Destinations & day trips · 2026-09-21 · 8-minute read
Toronto to London, Ontario is 195 kilometres by six means: FlixBus and Megabus coaches from downtown Toronto's terminal or Pearson's stop to London's downtown stop in two to three hours at a per-seat fare that moves with demand; VIA Rail from Union Station to London's station in two to two and a half hours at a per-seat fare with a taxi at each end; the shared airport shuttles from Pearson's terminals to a London stop; a rental car for a day; a taxi's meter, which the desk has seen at $220 for a taxi-limo to Pearson and more to the city; and a chauffeured car from any Toronto door to any London door at a LondonLimo.net planning figure of $320-380 plus HST for a sedan, $370-430 for an SUV and $580-680 for a Sprinter, fixed and with the gratuity inside. For one traveller with one bag the train or the bus is cheaper; for two with luggage the car is close; for four it wins; the Toronto page has the destination, and this article does the arithmetic honestly.
The six options, side by side
| Option | Time, door to door | Cost | Luggage | The last mile in London | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FlixBus or Megabus | 3-4 h with the taxis at each end | Per seat, on the operator's site; a taxi at each end | One case in the hold, one aboard | A taxi from the downtown stop | One traveller, light, flexible |
| VIA Rail | 3-3.5 h with the taxis | Per seat, on VIA's site; a taxi at each end | Two cases | A taxi from the station on York Street | One or two, with time, or when the 401 closes |
| The shared shuttle from Pearson | 3-4 h with the stops | Per seat, on the shuttle's site | One case | A taxi from the shuttle's stop | One traveller from the airport, light |
| A rental car | 2 h 15 plus the counter | The day's rental, fuel and the drop fee | Whatever fits | Your own door, then the return | Someone who needs a car in London for days |
| A taxi | 2 h 15 | The meter, or a flat rate the driver names | Two cases | Your own door | A last-minute run with no booking |
| A chauffeured car | 2 h 15 | $320-380 sedan, $370-430 SUV, $580-680 Sprinter, fixed | Three to twelve cases by class | Your own door | Two or more, luggage, a meeting, a family, a hospital |
LondonLimo.net planning figures before HST; the operators' fares are on their sites and change by day; the comparison guide does the same table for the airport.
The bus, honestly
FlixBus and Megabus run the corridor through the day from downtown Toronto's terminal and, on some departures, Pearson's stop, in two to three hours with the stops, and the fare per seat is the lowest of the six on most days; the coach's London stop is downtown, the last mile to Byron or Sunningdale is a taxi at 9 p.m., and a second case is a question. The bus article has the bus from the airport in detail.
The train, honestly
VIA runs Union to London several times a day in two to two and a half hours on the Kitchener or the Brantford line, with a seat, a table, the Wi-Fi and two cases; the fare per seat is on VIA's site and is higher in business class and at short notice; London's station on York Street is a taxi from most of the city; and the train is the one option that runs on the day the OPP closes the 401. The VIA article has the train in detail and the Union Station departures are on VIA's site.
The shuttle, honestly
The shared airport shuttles run from Pearson's terminals to a London stop on a schedule with the other passengers' stops on the way, three to four hours in practice, and the last mile is the same taxi; the shuttle article has the shuttles and the desk's honest view of them.
The rental car, honestly
A rental from a Toronto counter, the 401 in an unfamiliar car, fuel, the drop fee at a London counter or the return run, and the insurance; it suits someone who needs a car in London for a week, and the comparison guide counts the hours it costs.
The taxi, honestly
A Toronto taxi's meter to London is a sum the driver may replace with a flat rate at the curb, a taxi-limo's flat rate the desk has seen at $220 to Pearson from London and more the other way to the city, a vehicle that is whatever is at the stand, and a driver who has not been to Byron; the taxi article has the meter's arithmetic.
The chauffeured car, honestly
$320-380 for a sedan from a Toronto door to a London door, two hours fifteen, three cases, the chauffeur's name and plate the evening before, the flight or the meeting tracked, and the gratuity inside; the city-to-city page has the service and the Toronto article the run in the other direction.
The arithmetic, for one, two and four
One traveller with one bag: the bus or the train plus two taxis, against the sedan's $320-380 - the train wins on money and the car on the door. Two with luggage: two seats plus two taxis, against one sedan - close, and the car wins on the bags and the hour. Four with luggage: four seats plus two taxis, against one SUV at $370-430 - the car wins on money and on everything else, and the Pearson return article does the same sum from the airport.
