Toronto?

[CochonDinde]

Thinking of once again forfeiting a beach holiday for a long haul city break and was thinking Toronto - anyone been? My finger keeps hovering over the "book and pay" button but I keep talking myself in and out of actually doing it

I've never been so I don't know if my opinion counts for anything, but I say do it!
Toronto is on my list, hoping to go next year. From everything I've seen it looks amazing. I love the idea of going a bit further afield for a city break.

Depends what you're into but I thought it was boring as shit... Absolutely hated it.

Boston? It's got a bit of culture and history to it. Canadians are nice generally but it's a pretty boring place

Thank you, Thing and your opinion absolutely counts, especially as you've clearly researched the place It does look fabulous doesnt it? I've found amazing deals on flights but I'm not sure about accommodation yet - I may well just book the flights then try Airbnb for the first time!

Went on my first solo holiday when I was 21 to visit my uncle. I loved it: very easy to get around and transport system is integrated. It was a while ago (80s) but I say DO IT!

Boring as fk is right. Lovely place, great people don't get me wrong, but it is not worth a Transatlantic flight IMO. Same shit different place if you get me!

Boston, Philly, Savannah, Charleston....there are so many other places for the same or near enough flight time. You did ask!

What made you book it that didn't meet your expectations,.if you don't mind me asking Abito? Fully interested in your points as I'm in so much doubt! I've wanted to see the niagra falls for as long as I can remember, and if I can combine it with a city break then all the better, but i obviously do want to enjoy the city break also! I was in NYC a few weeks ago, but I was with my daughter and it was just too far to go from manhattan. Ideally I'm looking for a city break that I can have some down-time in too, if that makes sense? Toronto seems like I can tick niagra off (the top of) my bucket list, enjoy the city but also relax a bit, would you say it meets that? I'm so torn!!

We did two airbnbs in Toronto, one downtown and one at 'The Beach'. Firstly downtown is nothing. Just soulless high rises. The beach is laughably bad. A horrible industrial shorefront with a boardwalk plonked on it. Both places were outrageously expensive, £250-300 per night for airbnbs.

We also went to a town called Niagara On The Lake which was very sweet and nice and we did like it there.

Everyone there was so lovely, kind and sweet and polite. But I genuinely hated the country....

I found Canada boring. It's too similar

I spent a summer there and it was nice but boring. I felt like we never found the centre or the heart of it even though we went around a lot of it.

good place to live but bit boring to visit unless it was just a couple of days

Agree-it’s not worth the long flight. Quite bland & soulless. So many better cities in Europe.

Thanks all, wholly taking these comments on board and so glad I asked. I'm now even looking as Boston as it's another place I've wanted to visit - could maybe even combine with one night in Buffalo to see Niagra falls?

Boston is great and also lots to see on Cape Cod & Cape Ann nearby.

It is 500 miles or so from Boston to Buffalo, check out Rome2Rio.com for options for travel.

The US side is much seedier than the Canadian side though IME. Nothing to recommend it apart from Maid of the Mist and a few viewing points.

Maybe you could fly to Toronto, spend a night there, see the city using an open top bus, view the falls on the Canadian side and go to Boston for a few days.

I know what it's like when you have a mad desire to see somewhere, but plan it out well and get bang for your buck!

I’m Canadian and found Toronto incredibly dull. I would love to see Montreal though, and Quebec City.

I found Toronto very boring. Everyone I met there was keen to point out that it is just like New York .
Spoiler: it’s not.

We’re going to Toronto in September, but probably only the airport. We have a round trip planned to Niagara, New England (NH and ME probably), Montreal, Algonquin and back to Toronto.

I have happy memories of staying with friends in Toronto in 1990, and might like to spend a day revisiting, but it is just a city.

Toronto is fab. We stayed a week in a hotel close to the CN Tower. We took a day trip to Niagara Falls which was fantastic (it included stops at Niagara on the lake and a vineyard to taste local wine), went round steam whistle brewery to see how beer is made (right by our hotel), went to Casa Loma which is a fascinating house and saw some museums. Ate some great food, the people were friendly, we loved it

Have been to Toronto twice and found it v dull .

There are much better places for a longhaul city break as previous posters have mentioned- Boston, NY, Washington, New Orleans etc. Or going east you could go to Muscat, Moscow, Istanbul... or combine beach and city - LA, Charleston, Barcelona , Lisbon etc.

I've visited Toronto recently and was underwhelmed. It could have been any big city in the UK. Ottawa on the other hand was fab. I'd go back in a breath!

Horses for courses of course! If you want to go, do it!

Wow! Poor old Toronto! I’ve lived there and visited many times and it’s a city I’m really fond off. On the surface if you’re only there a couple of days, I can see why it wouldn’t perhaps immediately grab if you’re doing things like going up the CN Tower and walking down Yonge but there is a lot to like. Areas like West Queen West are quirky and arty for shopping and eating. The Harbourfront is attractive and my DDs both liked Centre Island in the summer and the view over on the ferry. The hotels downtown are a bit blah but an apartment in an area like historic Cabbagetown would be nice. For a bit of wilderness in the city there is Etienne Brule Park. The Beaches area isn’t that horrible and there are some good shops in the area too. Take the kids to Black Creek Pioneer Village as well for a taste of the 1800’s settler experience. Go and see a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre as well.

Day trips to Niagara and Niagara on the Lake are do-able from Toronto. Other than the falls, there isn’t a great deal to do there and the town is grim and tacky. Niagara on the Lake is sweet but a bit twee. Haliburton in the Highlands is a 2 hour drive North from Toronto if you like lakes and national parks.

I’d combine a trip to Toronto with a day in the Niagara area (but no more than a day) and then take the train to Montreal for a few days then up to Quebec City and fly out of Quebec. Toronto is a city which has very fond memories for me and where I still have close friends and honestly, doesn’t need to be dull! As for Boston, to be fair I’ve only been for a day and arrived during a big Irish settlers history celebration where my very English accent didn’t go down too well in a bar but it isn’t a city I’ve a huge desire to rush back too.

Thanks SJane really useful and a great idea to get the train elsewhere after a few nights in Toronto I'll get looking into that today. To be fair I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere so a city would have to be exceptionally dull for us to be bored - it's just exciting for us to see civilisation

Born and raised in Toronto. Live in the UK now. Toronto is a fantastic city. As pp said Younge street, Queen street west are fab. Theres loads to museums, harbour front, lake shore from Sunnyside is beautiful. High park is worth a visit. It's a historic green space gifted to the city. Theres amazing restaurants and shopping. Niagara is about an hour and 20 mins from the city. Niagara town is bit like Canada's version of Vegas. Theres casinos and a midway. Niagara on the lake is fab as are the wineries. North of Toronto theres some beautiful wild lands (kawartha lakes in particular) or as said Halliburton and lakeside beaches. To the very south you have Point Peele which is stunning all year long. It's like any city break it's what you make it and do your research.

Can’t believe the number of people saying Toronto is boring, I love it, been twice and would love to go again. The sky dome and CN tower are awesome, shopping, underground city, theatres, museums, black squirrels, Niagara Falls, Niagara on the lake, Clifton Hill fab memories I would go again if I had the chance.

I've been. It's nice but not exciting. I think you'd prefer Vancouver.