Layover guide · YYZ · Last reviewed 2 May 2026
Layover in Toronto Pearson (YYZ): What to Do Hour by Hour
Two terminals, a free train between them, US preclearance for anything heading south, and downtown Toronto 28 minutes away by rail. Pearson rewards people who understand which border line they are about to stand in.
- Layover verdict
- Decent from 4 hours up: Plaza Premium lounges in both terminals, showers airside, and a cheap fast train downtown on long gaps. Under 3 hours, any connection that crosses Canadian immigration or US preclearance leaves no spare time, so go straight to your gate.
- Best lounge option
- Priority Pass and paid entry open Plaza Premium doors in the international, domestic and US transborder zones of both terminals. Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounges in Terminal 1 take Star Alliance business class and status, not cash or Priority Pass.
- The one thing to know
- Canada requires most visa exempt nationals to hold an eTA even for airside transit by air; it costs 7 Canadian dollars and US citizens are exempt. Visa nationals generally need a transit or visitor visa. Verify visa rules before travel.
Ground rules
How connecting at Toronto Pearson actually works
Pearson runs two passenger terminals. Terminal 1 belongs to Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners, plus Emirates and a few other guests. Terminal 3 takes WestJet, Delta, Air Transat, and most of the oneworld and SkyTeam long haul carriers, including British Airways and Air France. Airlines do move, so trust your boarding pass over the pattern. The free Terminal Link train connects Terminal 1, Terminal 3 and the Viscount parking station around the clock, arriving every 4 to 8 minutes with a ride of under 10 minutes. The catch is that the train runs landside, so a terminal change always means clearing security again. Budget 45 to 60 minutes for the full move at busy times.
Which border line you stand in depends entirely on your routing. International to international on one ticket usually stays airside with a security rescreen and connections signage doing the work. International to domestic means clearing Canadian immigration, and in most cases collecting your bags and dropping them at a recheck belt right after customs; Air Canada checks bags through from some major cities, but assume the carousel until told otherwise. Anything departing to the United States goes through US preclearance, where you clear US customs and immigration in Toronto before boarding. Preclearance processing runs from about 3:30 am to 9 pm in both terminals, which is why early morning US departures ask you to show up painfully early.
Booking systems sell connections at Pearson that look brave on paper. Our advice from doing this often: give yourself 2 hours for any connection that crosses immigration or preclearance, and 3 hours if it also involves a terminal change. Same terminal, airside to airside, 90 minutes is comfortable.
Hour by hour
What your Pearson layover hours buy you
3 hours
Stay airside and respect the lines
Three hours at Pearson is shorter than it sounds. If your connection involves Canadian immigration, a bag recheck or US preclearance, the process itself can absorb 60 to 90 minutes when arrival banks stack up, and you should treat the remainder as gate time. Eat properly rather than grazing: both terminals have real sit down restaurants airside, with Terminal 1's international pier and Terminal 3's central concourse carrying the strongest options.
If you are already airside in your departure terminal with bags checked through, three hours buys one relaxed lounge visit. Plaza Premium operates in the domestic, international and US transborder zones of both terminals, so there is almost always a door near your gate. What three hours does not buy is a terminal change plus a lounge plus a comfortable boarding: pick two.
5 hours
The lounge window opens
Five hours is where Pearson gets comfortable. Clear whatever border process your routing demands first, get airside in your departure terminal, then settle in. Priority Pass and walk in paid entry both work at the Plaza Premium lounges; most doors open at 5:30 am and close between 10 pm and 1 am depending on the zone, with the transborder lounges shutting earlier in the evening, around when preclearance winds down. Exact hours shift, so check on the day. The Terminal 1 international lounge near gate E77 has been slated for relocation to a redesigned space, so its current state is to be confirmed; the domestic lounge is the stated fallback while work happens.
Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounges cluster in Terminal 1 and admit Star Alliance business class passengers and top tier status holders, not Priority Pass or cash. Showers live in the Plaza Premium network, a real gift after an overnight arrival. With time left over, the windows along Terminal 1's pier F offer wide apron views and the best free plane watching in the airport.
8 hours
Toronto is on the table
Eight hours is enough for downtown Toronto if your documents allow entry. The UP Express leaves from Terminal 1, reaches Union Station in 28 minutes, and runs every 15 minutes, seven days a week. A single is $12.35, or $9.25 with a PRESTO card, and the Long Layover return ticket covers the round trip for $12.35 total, sold online only, valid for 7 hours from Pearson station. That last one is quietly one of the best layover deals at any major airport.
