wine areas like Beamsville (running parallel to the QEW from Hamilton but on a smaller road with things to see).

Renting a car is a good way to do this drive without much hassle. The drive along parts of the lake can be quite pretty at times, too!

Toronto to Niagara Falls Rideshare

If you wanted to hop in a car and help save the environment, you could also consider a rideshare between Toronto and Niagara Falls.

There are plenty of cars heading in that direction. You can check out Poparide and/or Kijiji to arrange pick-up and price (usually $20 CAD for one-way).

Toronto to Niagara Tours or Shuttle

If you want to take the roadways but don’t want to drive yourself there, you do have options to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls.

There are a few taxi/shuttle or tour options that can get you there in no time at all.

Tour options make for a great day trip to Niagara Falls from Toronto so you can just sit back and enjoy!

Toronto to Niagara Falls Shuttle/Taxi

There are a few different shuttle services that cater to groups wanting to go from Toronto (and Toronto Pearson Airport) to Niagara Falls.

You can search online for these shuttle services – here is a good example of one such Niagara Shuttle service.

Keep in mind, prices are generally more expensive but you pay for the simplicity and convenience. Some shuttles even provide tours with their services or they can be booked as add-ons.

If you were travelling from Toronto Pearson Airport, you can take a shuttle/cab to Niagara Falls.

The cost would start from $189 CAD so if you have a large group and baggage then maybe it makes sense? Here’s a website for the taxi/limo price list from Pearson!

Toronto to Niagara Falls Tours

If you want to take the hassle out of your trip to Niagara Falls (or just visit Niagara Falls on a day trip) you can hop on a tour.

There are lots to choose from – some taking you to visit wineries in Niagara on the Lake while others are strictly Niagara Falls day tours.

Taking a day tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls is a really smart option for two main reasons:

• Logistically, if you only have limited time in Ontario, sorting out the details to get to the Falls (plus admission tickets, etc) is a pain and eats into your vacation.
• Financially, the cost of a train ticket OR rental car, gas, and parking when you get to the Falls is easily more than what you’d pay for a guided day trip from Toronto.

So, a day tour from Toronto is a good idea. It just is. There wouldn’t be a whole industry based around the idea if it wasn’t!

All you have to do is sit back and relax as you’re taken to the best sights/wineries/experiences in the Niagara Region!

• If you want to take a day trip to see the best sights at both Niagara Falls and the Niagara on the Lake wine region, then check out this top-rated full-day tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls.
• If you want to experience great sights at Niagara Falls – and have a buffet lunch, then check out this Niagara Falls Day tour from Toronto.
• If you want to leave from Downtown Toronto, sip great wine, and add on the famous Hornblower Cruise, check out this Niagara day tour from Toronto.

Toronto to Niagara Falls by Bus

A really good way to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls is to take the bus. For this option, you’ve got the Megabus and the Flixbus. Similar services and stations but slightly different rates and schedules!

Just so we are clear – the GO BUS doesn’t run to Niagara Falls directly from Toronto but the GO TRAIN does.

You could, however, take the Go Train to Burlington from Toronto and then take the GO BUS that runs from Burlington to Niagara Falls (GO Route #12).

Back to buses, the main Megabus bus terminal in downtown Toronto is the new Union Station Bus Terminal which is located beside Scotiabank Arena/Union Station.

Address of Toronto Megabus Terminal Downtown: 81 Bay Street, Toronto, ON

Once you are in Niagara Falls, the bus station is located at the southwest corner of Bridge Street and Erie Avenue.

Address of Niagara Falls Bus Terminal: 4555 Erie Ave, Niagara Falls, ON

Just so you know, the bus terminal is right across from the ViaRail/GO Train Station. You could walk to downtown Niagara/the actual Falls from here but you’d more likely grab a cab nearby.

Depending on the season, you could take the WEGO – a regional tourist bus/shuttle service for the whole Niagara area. The Green Line goes from the bus/train station to the Falls/Downtown. You can learn more about the WEGO here.

Megabus to Niagara Falls

If you want to take the Megabus from Toronto to Niagara Falls, it’s a good, cheap, and reliable option. There are 13 daily departures during the week with 2 daily on weekends. These are also direct buses – so no transfers!

As for price, the fares range from $14 CAD to 24 $CAD one-way for peak travel times. Most are about $16-18 CAD. So, overall still pretty good.

The bus journey only takes between 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours total – so not much variation overall. You can check fares here on the Megabus website.

(If you are looking for Coach Canada bus options, their website redirects to Megabus now).

FlixBus to Niagara Falls

The German bus operator FlixBus (we love it when we’re in Europe) has since come to Ontario in recent years and helped to fill a gap in service where Greyhound once stood.

FluxBus also runs a route to Niagara Falls from Toronto. The route takes as little as 1 hour 40 minutes and the departure terminals are similar to that of Megabus.

