YTZ · Toronto Island
Billy Bishop Airport Limo Service (YTZ)
Your chauffeur waits on the mainland side, at the foot of Bathurst Street, because no car can sit outside the island terminal. You cross on the ferry or through the tunnel and the car is there. One flat rate, agreed before you fly.
Eireann Quaywhere the car waits, mainland side90 secondsthe ferry across the gapUnder 6 minutesthe walk through the tunnel
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Eireann QuayMainland pickup
Timed crossingTunnel or 90-second ferry
24/7 dispatchA real person answers
Flat-rate quotesNo meter, no surge
Billy Bishop (YTZ)
Billy Bishop, the airport you walk out of in minutes
Billy Bishop is the easy airport right up to the moment you need a car. Then it becomes the strange one. Booking a Billy Bishop airport limo is not like booking one at Pearson, because this is the only Toronto airport where the passenger and the vehicle are separated by water. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport sits on Toronto Island. Every ground vehicle waits on the mainland. Almost no operator's website explains what that actually means for you, so this one does.
Read the full introduction
Most of this page is about the handover. Where your chauffeur waits, how you cross, how long to allow, and what a driver can and cannot do on the island side. It also says plainly when a car is the wrong call, because the airport has listed a free shuttle to downtown and for some trips that is the honest answer.
Airport at a glance
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), in brief
An island airport three kilometres from the downtown core, run by the Toronto Port Authority. Here is what matters for your ride.
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
1 Island Airport, Toronto, ON M5V 1A1 · mainland pavilion at the foot of Eireann Quay
- Operator
- Toronto Port Authority
- Terminals
- One island terminal, plus the mainland pavilion
- Getting across
- Pedestrian tunnel (under 6 min) or a 90-second ferry
- Flight hours
- No commercial flights 11 pm to 6:45 am
- US preclearance
- Open since March 2026
- Aircraft
- Turboprops only; jets are not permitted
- To downtown
- About 3 km, roughly 5 min by road
- To Pearson (YYZ)
- About 25 to 31 km, around 30 min without traffic
Airlines flying here
Porter AirlinesAir Canada (Jazz)
Where you can fly from here
OttawaMontrealQuebec CityHalifaxMonctonFrederictonThunder BaySault Ste. MarieTimminsBostonChicagoNewarkNew York LaGuardiaWashington DullesNashville
Sources: billybishopairport.com (tunnel, ferry, curb rules, curfew, preclearance) and aircanada.com, read 28 Sep 2026. Porter's route list changes seasonally, so check your airline. The airport and its logo belong to their owner; we are an independent limousine company.
Where we meet you
Turning circle, mainland pavilion
Cars can wait in the turning circle for a maximum of five minutes, and rideshare drivers cannot wait on airport property at all. So your chauffeur stages nearby and pulls in as you come off the tunnel or the ferry. Text when you are across.
Local know-how
- The ferry runs about every 15 minutes, roughly 5:15 am to just after midnight.
- Travellers who want to be met inside can book meet and greet; the chauffeur waits at the mainland pavilion.
- There is no rail link from YTZ to Pearson. For a connection, a car is the direct option.
- Streetcars 509 and 511 stop nearby for light travellers heading to Union or Bathurst.
From the island
Billy Bishop to downtown, Pearson and North York, mapped
Route lines follow the main highways and are a guide only. Your chauffeur picks the fastest road on the day.
The trip, start to finish
1
Island terminal
Walk the pedestrian tunnel (under six minutes curb to check-in) or take the 90-second ferry.
2
Mainland pavilion, Eireann Quay
Your car pulls into the turning circle when you are across. The curb limit is five minutes, so we time it to your crossing.
3
Downtown or beyond
Union Station area in about five minutes by road, Pearson in roughly half an hour without traffic.
