TTC, GO Transit and trips home across the border

Toronto is one of the easier North American cities to live in without a car, and one of the easiest places on earth to get back to the States from. You can clear US customs before you even board.

The short version

One TTC ride is CAD 3.30 (about USD 2.36 in November 2026) with a PRESTO card, a credit or debit card, or a phone wallet. Cash is CAD 3.35. Fares include a two-hour transfer [1][5].
Monthly passes mostly ended on August 31, 2026. Since September 1, rides are free after 47 paid trips in a calendar month on the same card [1][2].
UP Express gets you from Union Station to Pearson in 25 minutes for CAD 12.35 (about USD 8.83), less with PRESTO [3][4].
Both Toronto airports now offer US preclearance, so you land stateside as a domestic arrival. Billy Bishop's facility opened in 2026 [6].
NEXUS costs USD 120 for five years and pays for itself if you cross often [7].

USD conversions use the Bank of Canada rate of 1.3989 CAD per USD (November 5, 2026) [5].

Getting around: TTC and PRESTO

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) runs the subway, streetcars and buses. If you've used the CTA in Chicago or SEPTA in Philly, you'll feel at home: crowded at rush hour, decent coverage, the occasional weekend subway closure for track work.

How to pay

Payment	Adult fare	Notes
PRESTO card	CAD 3.30	Reloadable card, works on GO and other GTA systems
Credit or debit card, phone wallet	CAD 3.30	Tap at the reader; your US card may charge foreign transaction fees
Cash	CAD 3.35	Exact change, no transfer [1]

The two-hour transfer works with PRESTO, PRESTO tickets and tapped bank cards, not cash [1]. Tap every time you board, including on streetcars, where fare inspectors do check.

A tip for newcomers: tap with a Canadian debit or credit card, or a PRESTO card, not your US card. Foreign transaction fees on CAD 3.30 rides add up, and using one card consistently matters for the cap below.

Fare capping replaced the monthly pass

On September 1, 2026, the TTC switched to monthly fare capping. Most monthly and 12-month passes were discontinued on August 31, 2026. The Adult 12-Month Pass and the Post-Secondary Monthly Pass remain [1][2].

How the cap works [2]:

Pay with a PRESTO card, debit card, credit card or mobile wallet.
Each payment method keeps its own trip count, which resets on the first of the month.
After 47 paid trips in a calendar month, the rest of your rides that month are free.

At CAD 3.30 a ride, that's roughly CAD 155 (about USD 110) before you ride free. Stick to one card, or your trips split across two counts.

GO Transit and One Fare

GO Transit is the regional rail and bus network run by Metrolinx, the provincial agency. Think Metra or NJ Transit. GO trains fan out from Union Station to Oakville, Hamilton, Barrie, Oshawa and beyond, and GO runs seasonal service to Niagara Falls.

GO fares are distance-based, and PRESTO is the easiest way to pay. With One Fare, you pay once when you connect between the TTC and GO, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay or York Region Transit, as long as you tap on and off with the same card. It works with PRESTO and bank cards, not cash or PRESTO tickets [1].

Getting to the airport

Pearson (YYZ)

Toronto Pearson is the big one, out in Mississauga about 25 km (15 miles) from downtown. The UP Express train runs from Union Station to Pearson in 25 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes [4]. The adult standard fare is CAD 12.35 one way, and PRESTO users pay a discounted rate [3]. You can also tap a debit or credit card [4].

UP Express drops you at Terminal 1. The free Terminal Link train shuttles you to Terminal 3 [4]. A rideshare or taxi works too, but Highway 427 and the 401 at rush hour can make the train the better bet.

Billy Bishop (YTZ)

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport sits on the Toronto Islands, right off the downtown waterfront. You reach it through a pedestrian tunnel or a very short ferry ride, then walk to your gate. It mostly handles turboprop flights, and Porter is the main airline.

The big news: a US preclearance facility opened at Billy Bishop in 2026. It is expected to support new direct flights to New York LaGuardia, Chicago O'Hare, Washington Reagan and Boston Logan [6]. Check which routes are flying when you book.

US preclearance: clearing customs in Toronto

At Pearson, flights to the US go through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance in the terminal before you board. When you land in Newark, Atlanta or LAX, you walk off like a domestic passenger. That also means you can connect to a US domestic flight without clearing customs again.

What to know:

Arrive early. Allow time for Canadian security plus US preclearance. Holiday weekends like Thanksgiving (the US one, in November) get busy.
Bring your US passport. As a US citizen, you can't be refused entry to the US, but you still have to clear inspection.
Declare goods just as you would at a US airport.

For Global Entry and NEXUS members, there are Global Entry kiosks at eight Canadian airports [7].

NEXUS: the frequent crosser's best friend

NEXUS is a joint US–Canada trusted traveler program. If you'll cross more than a few times a year, it's a no-brainer.

Feature	Details
Fee	USD 120, non-refundable [7]
Validity	5 years [7]
Entering Canada	Kiosks and eGates at 9 major Canadian airports; dedicated lanes at 18 land crossings [7]
Entering the US	Global Entry kiosks at 8 Canadian airports [7]
US domestic flights	TSA PreCheck at over 200 US airports [7]

You apply online, then do an interview with officers from both countries. Appointments can book up, so apply early. The dedicated NEXUS lanes at busy crossings can save you an hour on a holiday weekend.

Driving home: Buffalo and Detroit

Plenty of Toronto Americans drive home for the holidays or make a Costco or Target run across the border.

To Buffalo and western New York

Buffalo is about 160 km (100 miles) from downtown Toronto, roughly a two-hour drive via the QEW in normal traffic. You have three main crossings:

Peace Bridge (Fort Erie to Buffalo)
Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls to Niagara Falls)
Lewiston–Queenston Bridge (Queenston to Lewiston), handy for the I-190

Buffalo Niagara International Airport is a popular alternative for cheaper domestic fares.

To Detroit and Michigan

Detroit is about 370 km (230 miles) away, roughly four hours along Highway 401 to Windsor. You can cross on the Ambassador Bridge, through the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel or on the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, which opened to traffic on July 27, 2026 [8].

What to carry

At US land and sea crossings, US citizens need a WHTI-compliant document: a passport, passport card, NEXUS card or enhanced driver's license. If you live in Toronto on a Canadian permit, also carry your Canadian immigration documents so Canada lets you back in.

Check border wait times before you leave. Both CBP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) post them online.

Duty-free: what you can bring each way

Into the US

Under US customs rules, a US resident returning after at least 48 hours abroad gets a personal exemption of USD 800, and the 48 hours are counted exactly [9]. Shorter trips get a much smaller allowance.

Here's the fine print for expats: if you've made Canada your home, CBP may treat you as a nonresident on a visit to the US, with different allowances. Either way, declare everything and keep receipts.

Back into Canada

If you're a resident of Canada, CBSA sets your exemption by how long you were away [10]:

Time away	Exemption
Under 24 hours	None
Over 24 hours	Up to CAD 200 (about USD 145), no alcohol or tobacco
Over 48 hours	Up to CAD 800 (about USD 570), including alcohol and tobacco within limits
Over 7 days	Up to CAD 800; alcohol and tobacco must come with you

For trips over 48 hours, the alcohol limit is 1.5 liters of wine, 1.14 liters of spirits or 8.5 liters of beer, and the tobacco limit is 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars [10]. You can't combine exemptions [10].

Want a ride share to Buffalo or tips on which crossing is fastest on a Friday? Ask in our community group for Americans in Canada.

TTC, GO and the trip home: Toronto transit and the US border