Flights to Canada

How flying to Canada works

For most Americans, Canada is a short international trip. From the East Coast and Midwest you are in the air for 90 minutes to two hours to reach Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa. Vancouver is a hop from Seattle and about three hours from Los Angeles. The longer trips are to the Rockies from the East and to Atlantic Canada from outside New England.

What makes these flights different from a domestic trip is mostly paperwork and timing. You need a valid passport book to fly (a passport card or enhanced driver's license works only at land and sea crossings; see Entering Canada). You clear Canadian immigration and customs when you land. And on the way home, at nine Canadian airports, you clear US customs before you board, so you land in the US as a domestic passenger.

Who flies between the US and Canada in 2026

The transborder market changed a lot in 2025 and 2026. Canadian travel to the US fell sharply through 2025, and airlines responded by cutting US routes, mostly leisure flights to Florida, Las Vegas and the Sun Belt that relied on Canadian vacationers. Industry data for January to March 2026 showed about 10 percent fewer seats on Canada–US flights than a year earlier. For Americans flying north, that means fewer nonstops from mid-size US cities and occasionally better fares on routes with empty seats. Check that a route you flew last year still operates.

Nonstops by Canadian city

Routes shift with the seasons (some only run in summer or ski season), so treat this table as a guide to who serves each airport, then check a flight search tool for your exact dates. Times are typical gate-to-gate flying times.

For the rest of the country (Yellowknife, Whitehorse, St. John's, Charlottetown, Churchill), you will almost always connect through a Canadian hub. See Getting around for domestic flights and The North and Newfoundland for how those trips fit together.

Booking strategy and border-airport tricks

Fares to Canada behave much like US domestic fares, with two quirks. Canadian airport improvement fees and a federal security charge are built into every ticket departing a Canadian airport, which makes one-way flights out of Canada look expensive. And flights within Canada are often pricier per mile than in the US, so flying Toronto to Vancouver mid-trip can cost more than flying to each city from home.

• Book three to eight weeks out for most routes, and earlier for summer weekends, the Calgary Stampede in July, fall color weekends in Quebec, and Christmas.
• Compare an open-jaw ticket (fly into Vancouver, home from Calgary) with a round trip plus a one-way rental car fee. Open-jaws are often cheap on Air Canada and WestJet.
• Price the "border airports". Many Americans fly into a US airport near the border and drive across, which can save hundreds per person on a family trip.
• Read the basic-fare rules. The lowest fares on Air Canada and WestJet can exclude a full-size carry-on, seat selection and changes.

If you rent a car on the US side, read Crossing by car and Driving in Canada first. Most major US rental companies allow their cars into Canada, but check the terms.

Getting downtown from Canada's main airports

Canadian airports are generally well connected to downtown, and in Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa a train does the job. Taxis and airport limousines in most cities charge flat or zone-based fares from the airport, and Uber is allowed at all the major airports from signed pickup areas. All prices below are before tip, and transit fares were current in fall 2026.

Toronto Pearson (YYZ)

UP Express is the easy answer. The train leaves from Terminal 1 (Terminal 3 passengers ride the free Terminal Link train over first) and reaches Union Station downtown in about 28 minutes, with stops at Weston, Mount Dennis (for the Eglinton Line 5) and Bloor (for subway Line 2). Trains run every 15 minutes for most of the day. An adult one-way to Union is C$12.35 (about $9), seniors pay C$6.20, children 12 and under ride free, and a group fare covers three to five people traveling together for C$25–40 (about $18–29). Tap a credit card on the PRESTO reader or buy at the machine.

On a budget, the TTC's 900 Airport Express bus runs to Kipling station on subway Line 2 for a regular C$3.30 (about $2.35) fare when you tap a card. Taxis and limos use flat zone fares to downtown, a ride of 30–60 minutes depending on traffic.

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)

This small airport sits on the Toronto Islands, a few hundred yards from the downtown waterfront. You reach it through a pedestrian tunnel under the harbor from the foot of Bathurst Street, or on a short ferry that takes about 90 seconds. From the mainland side, the 509 Harbourfront streetcar runs to Union Station, or it is roughly a 30-minute walk to the Financial District. Porter is the main airline, and Air Canada also flies here.

The appeal is speed: short lines, a small terminal and a downtown arrival. The tradeoffs are that only turboprops fly here (jets are not allowed) and the US route list is short. Porter's island flights to the US have included Newark, Chicago Midway and Washington Dulles, and Nashville started in May 2026.