From YTZ
Where we drive from Billy Bishop
Downtown hotelsFinancial District, King West and Yorkville, usually minutes away.See details →YTZ to Pearson connectionsAcross town for a flight out of Terminal 1 or 3.See details →The suburbsNorth York, Mississauga, Markham, Vaughan and beyond.See details →Corporate travelMonthly billing and named bookers for teams flying Porter.See details →Hourly chauffeurMeetings across the city, then back to the island.See details →Niagara day tripsStraight from the island to the Falls.See details →
01 · WHERE TO MEET YOUR CAR
Where does your driver meet you at Billy Bishop?
Start with the thing that makes YTZ different. The terminal is on the island. Your car is not, and it cannot be. Every ground vehicle waits on the mainland side at the pavilion and ferry terminal, at the foot of Bathurst Street where Eireann Quay runs down to the water. You cross the gap first, then you meet the car.
For a pickup, the meeting point is the taxi corral to the right of the mainland pavilion at the foot of Eireann Quay. That is where the airport puts cars collecting passengers, and it is the one sentence most YTZ pages leave out. Come out of the pavilion, turn right, and your chauffeur is there. If you would rather be met on foot, ask for meet and greet when you book and the chauffeur stands at the pavilion doors with a name sign while the car holds in the corral.
Keep reading
Going the other way it is simpler. Drop-off is along the curb outside the mainland pavilion and ferry terminal. The car pulls in, the bags come out, and you walk to the ferry gate or the tunnel from there.
Two rules keep that curb moving, and they are worth knowing before you ask a friend to collect you. The area outside the terminal, the mainland pavilion and the ferry terminal is a designated No Parking zone, reserved for active loading and unloading, and a vehicle cannot be left unattended. There are free spots inside the turning circle with a five minute maximum, and the airport asks you to use them only once you have confirmation that your passenger is on the way out. A booked car with a dispatcher behind it handles that timing. A cousin circling Lake Shore Boulevard does not.
Good to know: Billy Bishop is owned and run by the Toronto Port Authority and the curb arrangements do change. We check the current setup before every pickup, and your chauffeur texts you the exact spot once you are through the terminal doors.
02 · CROSSING THE GAP
How do you get from the island terminal to the car?
Two ways, and both are short. The ferry crosses the Western Gap in about 90 seconds, which the airport describes as one of the shortest crossings in the world. The pedestrian tunnel gets you from the island terminal to the mainland in under six minutes on foot, and it does not depend on the boat.
So the crossing itself is never the problem. What takes time is everything around it, the walk off the aircraft, the bag on the belt, and the wait for the next sailing if you go by water. Plan for that part, not for the 90 seconds. The useful habit is to message your driver when you are leaving the terminal building, not when the wheels touch down.
Keep reading
Here is what your chauffeur cannot do. They cannot meet you at the gate, and they cannot pull up outside the island terminal the way a car would at Pearson. Vehicles can be taken across on the ferry to reach the island side, but that is subject to the ferry fee and any parking fee, and on an ordinary transfer it costs more time than it saves. We do not quote a ferry fee on this page because the airport does not publish one we can stand behind.
There is one case where crossing is the right call. A private vehicle escorting a passenger who needs assistance may use the ferry free of charge. It is curbside loading only, no parking, and a validation ticket has to be collected from the ferry gate attendant before boarding. Tell us at the time of booking and your chauffeur deals with the ticket, rather than discovering the rule at the gate with you sitting in the car.
03 · IS A CAR THE RIGHT CHOICE
When is a Billy Bishop airport limo worth booking?
Not always, and we would rather say so. A complimentary shuttle runs between the airport and Union Station every 15 minutes, with free Wi-Fi on board. If you are one person with a carry-on heading to Union or a hotel beside it, take the shuttle. It is free and it is frequent, and no car beats that.
A booked car earns its place the moment any of the following is true. You have real luggage. There are three or four of you. You are travelling with children or with someone who needs help. Your address is not downtown. You are landing late, leaving very early, or connecting to a flight out of Pearson. In those cases the shuttle drops you at Union with the same problem you started with.
