Toronto Travel Information
Toronto is a vibrant and colourful city. By day experience the fabulous
views of Toronto and beyond from the CN Tower, the tallest free standing
building on earth.
Toronto Skyline
Take a ferry across to Toronto Island or visit the Skydome, home to the
Blue Jays baseball team. A paradise for shoppers, from the chic
boutiques of Yorkville or the lofty glass palace of the Eaton Centre to
the colourful outdoor markets.
Evenings can be spent at the theatre, dining out in one of the wide
choices of restaurants or socialising in one of the many bars and clubs.
The nearby Niagara Falls is one of the great Natural Wonders of the
World. Marvel at the magnificent spectacle of white water thundering
over the limestone cliffs.
Get a quote on holidays and flights to
Toronto with Hessle Travel.
|
|
Toronto Travel and Flight
Information
|
Originally
settled by 18th-century English and Scottish immigrants, Toronto has
grown into a cosmopolitan metropolis, and is one of the most
multicultural cities in the world.
Canada's largest city, it is
also the country's leading financial and commercial centre with the
headquarters of many banking and industrial institutions concentrated in
the densely packed downtown area. The city has taken to high-rises in a
big way, with a crop of gleaming towers in the financial district as
well as rows of distinctly less attractive tower blocks along the
shoreline; the skyline is dominated by the spectacular, pencil-thin CN
Tower.
There are still pockets of the old, prosperous Victorian town
to be found, however, principally the stately, mock-Gothic City Hall,
and Parliament and university buildings. To the north east of downtown,
Cabbagetown has neighbourhoods of grand Victorian villas, while the St
Lawrence area retains its still flourishing Victorian market. There are
also plenty of other areas to explore such as Little Italy, the large,
vibrant Chinatown, Portugal Village, Greektown on Danforth Ave, and the
Kensington Market area – originally a Jewish district but now a
multicultural neighbourhood crowded with fruit and veg shops and
second-hand/vintage clothing boutiques. Chic, up-and-coming areas
include upmarket Yorkville – hangout of hippies in the 1960s – and Yonge
& Eglinton in Midtown with a range of trendy shops and bars; the
Distillery District near the waterfront is now a pedestrian-only
precinct with galleries, studios and shops; Gay Village, around
Wellesley and Church, is the vibrant centre of the gay scene.
The
city is rather short on green areas, although compact and shady Queen's
Park at the centre of the university district is a summer haven and
Toronto Islands in the harbour comprises 17 islands of parkland
connected by walkways.
The city is renowned for hosting various
international festivals and is the most frequently used location for
film-makers after Los Angeles and New York, earning it the nickname
"Hollywood North".
LOCATION
In south east
Canada, in the south of Ontario province. 25km (16 miles) south east of
Pearson international airport. 129km (80 miles) north (around Lake
Ontario) from Niagara Falls and the US border.
POSITION
On flat land towards the west edge of the north shore of Lake Ontario,
the smallest of the Great Lakes. The surrounding area is mostly flat
with low, undulating hills to the north. Mainly farmland – cattle and
crops – with vineyards around the Niagara area.
ACCOMMODATION
Predominantly mid-range chain hotels, housed
in multistorey high-rises and servicing the huge business and conference
market. There are also some luxury and boutique hotels. Other options
include a few B&B's and camping grounds.
ENTERTAINMENT
Daytime: city exploring including CN Tower, Chinatown, Little Italy and
Harbourfront; boat tours on Lake Ontario; hop-on/hop-off bus tours;
choice of 20 museums including a shoe museum and Hockey Hall of Fame;
art galleries; zoo; indoor basketball, ice hockey and basketball at
Olympic-designed Air Canada Centre; American football and baseball at
the impressive Skydome stadium with its retractable roof; Skydome tours;
amphibious bus tours; nature reserves outside city such as Humber River
and Don River Valley; Toronto Islands; canoeing and kayaking on lake;
fishing (permit required); cycling tours; golf; ice fishing in winter.
Nightlife: inordinate number of bars and clubs including Irish and
Scottish pubs, wine bars, live music bars and cafes, plus several seedy
erotica clubs; theatre, dance and opera (reputedly has the world's third
largest concentration of theatres outside Broadway and Shaftesbury
Avenue); O'Keefe Centre and Air Canada Centre host regular concerts and
pop gigs; umpteen cinemas including Imax Theatre; medieval tournament
and dinner.
EATING
Vast range to suit all
pockets, with visitors benefiting from the city's cosmopolitan
personality; lots of French restaurants but also North American steaks,
seafood, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Thai, German, Mexican etc. Limited
gourmet options but plenty of fast-food joints, family-orientated chains
and hot-dog stalls. Panoramic dining at top of CN Tower. Button-popping
portions and very keen prices (by European standards) at all but the
most upmarket venues.
SHOPPING
Plentiful and
varied, Toronto is home to PATH which is the largest underground
shopping complex, allowing shoppers to reach shops, restaurants and
services easily. Yorkdale shopping centre, located in the Greater
Toronto area, offers many designer shops and The Eaton Centre has an
enormous galleria with over 200 shops and restaurants.
