Car Hire in Toronto

Why hire a car in Toronto?

It's great having your own ride in Toronto. With a hired car, you can see all the distinct parts and neighborhoods of this sprawling metropolis, and to visit important landmarks outside the city.

Top ways to enter Toronto

• Toronto Pearson Airport. With 49.5 million travelers served in 2018, Pearson is the busiest airport in Canada and among the busiest in all of the Americas. The airport is a large hub for Air Canada and is also served by tens of other airlines. Located about 26 km (16 mi) northwest of the city center, the airport can be reached in 25 minutes.
• Toronto Billy Bishop Airport. The other, much smaller airport serving Toronto is served by three airlines. In addition to providing many domestic connections, the airport also hosts flights to and from Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., in the United States. Located on one of the Toronto Islands, the airport is just 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of the city center and can be reached in ten minutes.
• Ottawa Airport. Serving Canada’s capital city, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport handled 5.1 million travelers in 2018. The airport has flights to and from many destinations in Canada, as well as Cuba, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Located 438 km (272 mi) northeast of Toronto, the airport can be reached in 4 hours and 20 minutes.
• Buffalo Niagara Airport. Located just on the other side of the border in the U.S. state of New York, Buffalo Niagara Airport handled five million travelers in 2018. The airport has flights to and from destinations all over U.S., as well as Cancun in Mexico. Located just 175 km (109 mi) southeast of Toronto, Buffalo Airport can be reached in about two hours. You’ll have to cross an international border, so make sure in advance your car hire provider permits it (alternatively, you can travel by public transportation and pick up a rental car after arriving in Toronto). Also, make sure you don’t need a visa to enter either the U.S. or Canada.
• By rail. If you’re arriving in Toronto by train, you can conveniently pick up your car at the Toronto Union Railway Station.

City facts

• Although Canada’s capital is Ottawa, Toronto is the most populous city not only in Ontario Province, but in all of the country. The city has a population of about 2.7 million, with 3.2 million more living in Toronto metropolitan area. Golden Horseshoe, an even larger, densely populated region in Southern Toronto that includes Toronto, is home to 9.2 million people or about every fourth inhabitant of Canada.
• Toronto has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The average high temperature is 26.6 °C (79.9 °F) in July, the warmest month, and -0.7 °C (30.7 °F) in January, the coldest. September is the rainiest month while March is the driest. Toronto experiences, on average, 41 snowy days per year.
• With 47% of Toronto inhabitants born outside Canada, Toronto is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Toronto is home to some of the largest Chinese, Irish, Filipino, and Italian diasporas in the world, something that can be observed in many cultural centers, restaurants, and languages spoken in the city.

Top sights and activities

• Royal Ontario Museum: The most visited museum in Canada, the Royal Ontario is dedicated to the subjects of art, natural history, and different cultures from around the planet. The museum has over 6 million items on display, many of them in interactive galleries that are especially fun for families. Visit the museum’s website to learn more about the exhibitions and admission.
• Art Gallery of Ontario: The largest gallery in Canada mostly focuses on works by well-known and contemporary Canadian artists, but it also houses paintings by classical European masters like Ruben.
• Black Creek Pioneer Village: An open-air area dedicated to life in the Toronto area in the 19th century, Black Creek is often considered one of the best heritage museums in North America. More than 40 buildings have been carefully restored to provide an insight into different occupations, as well as the cultural and social lives of these early inhabitants. Black Creek is in the suburb of North York with the trip from central Toronto taking about 40 minutes.
• CN Tower: The tallest in North America, CN Tower is a great place to start (or finish) your vacation in Toronto. Going to its top in a glass elevator is a stunning experience, and the view from up there makes the rest of the city look tiny.

Traffic and parking

• The speed limits vary between different roads. The general limits are 90 km/h to 110 km/h on motorways and outside cities and from 30 km/h to 50 km/h inside cities.
• The legal alcohol limit is 0.05%. Driving under influence exceeding the limit is a criminal offence and can lead to hefty fines, a driving ban, and even imprisonment.
• The insurance and car documentation needs to be in the car whenever you’re driving.
• If you’re the driver, you need to have your passport or ID card with you at all times.
• Using the mobile phone while driving is prohibited. The rule is strictly imposed with high fines.
• The phone number for emergencies is 112.

Toll roads

There are a number of toll roads in Canada. 

Ontario Highway 407 is toll road for which you can only pay electronically. As you will be driving a hired car, the bill will be automatically sent to your car provider. The exact fee will depend on how long will you drive along this road. Some car providers do include an additional toll charge fee. Do get in touch with your car provider in advance to find out more. Visit the official Highway 407 website to find out more information about fees and payment methods.

Highway 412 is another toll road in Ontario. It is part of the same toll system as the Highway 407. The exact fee will depend on the time of the day and the day of the week of your travel, as well as the length of your travel along this road. 

There are some other toll roads in Ontario. Do look them up in advance depending on your planned route. 

In the rest of Canada, payment method and fees differ for different toll roads. It is best to look them up in advance, finding the information for each province in which you plan to travel. You can also use a toll calculator to calculate the approximate fees for your upcoming ride.

Ideas for day trips

• Niagara. Not just the waterfalls, but a large peninsula about an hour’s drive south of Toronto, Niagara is one of the most popular destinations in Ontario. From cruises to the waterfalls to well-preserved historic buildings, wineries, and nature reserves, the region has plenty of attractions for every visitor. 
• Stratford. This town in Perth County that's about two hours drive west of Toronto has a population of just over 30,000 inhabitants, but it is home to the famous Stratford Shakespeare Festival that lasts all the way from April to November. If you're a classic literature lover, time your travels accordingly.
• Ottawa. Canada's capital is about for to five hours drive away, so this one's probably a two-day trip, but this underrated city makes a great travel destination thanks to the combination of beautiful architecture and relaxed atmosphere.
• Linocln. One might not think of Canada as a producer of wine, but Lincoln, just outside of Toronto, sits at the heart of valleys with many wineries, most of which have tasting rooms. 

Most popular cars

The most hired car type in Canada is an economy, but fullsize and intermediate are also often picked. The most popular cars are the Kia Rio, the Jeep Wrangler, and the Nissan Rogue.

Further destinations

• Montreal. Canada's second largest city is sometimes considered Toronto's rival, so why not travel there to make up your own mind? Competition aside, this bilingual metropolis is as unique a destination as Toronto in terms of history, arts, and atmosphere.
• Northern Ontario. The sparsely populated north of the province doesn't see as many tourists as the big cities in the south, but it's impressive nature areas will convince anyone that you don't need to go to Yukon to see Canada at its wildest.
• USA. Detroit and Michigan is just a couple of hours drive away, but with a hired car you can also easily reach other famous cities like Chicago, Boston, and New York. Note that you'll have to cross the national border to visit U.S., so do get in touch with your car provider in advance to find out if they permit it. Also, make sure your entry documents are in order.

Car hire prices in Toronto

• Small cars - starting at £13 per day
• Large cars - starting at £14 per day
• Medium cars - starting at £22 per day
• SUVs - starting at £19 per day
• People Carriers - starting at £30 per day
• Premium cars - starting at £45 per day
• Station wagons - starting at £118 per day
• Convertibles - starting at £51 per day

Money-saving and other tips

There are things you can do to get a good car hire deal in Toronto:

• Compare rates of different car providers
• Book your car well in advance
• Plan your route before you go
• Know your fuel and mileage requirements
• Visit on the month when the prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting Toronto is the cheapest in October when hiring a car is about 33% cheaper than the yearly average and 53% cheaper than hiring a car in June.