Count backwards from departure: be back 2 hours before an international flight and closer to 3 for a US flight given preclearance, allow half an hour of travel each way, and you net 3 to 4 hours in the city. Union Station puts you a 10 minute walk from the CN Tower and the lakefront, and 10 minutes the other way from St Lawrence Market, which is the right lunch on a layover budget of time.
Leaving the airport means clearing Canadian immigration, so you need the eTA or visa your nationality demands, and your checked bags must be tagged through or stored. Landside luggage storage at Pearson is to be confirmed, so plan around through checked bags.
Overnight
Sleepable, but a bed beats the bench
Pearson stays open 24 hours and landside areas never close, which makes it one of the friendlier major airports for an unplanned overnight. Airside gate areas empty out between flight banks and some sections close, so most overnighters end up landside, where benches with armrests are the enemy and the quieter corners take finding. The free Terminal Link train also runs all night, useful if your morning flight leaves from the other terminal.
The better answer is a bed. The Sheraton Gateway connects directly to Terminal 3 by walkway, no shuttle required, and sells exactly the convenience it advertises. The ALT Hotel Toronto Pearson sits at Viscount station, two free train stops from Terminal 1, at a friendlier price. For the corner by corner version, including where the benches are and which zones stay lit, see our guide to sleeping in Toronto Pearson Airport.
City escape
Leaving Pearson between flights
Leaving is realistic from about 6 hours of layover, and the documents question decides everything. Most visa exempt nationals, including British, EU and Australian passport holders, need an eTA to fly to or transit through Canada at all; it costs 7 Canadian dollars and approval is usually fast but not guaranteed to be instant, so sort it before you fly. US citizens are exempt from the eTA and enter with a valid passport. Visa nationals need a visitor visa to leave the airport and generally a transit visa even to connect airside, unless a program such as Transit Without Visa covers their specific routing. Verify visa rules before travel, every time.
Once you are through, the run downtown is easy: 28 minutes on the UP Express to Union Station, every 15 minutes, with the $12.35 Long Layover return covering both directions inside a 7 hour window. The math that matters is the buffer on the way back, because an evening US departure means preclearance plus security, and that pair can be slow. An hour of travel round trip, 2 to 3 hours of airport buffer, and whatever remains is yours. Below about 6 hours total, the trip stops being worth the stress.
FAQ
Toronto Pearson layover questions
Do I need an eTA for a layover at Toronto Pearson?
Most visa exempt nationals need an eTA even to transit through Canada by air without leaving the airport; it costs 7 Canadian dollars and is usually approved quickly. US citizens are exempt and need only a valid passport. Visa nationals generally need a transit or visitor visa unless covered by the Transit Without Visa Program. Verify visa rules before travel.
Do I go through customs when connecting at Toronto Pearson?
It depends on the routing. International to international transfers on one ticket usually stay airside with a security rescreen. International to domestic means clearing Canadian immigration, and in most cases collecting and rechecking your bags. Anything departing to the US goes through US preclearance, which processes from about 3:30 am to 9 pm.
How long does it take to change terminals at YYZ?
The free Terminal Link train runs 24 hours a day between Terminal 1, Terminal 3 and Viscount station, arriving every 4 to 8 minutes with a ride of under 10 minutes. The train is landside, so a terminal change means clearing security again. Allow 45 to 60 minutes for the full transfer at busy times.
Is 8 hours enough to see Toronto from Pearson?
Yes, if your documents allow entry. The UP Express reaches Union Station in 28 minutes, every 15 minutes, and the Long Layover return ticket costs $12.35 online, valid for 7 hours. Counting a 2 to 3 hour airport buffer before departure, you net 3 to 4 hours downtown.
Can I sleep overnight inside Toronto Pearson?
Yes. The terminals stay open 24 hours and landside areas never close, though airside gate areas empty out and some sections close between flight banks. The Sheraton Gateway connects directly to Terminal 3 by walkway, and the ALT Hotel sits two stops away on the free Terminal Link train.
Check lounge access at YYZ
Both Pearson terminals carry Plaza Premium lounges across their domestic, international and US transborder zones, plus the Maple Leaf Lounges for Star Alliance flyers. The directory below lists every door and how to get through it.
Some links may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
Keep planning
More YYZ guides and nearby airports
Join Gate Notes
Lounge offers and the layover intel you need at 2am, in your inbox before you fly. Free.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.