Yonge
Street, allegedly the world's longest street, provides a dense array of
smaller stores and fast food, while Queen Street West is home to chic
boutiques in a Victorian setting. St Lawrence Market for fresh fruit and
vegetables, meat, fish, cheeses, caviar and maple syrup along with the
famous "peameal sandwich" (Canadian back bacon rolled in cornmeal placed
in a bun).
EXCURSIONS
Half day: Casa Loma
(open May to October); boat and yacht tours; harbour and island tours.
Full day: winery tours; Paramount Canada's Wonderland theme park;
tour of Mennonite village of St Jacobs; Black Creek Pioneer Village
(restored 19th-century village).
1/2 days: Niagara Falls and New
York State (USA).
BEACH
The mild summer
climate and lakeshore position may be tempting but the heavily polluted
water means no swimming. However, south east of the centre lies Queen
Street East which has clapboard houses, antique shops, bars, restaurants
and, towards the lakeside, white sand beaches bordered by paths and
boardwalks.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
A fast,
efficient network of underground trains, trams, buses and mainline
trains link the downtown areas with each other and metropolitan Toronto.
GOTransit is an inter-regional bus and train service.
SUITS
With year-round international tourists, and business
visitors, it's a popular base for sophisticated culture, shopping and
varied entertainment; a jumping-off point for excursions to nearby
Niagara Falls and the USA
Getting There
Direct scheduled and charter flights to Toronto can be booked from the
UK here at Hessle Travel. The flight time to Toronto is approx
7 hours.
Getting Around
Toronto has a clean, efficient underground system. The PATH network of
tunnels allows pedestrians to walk across a large section of the city
centre.
Must See and Do
The Niagara Falls is an absolute must! The view from the top of the
CN Tower is superb, day or night. Tour the Skydome, home of the Blue
Jays baseball team or take a boat trip across Lake Ontario.
Museums include the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Museum of Ceramic
Art. Experience the elegance of Casa Loma castle estate or visit Black
Creek Pioneer Village.
The Skydome, Toronto
Shopping
For the smartest retail addresses in the city, visit the boutiques,
exclusive galleries and stylish restaurants in Bloor Yorkville. Head
downtown for Toronto's ultimate shopping experience in the 300 shops of
the Eaton Centre - a glass emporium stretching over three city blocks.
Discover trendy Queen Street West - defined by funky designer fashions,
intimate bistros and clubs. Antique aficionados will also want to
venture north of the city to treasure filled shops throughout the
Caledon Hills.
Dining and Entertainment
Toronto is a place where you can literally tour the globe without ever
leaving the city. Be transported to the Orient in downtown Chinatown,
one of the largest on the continent. Pull up a chair at a sidewalk cafe
in Greektown where the air is spiced with lemon, garlic and oregano and
sip an expresso in Little Italy. Enjoy a whole world of dining where the
fare ranges from North American to Continental to exotic Asian, Indian
and African delicacies.
Weather
Daily average temperatures (Approx) 'C
JAN 1 FEB 1 MAR 3
APR 10 MAY 17 JUN
23 JUL 26 AUG 25 SEP 21 OCT
13 NOV 6
DEC 1
|
|
Main Attractions in
Toronto
|
CN Tower
Nothing compares to the sensational panoramic view of Toronto and
Lake Ontario than atop the CN Tower. One of the world's tallest
buildings at 553 metres - experience the towers Sky Pod where on a
clear day you can see Niagara Falls, Ontario and Rochester New
York!
CN Tower
Niagara Falls
No far from Toronto lies one of the world's great natural wonders,
Niagara Falls. Forming a natural border between Canada and the
USA, 'The Falls' are split into two separate cascades, the
American Falls and the larger Horseshoe Falls.
The mighty Niagara River falls 52 metres into the gorge below and
the spectacular sight and power of this natural phenomenon will
leave an everlasting impression.
At night The Falls put on a whole new show, spectacularly lit with
21 Xenon Spotlights each emitting 250 million candlepower that
turn The Falls into a shimmering, multi-coloured mirage.
The Niagara Falls
Museums and Galleries
Toronto is alive with museums and art galleries. Visit the Art
Gallery of Ontario which houses over 20'000 works or the Royal
Ontario Museum. For something completely different, the Bata Shoe
Museum - North America's first museum dedicated to shoes -
features 10'000 footwear artifacts, including Elvis' bleu and
white patent loafers.
|
|
Toronto by Hessle Travel
|
Toronto - Highlights
> Cosmopolitan Toronto is Canada's largest city and the
country's cultural and business centre
> Ascend the CN Tower and take in the amazing views, which can
even stretch to Niagara Falls on a clear day
> With an efficient public transport system and streets
organised on a grid pattern, Toronto is easy to get around
> This is a shoppers paradise, offering everything from elegant
designer boutiques to department stores, and some great prices -
plus overseas visitors can claim tax refunds!
> A visit to the awesome Niagara Falls, one of the 'Wonders of
the Natural World', either for the day or overnight, is bound to
leave you with lifelong memories
> The Niagara region, a land of lakes, forests and great
natural beauty, also produces some of Canada's finest wines
Book yourself a city break to Toronto with Hessle Travel.
|
|
|
|
