KW Travel Resources

This page is meant to be primarily a list of the many ways to get to/from the airport. However, please feel free to contribute other travel tips/resources you have!

Searching for flights

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• ITA Matrix (lookup only)
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YYZ vs YKF vs YTZ

There are several main airports in the area: YYZ and YTZ serve Toronto, YKF serves KW region, and YHM serves Hamilton region.

Pros and cons of YYZ:

• Pro: major international airport; likely to go anywhere via direct flight
• Pro: US customs/immigration preclearance in the airport
• Pro: more options for next flight if yours gets delayed/canceled
• Con: long security lines
• Con: you sometimes have to arrive 2-3 hours early
• Con: 2-3 hours get here if by public transit (if you are going to a conference, you can get your taxi ride reimbursed which is < 1 hour)

• Pro: short security lines
• Pro: you can arrive 30 mins prior to your flight if you have no checked luggage
• Pro: somewhat close
• Con: no US customs/immigration preclearance, so if your destination is or goes through the US, you will have to do immigration at your first point of entry (i.e. plan for a long layover)
• Con: limited flights available; you're stuck overnight sometimes if your flight gets canceled
• Con: no public transit

• ???
• Pro: reachable by Greyhound + free shuttle from Toronto Union Station

Getting to and from the airport (YYZ)

• Taxi [ Waterloo Taxi | United Taxi | City Cabs]
  • To Pearson: $90 fixed rate
  • From Pearson: $?? fixed rate (~$125-165 +tax)
  • Sometimes the drivers from Toronto may not know how to get to Waterloo. You should familiarize yourself with the route, just in case.
• AirwaysTransit
  • To/from Pearson: $92 one person, $134 two people, $147 three people, $155 four people
• Bus
  • From {Waterloo, Laurier, Charles St}, take a GO Transit bus #25* to Square One, and then a MiWay bus #7N to the airport
  • ~$15 + $3.25 = ~$18.25 (exact change only)
  • You can get a reloadable PRESTO card that works on GO Transit and local transit. You can also get a student discount by registering it online and then showing your student ID at SLC with the card. Note that online reloads take 24 hours before the funds appear.
  • If you buy a paper GO ticket, sometimes the MiWay driver will let you just board the bus if you show that ticket.
• Train
  • If your flight happens to be at just the right time, you can take a GO commuter train from Kitchener to Malton and then the MiWay bus #7S to the airport

• Before you leave, you should read about the reimbursement procedure.
• Keep your boarding pass/printout that gets stamped by the immigration person. You will need it to show proof of traveling to a conference and hence reimbursement.
• At the airport, always find your gate before finding a place to eat. This basic travel advice will help to prevent missed flights.
• If it wasn't apparent, you CAN reimburse your taxi ride to and from the airport. Remember to keep the receipts!
• Ask other students who have attended the conference before about the best forms of transportation.
  
• Waterloo Taxi (and possibly others) do accept credit card as a form of payment.
• If you call to reserve a taxi the night before your flight, the taxi will arrive on time (and call you when they arrive), and you don't have to wait possibly 15-30 mins for a taxi. Consider doing this especially for non-business-hour departures.
• Consider rush hour, weather elements, and accidents on the 401 when calling a taxi. Travel from KW to YYZ can take anywhere between 50 mins to 3 hours as a result. You won't be charged extra, but remember that your taxi driver cannot teleport you to the airport. Plan accordingly.
• If you hate talking to people and have a phone, GataHub can be used to call taxis (Waterloo Taxi). It will notify you ETA and the number of the taxi.