Keep reading
Rideshare is available and it is messier here than at most airports. Uber does not offer a taxi option at YTZ, so UberX is what the app gives you. The airport's own pages also disagree about where rideshare waits. One says there is no designated area for rideshare and that the pickup and drop-off zone is the curb outside the mainland pavilion and ferry terminal. Another says the designated rideshare area is along the curb beside Little Norway Park in the Finger lanes, closest lane to the curb, and that drivers with no fare are not permitted to wait on airport property. Both are official pages. We have linked them at the bottom so you can check which one is current before you rely on it.
There is a walk-up taxi corral too, so you are never stranded. What booking ahead buys you is a fixed meeting point, a named driver, a car sized to your bags, and a price agreed before you fly.
04 · INTO THE CITY
Billy Bishop to a downtown hotel
This is the shortest job we run. The airport sits about three kilometres from the downtown core, so once you are in the car on the mainland side, most downtown hotels are minutes away.
The route is short and predictable. From the foot of Bathurst Street the car goes north on Bathurst or east along Lake Shore Boulevard for the harbourfront, the financial district and the hotels around the convention centre. The Gardiner Expressway is right there and your chauffeur will use it if the surface roads are blocked, but on a run this short it usually stays off it.
Keep reading
The honest version of the question is whether a car is worth it for a ride this short. It is when you have luggage that will not go up an escalator easily, when there is a group of you, when the weather is bad, or when your hotel is nowhere near Union Station. It is not worth it when you are going to Union Station itself, because that is exactly where the free shuttle goes.
One local rule catches visitors out. In Toronto a limousine trip has to be pre-arranged through a licensed limousine service company at least 20 minutes before pickup. That is a city bylaw, not a company policy, so a limo you flag down at the curb is not a thing here. Book ahead, even if ahead only means half an hour.
05 · OUT OF THE CORE
Billy Bishop out to the suburbs
This is where a private car stops being a luxury. The free shuttle goes to Union Station and no further, so anything past the core is a transfer with your bags, at whatever time you happen to have landed.
For a sense of scale, routing data puts Etobicoke Civic Centre at about 14 km and 16 minutes from the airport, and Scarborough Civic Centre at about 29 km and 29 minutes. Those are free flowing numbers with no traffic in them, so treat them as the floor rather than the answer.
Keep reading
Nearly every suburban run out of YTZ starts the same way. West on the Gardiner Expressway and onto the 427 for Etobicoke, Mississauga and points west, or east through the core toward the Don Valley Parkway and the 401 for North York, Scarborough, Markham and Durham. The Gardiner is the one variable that matters. At four in the afternoon it shapes the trip far more than the distance does, which is why your pickup time is set around the conditions that day.
The rate is flat, quoted for the whole car and agreed before you travel. Ask any company you compare us with whether HST and gratuity are inside the number, because a quote missing both is not the cheaper quote.
06 · AIRPORT TO AIRPORT
Billy Bishop to Pearson for a connection
This is the trip nobody else writes about, and it is one of the most common reasons people call us about YTZ. You fly into Billy Bishop and your onward flight leaves from Toronto Pearson, or the reverse.
Treat it as two separate journeys, because that is what it is. Your bag comes off the belt at Billy Bishop and goes back in at Pearson, and you check in again at the other end. So build the booking around the check-in cut-off at Pearson, not the departure time on your ticket.
Keep reading
Then add the island crossing to the front of it. The clock does not start when you land, it starts when you are off the ferry or out of the tunnel with your bag in your hand. That one step is what people forget, and it is the difference between a calm connection and a sprint.
Put the flight number on the booking, whether you are flying Porter or Air Canada, and we watch it. At the Pearson end a pre-arranged car drops you at the Departures level for the right terminal, Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 depending on your airline. Coming the other way, out of Pearson and down to Billy Bishop, a pre-arranged pickup at Pearson meets you at Door A in both terminals. That is the door for pre-booked cars, and it is different from the walk-up stands.
