Getting from Toronto to Quebec (and return)

Toronto, the capital of Ontario region, is the most populous city in Canada. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario , the city offers plenty of things to do, ranging from visiting museums, to spending time on the beaches, shopping in Chinatown or Little India or just walking in the city.

Quebec City is the capital of Quebec region. Its Old Town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Outside of Mexico, it’s the only city in North America which still has its original walls.

Quick summary

The fastest and cheapest way to travel between Toronto and Quebec is by plane. In about 1 ½ h and for single fares from CAD $59* , you can cover the distance between the two cities.

Flights from Toronto to Quebec

Toronto is served by three Canadian airports but only two of them offer flights to/from Quebec:

• Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) , the largest and busiest airport in Canada, and a hub for Air Canada, Air Transat, CanJet, Sunwing Airlines and WestJet.
• Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ), a hub for Porter Airlines, is Ontario’s third busiest airport and handles only domestic flights.

Quebec is served by Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) , located 11 km from the city center.

Direct flights from Toronto to Quebec are operated by: Air Canada (Toronto Pearson), Porter Airlines (Toronto Billy Bishop) and WestJet (Toronto Pearson). The flight time is 1 ½ h.

In mid-December 2011, single fares start at CAD $59 on WestJet. If you want to fly for the winter holidays, expect to pay from CAD $154 one way on WestJet. In mid-March 2012, single fares start at CAD $59 on WestJet.

Trains from Toronto to Quebec

VIA Rail operates trains between Toronto and Quebec with a stopover in Montreal.
Trains depart from Toronto Union Station three times per day (6:40 a.m., 9:25 a.m. and 11:35 a.m.). The connection time ranges between 38 min and 2 ½ h.
Trains depart from Montreal at 1 p.m., 4:10 p.m. and 5:55 p.m.
The total travel time (including the connection time) is between 9 ½ h and 12h 45 min.
For the shortest travel time, single fares start at CAD $106.79.

Buses from Toronto to Quebec

Greyhound Canada operates buses from Toronto to Quebec. The first leaves at 6:30 a.m. and the last one at 9:15 p.m. The travel time is between 11h 45min and 17h 40 min. The adult non-refundable single fare is CAD $128.00 .

Driving from Toronto to Quebec

You can rent a car and drive the 793 km between Toronto and Quebec. Take ON-401E and then Autoroute 20E. You should be able to cover the distance 9 h but do plan to make some stops along the way.

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Note: * at the time the article was written

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