Four ways lead from Pearson to downtown, and the cheapest one depends on how many of you there are and when you land. One person in the daytime: the UP Express to Union is $12.35 one way ($24.70 return) checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: UP Express, or $9.25 one way checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: UP Express with a PRESTO or contactless card. Three or four people with checked bags: a licensed airport taxi is $70 checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA fare estimator for the whole car, flat, no meter. A night arrival after the last train: the taxi and limo line outside Arrivals, or a ride-share app if you have data and can wait for a driver.
None of these is "the best" — they fit different situations, and every number here is official, with the date it was checked. "After a long tedious flight, I never want an adventure to save a few bucks." (user report, Reddit, 2026) is why many travellers skip the cheapest option. This page covers one direction; for every other way in or out, see all Pearson ground transport options.
Overview
Read the row that matches your group, then follow the link in the last column. Fares are one way, airport to Union Station or the downtown core.
| Option | Fare for one | Fare for four | Luggage | Runs at night? | Where to board | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP Express train | $12.35 one way ($24.70 return); $9.25 one way with PRESTO or contactless | Group Pass $25 for 3 people, $32.50 for 4, $40 for 5 (one way, online only); children 12 and under ride free | you carry your own bags on and off | not all night by user reports; check the schedule | UP Express station, Terminal 1 | UP Express fares, PRESTO discount and the last train of the night |
| Licensed taxi or limo (GTAA curb) | taxi $70; limo $77; flat, taxes included | the same $70 covers everyone; a taxi van costs the same as a sedan | $15 once per trip, only with five or more passengers or four or more checked bags | line runs without published hours; users report cars at all hours | Terminal 1: taxis at Door D, Arrivals Level, limos at Door C, Arrivals Level | the full official flat-rate table and the luggage surcharge rule |
| Uber, Lyft or Hopp | UberX CA$44–45 on average, not a fixed price | UberX if the bags fit, otherwise UberXL CA$76–78 on average | UberX usually holds 2 suitcases, UberXL about 3; Lyft recommends XL or Black SUV for 3 or more suitcases — luggage space is not guaranteed | available 24/7 per Uber, but "driver supply may vary depending on when you land" | designated ride-share zones, not the Arrivals curb; the app shows the zone | how to find your Uber or Lyft pickup zone at Pearson |
| TTC bus and subway | one TTC fare | one TTC fare each | less practical with large luggage: a bus, a transfer and stairs | night buses run, on a different route | 900 Airport Express bus to Kipling station, then the subway | overnight TTC and GO bus options from Pearson |
All fares checked on 26 Sept 2026: UP Express fares from UP Express, taxi and limo rates from the GTAA fare estimator, Uber figures from Uber's YYZ page as a past-month average. A pre-booked car and a rental car are not in the table because no public tariff prices them; see what a pre-booked transfer includes or the car rental desks at the airport.
By taxi, limo or ride-share
The airport taxi to downtown is not metered. Licensed taxis and limos from the GTAA curb charge a flat rate by zone: $70 checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA fare estimator by taxi and $77 checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA fare estimator by limo to Union, the CN Tower, City Hall or the Distillery District. Behind that number: no surge pricing — the flat rate does not change with traffic, weather or time of day checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA; all taxes included in the flat rate checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA; drivers are not permitted to charge extra for credit-card payment checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA tariff sheet. A van does not cost more — a 6-seat taxi van costs the same flat rate as a sedan; a limo SUV or accessible van costs the same as a limo sedan checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA fare estimator. The only add-on on this route is $15 checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA, announced before your bags go in. Limos are approximately 10% more than a taxi checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: GTAA and have their own line. Which door at Terminal 3, and what to do if a driver quotes something else, is on the taxi and limo page.
Uber, Lyft and Hopp are the apps licensed to pick up at Pearson. Uber publishes past-month averages for the airport-to-Toronto trip: UberX CA$44–45 checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: Uber, Comfort CA$57–60 checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: Uber, UberXL CA$76–78 checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: Uber. In Uber's words they "do not represent fixed or guaranteed prices" and the fare depends on "current demand for rides", so the quote when you land can sit above or below the average. The airport pickup fee is not published: the airport pickup fee is included in the app price, but neither GTAA, Uber nor Lyft publishes the amount official value not captured as of 26 Sept 2026 · GTAA / Uber / Lyft. Capacity: UberX usually holds 2 suitcases, UberXL about 3; Lyft recommends XL or Black SUV for 3 or more suitcases — luggage space is not guaranteed checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: Uber / Lyft. Uber's average trip is about 28–29 minutes and 24 km, CA$42–44 on average checked on 26 Sept 2026 · source: Uber — the closest cue for how long any car on this road takes. Your pickup is not at the Arrivals curb; the app assigns a zone, and the ride-share page walks through it by terminal, including Uber Reserve and Lyft scheduled rides if you want a locked price.