Montreal-Trudeau (YUL)

Montreal has no airport train yet. The 747 bus runs around the clock to downtown, stopping at Lionel-Groulx metro and along René-Lévesque Boulevard near many hotels before ending at Berri-UQAM metro. It leaves every 10–20 minutes most of the day; allow 45–70 minutes depending on traffic.

The 747 fare is C$11.25 (about $8), and it doubles as a 24-hour pass on buses, the metro, the REM and exo trains in zone A, so it covers your first day of getting around. On board the bus you can pay only with coins (no bills, no cards), so buy your fare from the machines at international arrivals near door 28, which take cards, or in the Chrono app.

The REM, Montreal's new automated light metro, will eventually stop at the airport, but the airport station is expected around the end of 2027. In summer and early fall 2026 the STM ran a seasonal shuttle, route 815, linking the airport to REM Des Sources station; check the STM site to see whether it runs again.

Vancouver (YVR)

The Canada Line SkyTrain runs from the airport to Waterfront station downtown in about 25 minutes, with trains every few minutes for most of the day. You pay the regular TransLink fare plus a C$6.50 YVR AddFare on trips that start at the airport stations. On a weekday, tapping a credit card or phone at the gate costs C$11.60 (about $8.30) to downtown. After 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends and holidays, the whole system counts as one zone, so it drops to C$10 (about $7). Going to the airport, you pay no AddFare.

Taxis use flat zone fares, and Uber and Lyft pick up at YVR. If you are heading straight to Victoria, see Vancouver Island for floatplanes and the ferry, and for Whistler, see Whistler for coach shuttles from the airport.

Calgary (YYC)

Calgary Transit's Route 300 bus links the airport with downtown for a regular transit fare, taking roughly 40 minutes. Taxis and Uber are quick and straightforward, since the airport sits on the city's northeast side, a short drive from downtown. Most visitors heading to Banff skip the city entirely: scheduled shuttles run from the arrivals level to Banff (about two hours) and Lake Louise, and a rental car opens up the most. See The Rockies and Calgary.

Ottawa (YOW)

Since January 2025, O-Train Line 4 runs from the airport to South Keys, where it meets Line 2. Ride Line 2 north to Bayview and change to Line 1 for downtown stations like Parliament and Rideau. Count on about an hour, and one adult fare of C$4.10 (about $2.90) when you tap a credit card or PRESTO card, with 90 minutes of transfers included. A taxi or Uber takes about 20–25 minutes outside rush hour.

Halifax Stanfield (YHZ)

The airport is a long way out, about 22 mi (35 km) from downtown. Halifax Transit's Route 320 express bus runs to downtown in about an hour for the regional express fare (C$4.75, about $3.40, at the time of writing). Taxis and limos charge flat rates to downtown. Many visitors to Nova Scotia pick up a rental car at the airport and skip the city ride altogether. See Nova Scotia.

Quebec City (YQB)

The airport is about 20–25 minutes by taxi or Uber from Old Quebec. City buses reach the airport, but service is infrequent, so a cab is the practical choice for most visitors. See Quebec City.

What happens when you land in Canada

Arriving in Canada by air is usually quick. At the larger airports, you start at an eGate or self-service kiosk run by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and many travelers never speak to an officer unless they are selected for a few questions.

1. Optional: fill in the Advance CBSA Declaration. In the free ArriveCAN app or on the website, you can enter your customs and immigration answers up to 72 hours before you land. It is optional and only works at participating airports, which include Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Montreal and most other big gateways. It saves a few minutes at the eGate.
2. Go to the eGates or kiosks. Scan your passport, look at the camera for a photo, and confirm or answer the customs questions on screen: what you are bringing, including any food, alcohol, tobacco or firearms, and any cash over C$10,000.
3. Talk to an officer if directed. Some travelers are sent to a booth for a short conversation: purpose of trip, how long, where you are staying. Answer plainly. Have your hotel address and return date handy.
4. Collect bags and exit. Follow the signs. You may be directed to a secondary inspection area for a bag check, which is routine.

Families traveling together and living at the same address can usually be processed together. Children traveling with only one parent, or with grandparents, should carry a signed consent letter; see Entering Canada for what to include.

US preclearance on the way home

This is one of the best features of flying from Canada. At nine Canadian airports, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers inspect you before you board your US-bound flight: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal-Trudeau, Ottawa, Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg. When you land in the US, you walk off the plane like a domestic passenger. No customs hall, no rechecking bags for a connection, no second security screening.

