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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

A week in Toronto

34 replies

BestIsWest · 19/10/2018 18:43

DH is keen for us to spend a week in Toronto as part of next year’s holiday because he a)wants to go to Niagara Falls and b) wants to go to a Bluejays game.
I’m happy to do these things but don’t really like big cities though I can bear a museum or two.

What else can we do that will get us out of the city? Or that doesn’t involve shopping.

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Finfintytint · 19/10/2018 18:49

We hired a car and went out to the lakes. It was a number of years ago though and cant remember where we went but totally doable from the city. It involved a canoe museum if iI remember.

TheFifthKey · 19/10/2018 18:53

Toronto is a big city but it’s not too built up. There are nice hipster-y neighbourhoods with wide streets to wander down and step into coffee houses and cool bars. There are nice parks and lakeside walks too, and a cute city farm (which I can’t remember the name of).

BabyMoonPie · 19/10/2018 18:53

Steam Whistle brewery tour, aquarium, CN tour, St Lawrence Market, Casa Loma (cool house). They're all in the city but we enjoyed them. We only went to Niagara Falls out of the city

BabyMoonPie · 19/10/2018 18:53

CN tower that should be

chemenger · 19/10/2018 18:54

You can get a ferry out to the islands for a nice peaceful wander.

Knittedfairies · 19/10/2018 19:11

CN Tower, Bata Shoe Museum, Casa Loma, a wander around Chinatown; lots to look at. (I was distinctly underwhelmed by Niagara Fall...)

Original poster
BestIsWest · 19/10/2018 20:01

I have heard many times how tacky Niagara Falls is but DH has always wanted to go.

The lakes and islands sound like my kind of place. The CN tower will be on the list. DH loves heights and can’t resist a tall building.

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Original poster
BestIsWest · 19/10/2018 20:01

Oh and he loves a market. He’ll be happy.

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Smile1978 · 19/10/2018 20:36

Public transport is good in Toronto and very resasonable.Shuttle train Fromm Toronto Pearson airport to the city Is very fast and had good wifi from memeory it was 12 dollars return.Lovely waterfront restaurants close by to CNN tower and close to blue jays which is also close to rail station.Trams and underground network very good.I visit often as have family in Toronto

Smile1978 · 19/10/2018 20:38

I haven't been to Niagra but my Aunt who is Canadian said it's more hype and not that special.Others in my family have said the same

Ameliarose16 · 19/10/2018 20:40

Niarga has the BEST vineyards!!!! I'd book a night in Niagara on the lake, get some bikes and do some wine tasting it's incredible

burnoutbabe · 19/10/2018 20:40

We did Toronto then niagara. Niagara is quite tacky but the falls are pretty cool. We also did an organised wine tasting tour and visited 4 local wineries. That was good fun.

Ameliarose16 · 19/10/2018 20:41

Also, I heard the same about how tacky the falls are but it's simply stunning. Breathtaking!

Original poster
BestIsWest · 19/10/2018 20:43

Niagara on the lake looks nice. Definitely one to add to the list.

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StrumpersPlunkett · 19/10/2018 20:50

Having been last summer I can wholeheartedly endorse it as a destination
2 lazy days spent on the island beach with the lovely big parks were fantastic antidote
We stayed very central ( just by CN tower) it was v walkable to most places
I loved it as a city.

BIWI · 19/10/2018 20:58

The American side of Niagara Falls is actually much better than the Canadian side!

Screaminginsidemeagain · 19/10/2018 21:16

The falls themselves are beautiful but the ‘strip’ is very cheap funfair.
Still worth a trip. There is behind the falls, the ferry and the whirl pool but don’t bother with the film.

In Toronto itself, definitely get a boat out to the islands, cabbage town has a nice little city farm and along the lake front between the station and the tower there are some nice little shops (think watching glass blowers etc) and an outdoor train museum.
The tower is expensive but worth doing once.

You can get really cheap tickets for the baseball, you don’t get an allocated seat but can sit in any vacant seat until the owner arrives. No one gets snarky about you being in their seat as long as you move and you get to sit in lots of different viewing spots. People tend not to watch the whole game but wander around eating, drinking and playing fairground games in the stadium.

The zoo and science centre are fun but a zoo is a zoo as is a science museum.

SJane45S · 19/10/2018 22:25

As everyone has already said, Niagara once you've seen the falls is a let down. Niagara on the lake is pretty, it is a drive away from the falls though. Toronto is a big city but because of the population size, never feels busy. I'd stay in Rosedale or Cabbagetown as they're both great neighbourhoods rather than a hotel in downtown. See the Blue Jays, go over to the Islands and wander. Queen Street is (or used to be, been years since I lived there!) pretty upbeat & alternative. I used to like wandering in Etienne Brule park, not on the usual tourist beat but it's peaceful and a get away from the city. Have you considered taking the train to Montreal and spending a night there? I love Montreal & it's a really interesting contrast to Toronto.

Original poster
BestIsWest · 20/10/2018 06:19

We are combining this with a stay elsewhere (to be decided but I would like to go back to the Rockies). We did a lot of moving about on last years holiday in Western Canada and we were all knackered by the end of it so we’ve decided to base ourselves somewhere for a week apiece. Toronto is DH’s choice.

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SJane45S · 20/10/2018 07:21

Ah ok! You don't say if you're taking kids but my eldest used to like Black Creek which is a recreated pioneer village - quite interesting for adults too! It's been mentioned already but the Beaches (which is also known as The Beach village) is worth an afternoon if you're going in summer - it's a strip of beach along the lake shoreline & there's quite a few independent shops in the nekghbourhood. Check water quality reports first if you're planning to swim at any of beaches in Toronto though! I know shopping doesn't float your boat but if want to pick up souvenirs then an hour in the Eaton centre downtown should do you!

BIWI · 20/10/2018 08:03

Have you been to the East coast? It's really very beautiful, and you're closer than going to the Rockies.

Original poster
BestIsWest · 20/10/2018 23:30

Kids are possibly coming but are early twenties!
Yes, have done some of the US East Coast BIWI but not Canada and it but my heart hankers for glacial lakes.

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HerRoyalNotness · 21/10/2018 00:02

How about a day trip to muskoka? 2 hrs north from TO. I haven’t been but friends had a lake house up there and it looks fantastic

NightmareDaemon · 21/10/2018 00:08

Algoquin Park for hiking, canoeing, camoing, and biking. I love it there. I hope to be back there next summer for a week in the outdoors.

MrsZB · 21/10/2018 00:15

High Park is lovely too. Also, botanical gardens which link to Edward Gardens, evergreen Brickworks is lovely. Scarborough bluffs.

They call it a city in a park so there is lots of green space. Toronto music gardens is sweet.

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