One line of comparison: for one person, UberX averages below the taxi flat rate; for four people with luggage, the taxi's $70 covers everyone in one car — by the official figures, not a guarantee. Users describe the trade-off as time versus money: "It was more expensive than Uber so there's that, but if money isn't a concern, then it's easier to take one of the airport taxis than uber." (user report, Reddit, 2026). And from someone who gave up on the app: "Ended up $30 more expensive but no wait." (user report, Reddit, 2024).
By UP Express
The UP Express runs between the airport and Union Station and, for one traveller, is the cheapest of the fast options. Fares are set by UP Express, checked on 26 Sept 2026:
| Fare type | One way |
|---|---|
| Adult (13–64) | $12.35 one way ($24.70 return) |
| Adult with PRESTO or contactless | $9.25 one way |
| Senior (65+) | $6.20 one way ($5.80 with PRESTO) |
| Group Pass | $25 for 3 people, $32.50 for 4, $40 for 5 (one way, online only) |
| Family fare | $25.70 (ticket vending machines only) |
| Children | children 12 and under ride free |
The Group Pass is the number to weigh against a taxi: four adults pay $25 for 3 people, $32.50 for 4, $40 for 5 (one way, online only) together, against $70 for a car that also goes door to door. Journey time and timetable are deliberately not stated here — they are not among the fare sources this page tracks. Users are blunt about late arrivals: "If your plane actually lands at 12.40am, you're lucky if you're out of there by 1.30, maybe even 2." (user report, Reddit, 2026). Check the UP Express page for times and the last train against your landing time, then add customs and baggage.
By TTC
Public transit is the cheapest way in, at a regular TTC fare, and the slowest. No single bus reaches the core: the 900 Airport Express links the terminal with Kipling station, where the subway takes you east. Budget well over an hour and at least one transfer — hence "less practical with large luggage" in the table. Routes, night-bus pairings and the current fare are in the airport bus and shuttle guide, which also covers the GO bus.
After the last UP Express
Only the UP Express has an end to its day. The other three options do not stop, but their reliability at night is described differently by their operators and by users.
| Option | Night status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UP Express | users report the last train leaves around 01:00; the timetable is the only authority | user reports, Reddit, 2026 — when the last UP Express leaves |
| Taxi and limo line at Arrivals | GTAA describes the curb line without hours; users report cars waiting at all hours | GTAA taxis page; user reports, Reddit, 2023–2026 |
| Uber, Lyft, Hopp | "available 24/7 at YYZ Airport, but driver supply may vary depending on when you land"; "Internet service is required to request a ride" | Uber YYZ pickup page, checked 26 Sept 2026 |
| TTC night buses | run through the night on a different route from the daytime one | overnight TTC and GO bus options |
Opinions on the app at night diverge, and this page does not settle them. Against: "The driver was showing he is on the way but nothing happened for over 10 mins. I panicked and booked Lyft." (user report, Reddit, 2023). For: a user reported paying about $41 for an Uber between Scarborough and Pearson at 4 a.m. and called it the quickest and cheapest option at that hour (user report, Reddit, 2026, paraphrased). Both can be true on different nights.
Criteria rather than a verdict:
- Alone at night, no local data or no patience left: the regulated taxi and limo line needs no app, no signal and no wait for a match; the fare is the same $70 as at noon.
- Three or four people, or more than three checked bags: the taxi's $70 covers the car; a van at the curb costs the same.
- Comfortable with the app and online: request once you have your bags, go to the zone the app shows, and keep the taxi line as plan B if the driver does not move.
- Counting every dollar with little luggage: the TTC night bus — cheap, slow and, by user reports, unpleasant.
Where the lines are at each terminal after dark is in late night and early morning on the taxi page.
Fare calculator: Pearson to downtown
The calculator uses the same official figures as this page — GTAA flat rates for taxi and limo, Uber's published past-month averages marked as averages, and UP Express fares — with no surge multipliers or estimates of our own.
