Toronto Travel Help Please

Stacy's a freak

wrangles snakes
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
We are going to Toronto for a concert in July and need a little help/advice. I just booked a hotel that is not downtown - it is the Best Western Roehampton and it seems to be about 4-5 miles from the Rogers Centre which is the location for the concert. I had wanted something close to the stadium but it was more pricey that I wanted to shell out. We will arrive in Toronto in the early afternoon to check-in and then will probably want to grab dinner before the 8:30 start time.

Should we take public transport downtown or should we drive ourselves? Will it be easy to find somewhere to eat dinner near the Rogers Centre? It would be great if we could park somewhere and leave the car there through dinner and the concert. It sounds like parking in the designated arena parking is problematic trying to get out and I have seen suggestions for other lots near there. Any help would be great. Thanks!
 
I think you are going to have to give your self LOTS of time to get from the hotel area to the Rogers Centre, no matter what mode of transport you choose. If you do drive, you may want to try to park in an outside lot that is closer to the lake. You would have a little walk but it would be worthwhile to be able to get right onto the Gardiner/DVP highways. Budget at least 20 bucks to park. If it were me, I would not drive I would take the TTC/subway-get on at Eglinton and take it to Union and then walk. Just make sure your event is over before the subway closes or you could Uber or taxi back. There are many choices of places to eat near Rogers but they might be crowded. You could eat near the hotel and then hop on the subway down to the event.
 
What highway are you taking into Toronto? My first thought was you should stay somewhere along the highway, ideally with a Go Train station nearby. That would be your best and easiest bet to get in and out of the city. The Rogers Center is very close (walking distance) to Union Station. In fact, after fighting the traffic, you might find yourself walking from parking farther than the walk from Union Station.
 
So based on the hotel location - Eglinton and Mount Pleasant - I agree with alohamom - subway is your best option. If you're here on the weekend a Day Pass is $12 and it's good for 2 adults and 4 kids for the day. Cash fare is $3.25.
FYI TTC website (http://www.ttc.ca/Subway/Stations/Union/station.jsp) shows that the last train from Union is at 1:43am. Make sure you take the right direction - you would be heading towards Yonge.

Getting down to Union should be about 20-30 minutes, including walk time to the subway. Food in the immediate area is your typical bar and grill-type place. It may not say Chili's or Applebees, but it's essentially the same. Avoid street meat (aka hot dog vendors) if you can help it. They seem like a decent budget option. They're not.

If you don't mind not going directly to the Dome I suggest getting off at Wellesley station and heading to either Como en Casa (Mexican - really good mole) http://www.comoencasa.ca/ or Bar Volo (beer and tapas) http://www.barvolo.com/
 


The Roehampton is a nice budget hotel. If you don't want to take the subway as suggested above, you can UBER, or taxi, to Rogers Centre. Any restaurants right near the Rogers Centre will probably be busy due to the event, but there are lots of choices so you will find something. Just google restaurants around Rogers centre....lots of choices.
 
Thanks everyone! The concert starts at 8:30 so I'm sure it will be done before the last train leaves ... unless Axle Rose acts like he did back in the day and decides to delay the start by hours - lol. It sounds like the TTC is the easiest option.
 
Thanks everyone! The concert starts at 8:30 so I'm sure it will be done before the last train leaves ... unless Axle Rose acts like he did back in the day and decides to delay the start by hours - lol. It sounds like the TTC is the easiest option.
How exciting. I would budget some extra time. He hasn't changed much (except he's bigger). He was touring as "guns n roses" in 2009 or 2010 I think except he had a completely different band backing him up and he came to my city. He was at least 2 hours late going on. I almost left. I guess once a rock n roller always a rock n roller.
 


OP - BW Roehampton is fine for exploring Toronto.
Take the TTC / Subway! You'll thank me later.
Parking near the Rogers Centre is $30-$50 and right after the concert traffic is horrible. Taking 30 minutes to travel 1 mile.

I live downtown - and yes, it'd be nice to stay down here - but Yonge and Eglington is a vibrant. Tons of restaurant options and shopping. Just south is a great brewery that you should visit if you have time. Granite Brewery. There is currently construction on Eglington, but it starts East of where you are staying.

Dont bother trying to find restaurant options near Rogers Centre - overpriced and super busy during events. If you do, try and get downtown by 6PM. If you do end up trying to find somewhere - Id make reservations, but I'd look to find somewhere to have a late night snack afterwards.

As a side note - I believe all concerts at Rogers Centre "Skydome" end at 11PM, they have a strict curfew.

Have fun at the concert
 
I used to work security for concerts and for a Guns n Roses show several years ago there were so many opening acts that they didn't go on until well after midnight. The last trains were well over by the time the show ended - happily we were just an hour away from the start time. Working security I didn't get home until after 6am and generally we're only there about 20 minutes after the last customers... but that was as the full band hopefully he's grown up since then. (Side note: what parent takes their 10 year old son to a concert where the main act is scheduled to start after midnight and then freaks out about one of the opening acts being a burlesque show? I don't get people)
 
Last edited:
I used to work security for concerns and for a Guns n Roses show several years ago there were so many opening acts that they didn't go on until well after midnight. The last trains were well over by the time the show ended - happily we were just an hour away from the start time. Working security I didn't get home until after 6am and generally we're only there about 20 minutes after the last customers... but that was as the full band hopefully he's grown up since then. (Side note: what parent takes their 10 year old son to a concert where the main act is scheduled to start after midnight and then freaks out about one of the opening acts being a burlesque show? I don't get people)
haha! I guess we can always get a taxi if the show runs very long. We might have to take a nap - we're old now.
 
Holy Zombie thread!

Had me going for a minute there until I realized that this was 4 years old! Probably just another shill trying to post and ad...

ETA: and now it looks I was the one who revived the zombie. For the record, there was another ghost post prior to mine that has been deleted.

But if you read through some of this before realizing the date, just consider how much the world has changed on the last couple of months to see how crazy talking about going to a concert is for the summer of 2020!
 
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top