Burlington to downtown Toronto is about 55 km, 40 to 65 minutes by car on the QEW and Gardiner Expressway. The GO Lakeshore West line runs from Aldershot, Burlington and Appleby stations to Union Station and is usually the cheapest, most reliable choice for a solo daytime trip. A private sedan door to door is a planning $220–270 all-in plus HST.
Our Burlington limo service page covers airport runs and local trips from every Burlington neighbourhood. This post answers a different question, one we hear constantly from Burlington clients: should I take the GO train into Toronto, or book a car? The honest answer depends on the time, the group, the luggage and where in Toronto you are actually going.
The quick comparison
| Trip into Toronto | GO train | Private car | Our honest pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday commute, one person, office near Union | Station to Union by train; walk | $220–270 sedan, 55 km, 40–65 min | GO train |
| Two people to a Mirvish show, dinner first | Train in; late train home | Hourly sedan $120–145/h, 3 h min | Car if you want a late dinner |
| Four friends to a Leafs or Raptors game | Four GO fares each way | SUV about $340–435 one way | Train on price; car for late finishes |
| Conference at the convention centre with a suitcase | Train plus a walk | Sedan to the door | Either; car if presenting |
| Meeting in Liberty Village or Yorkville | Train plus TTC or taxi | Door to door | Car for tight schedules |
| Family of five, day at the CN Tower and aquarium | Five fares, strollers | Van about $330–420 one way | Car |
Car fares are planning figures, with chauffeur, fuel, tolls if used and gratuity included and HST extra. The reservation engine quotes your exact trip.
Why the GO train usually wins for one person
Burlington has three stations on the GO Lakeshore West line: Aldershot at the west end (also a VIA stop), Burlington station at Fairview Street, and Appleby in the east. Trains run to Union Station, which puts you in the middle of the downtown core, underground to the PATH and a short walk from the financial district, Scotiabank Arena and the convention centre. On a weekday, with a carry-on, going somewhere near Union, a car cannot compete on price. We tell our own clients that.
Check the timetable for your day. Weekday, evening and weekend service levels differ, and express trips skip some stations.
When a car is worth the money
The car wins in a specific set of situations:
- The last leg is long. Union is at the foot of the city. If your meeting is in Yorkville, Midtown or Liberty Village, add a TTC ride or a taxi.
- You are coming home late. After an 11 pm show or an overtime game, the wait for a late train and the drive home from the station add up.
- You are carrying things. Trade-show samples, presentation kit, garment bags, a wheelchair.
- There are three or more of you. A sedan or SUV fare split four ways is close to four return GO fares plus parking at the station.
- You need to work. A quiet back seat for 50 minutes of calls is worth something to a lot of professionals.
The drive itself: QEW, Gardiner and the time of day
From downtown Burlington the chauffeur takes the QEW east through Oakville and Mississauga, then the Gardiner Expressway into downtown, or the 403 and 407 when the QEW is jammed; any toll is inside your fixed fare. Planning times to Union:
- Before 6:30 am: about 40 minutes.
- Weekday 7 am to 9:30 am: 60 to 80 minutes; this is when the train is clearly better.
- Midday: 45 to 55 minutes.
- Evening into Toronto for an event: 50 to 65 minutes.
- After 10 pm heading home: about 40 to 45 minutes.
Construction on the Gardiner changes lane counts from season to season; chauffeurs check 511 Ontario and the City of Toronto road-restriction notices.
A show night in Toronto: the hourly plan
For theatre, the hourly chauffeur is often the best value, because the car waits while you eat and watch the show. A sample evening for two in a business sedan:
- 4:30 pm: pickup in Burlington.
- 5:30 pm: dinner near King Street West.
- 7:30 pm: walk to the theatre; the chauffeur waits nearby.
- 10:30 pm: pickup at a pre-agreed corner away from the busiest curb.
- 11:15 pm: home in Burlington.
That is about 7 hours of hourly chauffeur service at $120–145 per hour, a planning $840–1,015 all-in plus HST for the evening. Check show times on Mirvish and pick a meeting corner with the chauffeur in advance; theatre-district curbs are crowded at curtain.
Games and concerts at Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Centre
Scotiabank Arena is right beside Union Station, which makes the GO train very attractive on the way in. The problem is the end. Crowds for the last trains can be heavy and a game that runs to overtime can put you on a later train than planned. A group of four in an executive SUV, one-way home only, is a planning $340–435, about $85–110 each. Many groups take the train in and book the car home. See Scotiabank Arena for event times.
