ESSENTIALS

Getting there & around

As of this summer, British Airways now flies non-stop from both Heathrow and Gatwick to Toronto Pearson Airport, along with Air Canada, Air Transat and WESTJET. Air Transat also flies from Manchester. ba.com aircanada.com airtransat.com westjet.com

Average flight time: 8h.

The journey between Pearson and Downtown takes about half an hour in a taxi, for C$60 (£35), and 25 minutes by direct rail link, which costs C$24 (£14). Getting around Toronto by public transport costs from £7 with a TTC Day Pass. ttc.ca

Via Rail serves destinations beyond the city, largely from the recently restored Union Station (a building that’s reminiscent of New York’s

Grand Central), including nearby Niagara Falls and the wine region of Niagara-on-the-Lake. viarail.com

A Toronto CITYPASS provides access to key city attractions such as the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. From £52 (adults), £34 (children). citypass.com/toronto

When to go

Summers are often humid but sunny, with temperatures averaging in the mid-to-late 20s. Fiery-leafed fall is often golden-warm and celebratory, with Thanksgiving (14 October), Toronto International Film Festival (5-15 September; tiff.net), and the gargantuan arts event Nuit Blanche (5 October; toronto.ca /nuitblanche) taking over the city. Long winters and brief springs can be blustery, snowy and as cold as -3C.

More info

seetorontonow.com ontariotravel.net uk-keep exploring. canada. travel

How to do it

CANADIAN AFFAIR offers four nights at the new Kimpton Saint George Hotel from £1,023 per person including, return flights and transfers with Air Transat. canadianaffair.com