How it works

1. Check in and drop bags as usual. At most preclearance airports you will not see your checked bag again until your final US destination.
2. Go through Canadian security (CATSA). Liquids rules are like the TSA's: containers of 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less in one clear bag.
3. Go through US preclearance. US citizens and Global Entry or NEXUS members use kiosks or eGates, then a CBP officer checks your passport and asks about what you are bringing back. This is the US customs inspection, so the usual rules about duty-free limits and banned items apply here. See Shopping and US customs.
4. Walk to the US departures area. You have now cleared US customs and immigration.

How early to arrive

Plan to be at the airport at least two hours before a US-bound flight, and closer to three at Toronto Pearson, Vancouver or Montreal on summer Fridays, holiday weekends and early mornings, when the first wave of US flights clears at once. Preclearance lines vary from a few minutes to over an hour, and airlines close bag drop earlier for US flights than for domestic ones.

What preclearance means at your US arrival

• You arrive at a domestic gate, often in a terminal without customs facilities. This is why you can fly from Canada nonstop to smaller US airports.
• Connections are simpler. Your bags are usually checked through, and you do not go back through security.
• Food you bought in Canada and declared at preclearance is fine to carry on, but anything CBP would seize must stay behind in Canada, so eat the fruit before the checkpoint.
• If your flight is canceled after you clear and you have to leave the secure area, you may need to clear preclearance again the next day.

Connecting through Canada

Air Canada and WestJet sell many itineraries from the US to Europe and Asia via Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver or Calgary. Fares are sometimes lower than US carriers' nonstops, and Vancouver is a convenient gateway to Asia from the western US.

• US citizens need only a valid passport to connect through Canada. No electronic travel authorization (eTA) is required.
• US green card holders must carry their passport and a valid green card. They do not need an eTA.
• Other nationalities in your group may need an eTA (C$7, applied for online on canada.ca) or a visa even just to connect. Check on the official site before booking, since the airline will deny boarding without it.
• Coming home through Canada, for example Paris to Chicago via Toronto, you clear US preclearance in Canada. Toronto and Vancouver have dedicated connection flows that keep you airside, so you do not formally enter Canada. Give yourself a generous layover of at least 90 minutes, longer in summer.
• Stopovers are often possible on Air Canada itineraries, which lets you spend a few days in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver on the way to Europe or Asia for little or no extra airfare. Look for the stopover option when you book.

Flying vs driving from border states

If you live within a day's drive of the border, driving is often cheaper and sometimes faster door to door, once you count airport time and preclearance. Times below are typical driving times in good conditions, plus border waits that range from a few minutes to over an hour on summer weekends. Check live waits on the CBSA and CBP sites before you go.

Driving means no bag fees, room for ski gear, and a car for the countryside, where you need one anyway. The drawbacks are border lines on peak days, gas sold by the liter at Canadian prices, and winter roads. Bringing a dog is also much simpler by car; see Pets.

Amtrak runs three cross-border trains: the Cascades (Seattle–Vancouver), the Maple Leaf (New York–Toronto via Niagara Falls, around 12 hours) and the Adirondack (New York–Montreal, around 11 hours along Lake Champlain). All are scenic and slow, partly because of the border inspection.

Delays, cancellations and your rights

Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations cover flights to, from and within Canada, including your flight home to the US. They are more generous than US rules in some ways. If a delay or cancellation is within the airline's control and not safety-related, a large airline like Air Canada, WestJet or Porter owes you compensation based on how late you arrive: C$400 (about $285) for a delay of three to six hours, C$700 (about $500) for six to nine hours, and C$1,000 (about $715) for nine hours or more. Airlines must also provide food and drink during long delays and rebook you.

The catch is that airlines often classify disruptions as outside their control or safety-related, which removes the compensation requirement. If you think a claim was wrongly denied, file it with the airline first, keep every email, and then take it to the Canadian Transportation Agency's complaint process. US carriers flying from Canada are also covered on those flights.

Checklist before you fly

• Passport book valid for your whole trip (a passport card will not work for air travel).
• ArriveCAN app installed if you want to use the optional Advance CBSA Declaration, which you can fill in up to 72 hours before landing.
• A credit card with no foreign transaction fee for airport trains and taxis; see Money.
• A phone plan that works in Canada, or an eSIM; see Staying connected.
• Your hotel address and confirmation handy for the border officer.
• For the flight home: check whether your airport has US preclearance and plan to arrive two to three hours early.
• Consent letter for any child traveling without both parents.

Next, see Planning your trip and When to go, or ask us about a custom itinerary.