One key difference in buses is that the FlixBus will actually make stops in downtown Niagara Falls closer to the hotels and the Falls.

This is as opposed to up at the bus station located at 4555 Erie Ave (much more north of the heart of Niagara Falls).

You can learn more about taking the FlixBus to Niagara Falls from Toronto here.

Toronto to Niagara Falls by Train

Taking the train from Toronto to Niagara Falls is a scenic option – and it’s actually quite affordable and enjoyable!

For this, there are two train options: the GO Train and the ViaRail Train. Much like the buses, the GO Train and ViaRail train leave from the same station in Toronto.

To take the train from Toronto, you leave from good old Union Station. Located downtown on Front Street, Union is a pretty busy place! All trains leave from the upper-level tracks – and you can get to them via the elevators, stairs, or escalators.

ViaRail passengers usually line up from the Grand Hall / Via Concourse whereas GO Train passengers follow the numbered green platform numbers.

To be honest, the place is always under construction so it can be confusing with old halls closing and new terminals/wings opening all the time. Just follow the signs or ask a staff person!

Address of Union Station: 65 Front St W, Toronto, ON

Once you arrive in Niagara, the two train lines (GO and ViaRail) arrive at the same station. It’s right across from the Bus Terminal (as we mentioned above). This is about 3.5 km from the Falls.

Address: 4267 Bridge Street, Niagara Falls, ON

The Niagara Falls Train Station is absolutely nothing fancy. It’s basically just a large building with a few automated machines, parking, seating, and not much else. Here’s more information about the Niagara Falls Train Station.

As we mentioned above in the bus section, once you get into Niagara Falls, you have a few options for getting to the Falls/Downtown. You could walk to downtown Niagara/the Falls from here but you’d more likely grab a cab.

Depending on the season, you could take the WEGO – a regional tourist bus/shuttle service for the whole Niagara area. The Green Line goes from the bus/train station to the Falls/Downtown. You can learn more about the WEGO here.

Toronto to Niagara Falls ViaRail

If you want, you CAN take the ViaRail train to Niagara Falls. Eric has rode with ViaRail plenty of times, each time has been pretty good/excellent.

There is one daily ViaRail train from Toronto to Niagara Falls. Train #97 leaves at 8:20 am from Union and gets in at 10:16 – taking just under two hours. The cheapest fare online is $25 CAD, but this may change.

(So you know, the #98 train leaves from Niagara Falls to Toronto daily at 5:45 pm. There’s only one return train, too.) You can check the ViaRail website for schedules and details.

Toronto to Niagara Falls GO Train

For the GO Train to Niagara Falls from Toronto, it was a bit more complicated but has recently gotten a little better.

The train used to run as a summer promotion only and only recently (in 2023) did GO figure out that people wanted (and would use) regular daily service in both directions.

So now, in 2024, GO trains from Toronto to Niagara Falls run 7 days a week, according to their schedule. This is great news for those wanting to explore the Falls over a day or weekend.

In partnership with Niagara Parks, you can also now purchase a combination GO Train and WEGO ticket packages so that you have transit to and from the actual Falls area (and surrounding attractions) when you arrive.

However (as we mentioned in the “Bus” section above in this post), you can still take a GO Train/Go Bus split option all year round, too.

This would require taking the GO Train from Union Station to Burlington and then getting on a GO Bus to Niagara Falls (Route #12). Check out the GO Transit Website for more details on making this connection.

Toronto to Niagara Falls by Plane

The final option would be to fly from Toronto to Niagara Falls. However, don’t do this. Not only can you not fly to the Niagara Falls area directly, but in the time it would take waiting for the flight at Toronto Pearson you could literally just drive to Niagara Falls.

The flying option only makes sense if you are flying from far away to visit Canada. In this case, you could fly into Hamilton Airport instead of Toronto since it’s closer.

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) is the closest airport to Niagara Falls that’s big enough to matter.

Even then, Hamilton is not Niagara Falls so you’d still have to rent a car and/or plan to get to Niagara Falls another way. The drive would still be about an hour.

Address of Hamilton Airport: 9300 Airport Rd #2206, Mount Hope, ON L0R 1W0

Related Articles

Spending time in the Niagara Area? Here are some more posts to help you plan:

• 25 Awesome Things to Do in Niagara Falls (Canada Side)
• Our Guide to Niagara Falls Hotels (With Views of the Falls)
• Great Wineries + Distilleries in Niagara on the Lake
• We Had a Great Day on our Niagara on the Lake Wine Tour!
• Discover Things to Do in Niagara on the Lake
• Find Great Accommodations in Niagara on the Lake

And there you have it – basically all of the ways possible to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls. We’re sure that, given the options, you can find a route that works for you.

Also, be sure to read up on our guide for Niagara Falls accommodation, and be sure to book early! No doubt this post will change and grow as they increase the bus/train frequency from Toronto. We will keep you posted – so go and enjoy Niagara Falls!

As always, Keep Exploring, eh?
– E&L