The short notice version is a cancelled flight at one airport and a seat found at the other. We book around the clock for exactly that.
07 · VEHICLES AND LUGGAGE
Which vehicle should you book for a YTZ transfer?
Book by luggage, not by headcount. That is the mistake that causes trouble at the curb, and at Billy Bishop it causes trouble on the ferry too, because you are carrying everything across yourself.
A sedan takes up to three passengers with normal luggage and is the right car for most YTZ trips. An SUV suits four to six people and has real bag room. A Sprinter or passenger van is for a group of ten or more, or a smaller group with bulky gear such as golf clubs, skis or trade show cases.
Keep reading
YTZ has its own luggage pattern. It is a short haul airport, so a lot of passengers arrive with a carry-on and a laptop bag and a sedan is plenty. The ones who get caught out are families and sports groups, who cross the gap with more than they remembered packing. Tell us the number of bags when you book and we will size the car properly.
Child seats are free for infants, toddlers and boosters. Ask for them when you book and give the child's age and weight so the right seat is fitted before you land, since Ontario law requires a proper seat or booster for a young child. If anyone in the party needs an accessible vehicle, say so at booking, because those are assigned in advance and not found at the curb.
08 · DELAYS AND WINTER
What happens if your flight is delayed or the ferry stops?
Your flight number goes on the booking and we track it. Land 40 minutes late and your pickup moves 40 minutes later at no charge. Land early and the car is there early. If you are held up inside the terminal, call or text the number on your confirmation and we hold the car.
Billy Bishop adds a second thing to watch, the crossing itself. The tunnel is the reason a YTZ pickup is steadier than people expect, because it does not depend on the boat. When the ferry is held up in wind or ice, passengers still come through on foot in under six minutes. Your driver is waiting on the mainland either way, which is the one quiet advantage of the car being on the far side of the water.
Keep reading
Winter changes the roads more than it changes the crossing. Toronto limousines must carry winter tires from 1 December to 30 April and display the limousine plate on the front grill. That is the bylaw, and it is a fair thing to check on any Toronto operator in January.
The practical version is short. Message us when you are moving, not before. The car holds, and nobody bills you for a slow bag or a late boat.
The fleet
Sedans, SUVs & vans: a vehicle for every trip.
What riders say
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How it works
Booked in two minutes, handled from there
1
Request a quote
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2
Confirm your flat rate
You’ll have the price within 30 minutes. No meter, no surge.
3
We track your flight
Early or late, your pickup time moves with it.
4
Your chauffeur arrives
At your door or at arrivals, bags loaded.
Keep planning
Related routes, airports and guides
Toronto to PearsonDowntown, North York and every Toronto district.→Toronto black car serviceDiscreet sedans and SUVs around the city.→Toronto chauffeur serviceA chauffeur by the hour, downtown and beyond.→Airport transfer servicePearson, Billy Bishop, Hamilton and Oshawa airports.→Pearson Terminal 1 & 3 pickup guideExactly where your chauffeur meets you at YYZ.→Hamilton Airport (YHM) limoFlights in and out of John C. Munro International.→
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Billy Bishop (YTZ) FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have a question? Call us any time at (647) 525-5466.
Where do limos pick up at Billy Bishop Airport?
On the mainland side, not on the island. The airport directs passengers to the taxi corral to the right of the mainland pavilion at the foot of Eireann Quay, and that is where your pre-booked car waits. Drop-off is along the curb outside the mainland pavilion and ferry terminal. Ask for meet and greet if you would rather have your chauffeur standing at the pavilion doors with a name sign.
Can my driver meet me at the island terminal instead?
Not as a rule. Every ground vehicle waits on the mainland and you cross to it. Vehicles can be taken across on the ferry, but it is subject to the ferry fee and any parking fee, and on a normal transfer it costs more time than it saves. The exception is a vehicle escorting a passenger who needs assistance, which may use the ferry free of charge with a validation ticket from the ferry gate attendant.
