Toronto

Capital of the province of Ontario, Toronto sits in the heart of the Great Lakes region of southeastern Canada, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is 350km (220mi) southwest of Ottawa, 500km (310mi) southwest of Montréal, 560km (350mi) west of New York City and 335km (210mi) northeast of Detroit.

The downtown area is clasped on almost all sides by a hotchpotch of bohemian, ethnic and historic neighbourhoods, with the remaining southern edge crisply defined by Lake Ontario, one of North America's Great Lakes. Yonge St, the main north-south artery, stretches about 18km (11mi) north from Lake Ontario through the central downtown area and beyond the city's northern boundary. Bloor, Queen and College Sts are the main east-west streets. At the lakeshore (south) end of Yonge St is the semi-developed Harbourfront area. Two blocks west is the CN Tower and the SkyDome, Toronto's vast sports arena. North of the arena, Chinatown starts along Dundas St, just west of Yonge. Just north of that is the bustling university area and Yorkville, and to the west, Little Italy and The Annex. To the east of downtown lies Cabbagetown, an increasingly gentrified neighbourhood that retains some Irish immigrant character. The Toronto Islands sit not far offshore in Lake Ontario.

Pearson International Airport is 27km (17mi) northwest of the downtown area, near Etobicoke. The cheapest way to get to/from the airport is by a combination of subway and bus, but there are also direct buses, taxis and hotel shuttles. Allow at least an hour if travelling by public bus from downtown Toronto. Ferries run every 15 minutes to the City Centre Airport from Bathurst St on Toronto's lakefront. The trip takes just minutes. The VIA Rail terminal, grand old Union Station, is a few blocks north of the Harbourfront area on Front St. The main bus terminal is at the edge of Chinatown on the corner of Bay and Dundas Sts.