How the group pickup works at Pearson
Pearson handles more international arrivals than any other airport in Canada, and its arrivals level shows it. Big groups lose people here. Our fix is simple: one driver, one meeting point, one vehicle.
- We track your flight number from takeoff. Landing early or late changes nothing for you.
- Your driver waits inside the arrivals hall at Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, past customs, holding a sign with your group name.
- The driver walks your group to the vehicle at the curb or the limo staging area. Bags go in, everyone boards, you leave.
Sixty to ninety minutes of free waiting time is built into every airport pickup, because customs at Pearson can be slow for international arrivals. We plan for it so you never watch the meter.
Hotel shuttle from Pearson Airport
Most Pearson hotels stopped running free shuttles or cut them back after 2020, and none of them fit a tour group with luggage anyway. We run the trip the hotel shuttle cannot: your whole group from arrivals to the lobby in one ride.
- Airport strip hotels on Dixon Road and Airport Road: 10 to 15 minutes
- Downtown Toronto hotels: about 30 to 40 minutes outside rush hour
- Mississauga and Square One conference hotels: about 20 minutes
- Vaughan, Markham, and Scarborough hotels: 30 to 45 minutes
Group checking in at one hotel and dining downtown that night? Book the shuttle round trip. The return leg is discounted because the vehicle is already yours for the day.
Your Toronto airport shuttle options, honestly compared
For one or two people, we are not the cheapest way downtown, and we would rather tell you that than waste your time. For groups, the math flips fast.
| Option | Rough cost for 12 people | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| UP Express train | About $150 return | Ends at Union Station. You still need taxis to the hotel with all the bags. |
| Taxis | About $200 to $280 one way | Three to four cars. The group splits up and arrives at different times. |
| Ride share | Varies, surges on arrivals | Six seats maximum per car, luggage space is a gamble. |
| Private Sprinter van | One flat rate, quoted upfront | None. Everyone and every bag in one vehicle, door to door. |
Pick your shuttle size
- Sprinter van for 10 to 14 passengers, the standard family and small group pickup
- Minibus for 20 to 36 passengers, right for school and sports groups
- Full coach for 40 to 56 passengers, built for entire tour groups with underfloor luggage bays
Shuttle from Pearson to downtown, or anywhere in Ontario
Downtown hotels are the most common drop off, but the shuttle goes where your group goes: Niagara Falls, Blue Mountain, Kingston, university campuses in September, cruise terminals, or a wedding venue in the countryside. The Pearson to Niagara Falls transfer is popular enough that it has its own page with times and details.
What the airport shuttle costs
Every airport transfer is a flat rate based on vehicle size and distance. Traffic jams and slow customs do not change the price. Starting rates for each vehicle are on the pricing page, and your written quote is exact to the dollar before you commit.
Book your Pearson pickup
Send your flight number, group size, bag count, and hotel through the quote form. We reply with the right vehicle and one flat price. Booking a return to the airport at the same time gets the round trip discount.
Landing at 2 a.m.? We run 24 hours. Red eye arrivals cost the same flat rate as afternoon ones.