Conferences, trade shows and client meetings
For events at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the walk from Union is short. For the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place, the International Centre near Pearson or offices outside the core, a car is simpler. Burlington companies sending a team can book one Sprinter, 14 seats, at a planning $330–385 per hour; our corporate car service page explains accounts and invoicing. Our guide to Hamilton to downtown Toronto covers downtown drop-off points in more detail.
Where the car stops downtown
Downtown curb space is tight. At Union Station, cars use the Front Street and Bay Street pickup and drop-off points; see our Union Station car service page. At hotels, cars stop at the porte-cochère or lobby door; our downtown Toronto hotels page lists them. For theatres and arenas, agree a side-street corner, because the front curb at the end of an event is often closed or jammed.
The family day in Toronto
Two adults and three children going to the CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium face five return GO fares, strollers on escalators, and tired children on the late-afternoon train. A luxury van one way is a planning $330–420. Some families take the train in, which children enjoy, and book the van home. Our Toronto day trip guide suggests a day plan.
Commuters: the day a car makes sense
Most Burlington commuters should never book a car to the office, and we won't pretend otherwise. But there are specific days when a regular train commuter books one:
- A client presentation with display boards and a sample case.
- A 7 am breakfast meeting that the first convenient train doesn't reach in time.
- An evening function downtown that ends after the later trains thin out.
- A day with three meetings in three parts of the city, where an hourly chauffeur turns taxi-hopping into one car that waits outside each office.
- A GO service disruption on a day that cannot be moved.
For a day of meetings, an executive sedan booked hourly at $120–145 per hour for 8 hours is a planning $960–1,160 all-in plus HST, and the back seat becomes a moving office.
Heading to the airport instead of downtown
Some Burlington travellers go to Union Station to catch UP Express to Pearson. That route works, but from Burlington it goes the long way round: east to Union, then back west to the airport. A car straight to Pearson is about 50 km and 35 to 50 minutes, a planning $195–240 in a sedan. If you are flying from Billy Bishop on the Toronto Island, the car runs to the mainland pavilion at Eireann Quay, about 55 km, planning $225–275. Our Billy Bishop airport transfer page explains the tunnel and the ferry.
Passengers who need more help
Stairs, escalators and crowded platforms at Union Station are hard for some passengers. A door-to-door car removes all of them. Chauffeurs load bags, help passengers in and out, and fold and stow a wheelchair or walker for anyone who can transfer to a seat. Our own fleet has no ramp-equipped vehicles, so for passengers who travel seated in their wheelchair we refer you to a specialist accessible provider. GO trains themselves have accessible coaches; check GO Transit for station accessibility details.
Winter and the lakeshore
Snow off Lake Ontario can make the QEW through Oakville slow, while trains keep running in most weather. On a stormy morning, the train is often the smarter choice even for people who normally drive. On the evening home, when the storm has passed and you are carrying shopping or luggage, the car comes back into its own. Chauffeurs check Environment Canada and adjust pickup times.
What about ride-hail?
App-based rides are available in Burlington, and for a one-off trip they can be cheaper at quiet times. Prices change with demand, and evening surges after big events can push the fare above a pre-booked fixed price. A booked car gives you the price before you confirm, a named professional chauffeur, and a car that waits for you. Our comparison of Uber Black and a booked black car looks at this in more detail.
Mistakes Burlington travellers make
- Driving to Toronto at 8 am for a 9 am meeting. Take the train.
- Taking the train to a 10 pm event across town and hoping for a quick ride back to Union.
- Forgetting that GO station parking at Burlington and Appleby can fill on weekdays.
- Booking a car for pickup at the theatre's front door at curtain; agree a corner.
- Underestimating Gardiner closures on summer weekends.
Coming the other way
Toronto visitors heading to Burlington for the Royal Botanical Gardens, a wedding at the waterfront or the Sound of Music Festival book the same car in reverse. Our Burlington hotels page lists where guests stay, and Burlington to Pearson covers the airport run.
Booking a car home only
A common and sensible compromise: take the GO train into Toronto, then book a one-way car home from wherever the evening ends. Choose a pickup time that suits the end of the event, name a nearby corner or hotel door, and add a note about how many people will be travelling. If the event runs late, contact dispatch; waiting beyond the included 15 minutes is billed in 15-minute blocks.
Book direct
Book on the HamiltonLimo.net reservation engine, with a fixed price before you confirm and no surge. Cancellation is free until 72 hours before pickup; 10 % applies inside 72 hours, 50 % inside 48 hours and 100 % inside 24 hours or for a no-show.