How long does the pedestrian tunnel take to walk?
Under six minutes from the island terminal to the mainland, according to the airport. The ferry is quicker at about 90 seconds across the Western Gap, but you may wait for the next sailing. Either way the crossing is short. What takes the time is the aircraft, the baggage belt and the walk, so plan around those rather than around the crossing.
How do I get from Billy Bishop Airport to downtown Toronto?
Four realistic ways. A complimentary shuttle runs to Union Station every 15 minutes with free Wi-Fi on board. There is a walk-up taxi corral beside the mainland pavilion. Rideshare operates, though Uber offers UberX rather than a taxi option at YTZ. Or you book a car, which fixes the meeting point and the price in advance. For one person with a carry-on going to Union, the free shuttle is genuinely the best answer.
Is there Uber at Billy Bishop Airport?
Yes, but with two catches. Uber does not offer a taxi option at YTZ, so UberX is what you get in the app. And the airport's own pages give different answers on where rideshare waits, one saying there is no designated rideshare area and the curb outside the mainland pavilion is the zone, another naming the curb beside Little Norway Park in the Finger lanes. Check the app and the airport site before you rely on a spot.
Can you take me from Billy Bishop to Pearson for a connection?
Yes, and it is a common booking. Treat it as two separate flights, because your bag comes off at Billy Bishop and is checked in again at Pearson. Build the pickup around the Pearson check-in cut-off rather than the departure time, and allow for the island crossing at the front of the trip. Give us the onward flight number and we set the terminal, Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, from your airline.
Do I have to book in advance, or can I just walk up?
There is a walk-up taxi corral at the airport, so you have an option either way. A limousine is different. In Toronto a limo trip must be pre-arranged through a licensed limousine service company at least 20 minutes before pickup, which is a city bylaw rather than a company rule. Booking ahead also means the car is sized to your luggage and the rate is agreed before you travel.
What if my flight is delayed or the ferry is held up?
Your flight number is on the booking and we follow it, so a delay moves your pickup at no charge and an early landing means the car is there early. If the ferry is stopped in bad weather, passengers still cross through the pedestrian tunnel on foot, and your chauffeur is waiting on the mainland side regardless. Message the number on your confirmation when you start moving and the car holds.
Sources and fact checks (last checked 20 September 2026)
- Billy Bishop island terminal, mainland pavilion, the taxi corral at the foot of Eireann Quay, and the airport's rideshare statement · billybishopairport.com/to-from
- Curb rules, the five minute turning circle limit, No Parking zone, vehicle ferry access, accessibility validation ticket and the second rideshare zone statement · billybishopairport.com/to-from/pick-up-drop-off
- Ferry crossing of about 90 seconds across the Western Gap · billybishopairport.com/to-from/ferry
- Pedestrian tunnel, island terminal to mainland in under six minutes · billybishopairport.com/to-from/pedestrian-tunnel
- Complimentary shuttle to Union Station every 15 minutes with free Wi-Fi · billybishopairport.com/to-from/shuttle
- VIA Rail's description of the Billy Bishop shuttle · viarail.ca/en/services-de-transport/transports-alternatifs/billy-bishop
- Uber offers UberX rather than a taxi option at YTZ · uber.com/global/en/r/airports/ytz/taxi
- Pre-arranged pickup at Door A, Toronto Pearson Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 · torontopearson.com/en/transportation-and-parking/pre-arranged-services
- Toronto bylaw requiring limousine trips to be pre-arranged at least 20 minutes before pickup · toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/toronto-code-546.pdf
- Toronto limousine winter tire requirement, 1 December to 30 April, and the plate on the front grill · toronto.ca/services-payments/permits-licences-bylaws/limousine-service-company-owner-driver/limousine-owner
- Drive distances and free flowing times to Etobicoke and Scarborough, OSRM on OpenStreetMap data · project-osrm.org
- Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport overview · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop_Toronto_City_Airport
Billy Bishop Airport limo