4 Days In Toronto Made Me Realise It Might Be The Perfect City Break

Toronto is one of those places that feel like it shouldn’t be as amazing as it actually is.

Now it is a long enough flight, seven hours on the way over isn’t the shortest flight for anybody, but the whole trip was actually very easy going.

I flew with Aer Lingus from Dublin at about 1pm, and by the time I had watched a couple of movies, eaten all my plane food and seriously considered whether I wanted to be that person who reclines their seat, I was basically there.

Landing into Toronto Pearson just after 4pm local time, the airport was actually very easy to navigate. From Terminal 1, the UP Express brings you straight into Union Station in the heart of the city.

Union Station is right next to the CN Tower, Rogers Centre and a lot of the downtown shopping centres, so is a ideal place to go if you want to explore the city but don’t have a specific site in mind.

I stayed about a 15 minute walk away from Union Station and across from Rogers stadium, which ended up being the perfect location, very little foot traffic, a view of the CN tower from the balcony and just a 10 minute walk to Eaton Centre and some of the largest shopping centres in the world.

 

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The price of accommodation too wasn’t that bad, although I recommend you book early to get the best prices. Our apartment was booked for two and cost €750 for the four days, which isn’t cheap, and there certainly are a lot of cheaper alternatives but if you are spending close to a week visiting then it’s probably going to be the most expensive part of your holiday.

Also, a 10kg bag was genuinely enough for the four day trip, but I would leave space if you are going. Toronto is dangerous if you like shopping, snacks or any form of American food franchise. They have Popeyes, Shake Shack, Wingstop, Wendy’s, every Ruffles flavour you have never seen before, limited edition Reese’s and bright red Fanta that probably has no business being that colour but does taste amazing.

What I liked most about Toronto is that it gives you a bit of everything without making you work too hard for it.

It does have a lot of big-city energy in its skyscrapers, huge shopping malls and sports stadiums but it never felt crowded. For somewhere so massive, it was weirdly calm. There were people everywhere, but the streets were wide and you never got that shoulder-to-shoulder feel you usually get from big busy cities. It was busier around rush hour but maintained that calm energy throughout, which is basically my dream city break.

That relaxed feeling is probably what surprised me most, because Toronto still has more than enough going on. It is not one of those cities where you have to convince yourself you are having fun because you have already paid for the flights. You actually are.

One thing I would absolutely make time for is the Toronto Islands. I know people usually talk about the CN Tower first, and fair enough, it is right there, but the islands were one of my favourite parts of the whole trip. You can get the ferry across, but we took a water taxi and honestly, I would recommend doing that. It costs a little bit more, but it is quicker, easier and just a nicer way to arrive.

Once you get there, rent a bike. I cannot stress this enough. You can walk around, obviously, but the islands are bigger than they look and cycling makes the whole thing feel so much more relaxed. There are beaches, little paths, places to eat, skyline views and even a small amusement park that is probably more for children, but still very cute to wander past.

It feels strange in the best way, because one minute you are in the middle of downtown Toronto and the next you are cycling beside the water looking back at the skyline like it is something from a postcard.

There is history there too. Hanlan’s Point has long been connected to Toronto’s queer history, so it is not just a pretty place to take photos, although you will absolutely take photos. It has a lot of charm to it, which is obvious when a place is pretty but also has a story behind it.

That same ease carried through when we went to see Bruno Mars at Rogers Stadium, which is not Rogers Centre, but a different venue up at Downsview Park. We got there by subway, which was very easy, and the whole thing made me appreciate how well Toronto handles big events.

There were around 50,000 people there, but the stadium cleared quickly and transport back was simple. If that was Dublin, you would still be trying to find a way home three hours later. The performance was amazing, obviously, but the city itself deserves credit too.

Niagara Falls is the obvious add-on, and it is absolutely worth giving a full day to. It is around two hours from Toronto by bus, and while I expected the waterfall to be the main event, I did not expect the town itself to have so much going on.

Niagara Falls is basically built around visitors. There are attractions, casinos, shops, restaurants, family-friendly bits, couple-friendly bits and enough going on that you could spend hours there before even getting to the boat.

And you do need to do the boat. Seeing the falls from above is lovely, and yes, you will get your photos, but it does not fully hit until you are right beside it. From a distance, you can almost trick yourself into thinking, “Is that it?” Then you get close enough to be soaked by the mist and suddenly it all makes sense.

Back in Toronto, it is very easy to accidentally spend money. The malls are huge, the shops are great, and if you leave space in your suitcase, you will fill it. But there is also loads more to do if shopping is not your thing. There is Ripley’s Aquarium, the CN Tower, the EdgeWalk if you are braver than me, Rogers Centre if you want to catch a baseball game, and Scotiabank Arena for hockey or basketball depending on the season.

 

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With Toronto hosting World Cup matches this summer too, the city has even more buzz around it, but even without that, it feels like a place that always has something happening.

Four days gave us a really good taste of Toronto, but it also made me realise how much we did not get to see. You could easily spend a week there and still leave with a list.

It is clean, fun, easy to navigate, full of good food and close enough to Niagara Falls that you can tick off one of the world’s most famous landmarks without needing to build an entire separate trip around it.

For a long-haul city break, Toronto makes a very strong case for itself.

And honestly? I’d go back tomorrow.

Words by Andrew Connolly