The winter, honestly
The bus and the car do not move when the 401 closes; the train does; the desk says so and the travel desk books a VIA seat for a client on the day the highway shuts, and the winter article has the rules for the other days.
Three journeys, as they went
A student from Toronto to Western, September. VIA to London's station with two cases, a taxi to Saugeen; the train won.
A couple from Yorkville to Old North, a Friday. The sedan at the hotel's porte-cochere at 2, the door at 4:35 with three cases; the car won on the Friday's 401.
A family of four from Scarborough to Byron, a Sunday. The SUV at the driveway at 10, the door at 12:20 with the stroller and five cases; the car won on everything.
Booking it
The chauffeured car is a fixed fare on the reservation engine with the Toronto address; the train's or the bus's seat is on the operator's site or through the desk's travel desk on the days it books them; the Toronto page has the destination.
Three questions the desk is asked about the options
Does the bus go to Western? FlixBus and Megabus stop downtown and, on some departures, near the campus; the operators' sites have the stops on the day, and a taxi covers the rest.
Is the train's Wi-Fi reliable? VIA's is on most trains and drops in the countryside between Kitchener and Stratford; a passenger who must work the whole two hours takes the car with the phone's hotspot.
Can the chauffeur pick up at Union or the bus terminal? Yes - a passenger who takes the train to Union and needs the last mile to a Toronto address, or the reverse, books the desk's Toronto partner car on the network page. The FAQ has the rest.
FlixBus and Megabus, in detail
The downtown Toronto terminal on Bay Street and, on some departures, Pearson's terminal stops and the Scarborough Town Centre; two to three hours to London's downtown stop with the stops at Kitchener or Woodstock; one case in the hold and one aboard; the fare per seat on the FlixBus and Megabus sites, lowest a week ahead and highest on a Friday; and a taxi from the London stop to the door. The bus article has the airport's version.
VIA, in detail
Union Station's concourse, the Kitchener line through Guelph, Kitchener and Stratford or the Brantford line through Aldershot, Brantford and Woodstock, two to two and a half hours, economy and business, two checked cases on the trains that check them, and London's station on York Street with the taxi rank; the VIA article has the train in full and VIA's site the schedule.
The shuttle, in detail
The shared shuttles from Pearson's terminals to a London stop on a schedule with the stops for the other passengers on the way; the shuttle article has the shuttles by name and the desk's honest view of them.
The rental car, in detail
A Toronto counter's queue, the 401 in a car you have not driven, the fuel at $1.50 a litre for 30 litres, the drop fee at a London counter or the drive back, and the insurance's excess; it suits a traveller who needs a car in London for a week and nobody else; the comparison guide counts the hours.
The taxi, in detail
A Toronto cab's meter to London is a figure the driver may not accept at the curb, a flat rate is the driver's to name, the vehicle is whatever is at the stand and the driver has not been to Byron; the desk's seen figures are a taxi-limo's $220 to Pearson and a competitor's sedan at $310, and the taxi article has the meter's sum.
The chauffeured car, in detail
The chauffeur's name and plate the evening before, the car at the Toronto door at the minute, three cases in the sedan and six in the SUV, the 401 driven every day, the London door at the end, and the fare fixed with the gratuity inside; the city-to-city page has the service and the rates page the classes.
The arithmetic, in a table
| Travellers | The seats and the taxis | The car | Which wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| One, one bag | One bus or train seat + two taxis | Sedan, $320-380 | The seat, on money |
| Two, two cases | Two seats + two taxis | Sedan, $320-380 | Close; the car on the door and the hour |
| Four, five cases | Four seats + two taxis | SUV, $370-430 | The car, on money and everything else |
| A meeting on a clock | The seat + the walk + the clock | The car by the hour | The car |
| The 401 closed | The train | Nothing on rubber | The train |
Planning figures before HST; the operators' fares on their sites.
Booking checklist for the run from Toronto
The date and the time; the Toronto pickup; the London address; the numbers and the cases; the vehicle; the flight or the meeting if any; the card. Seven lines to the desk or a fixed fare on the reservation engine.
The honest summary
For one, the seat; for two, close; for four, the car; for a meeting, a hospital or a family, the car; on the day the 401 closes, the train; the Toronto page has the car's fare and this article the rest.
