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Getting Around Toronto with a Dog
🇨🇦Toronto, Canada·Updated 27 July 2026
Toronto is unusual in North America because a dog of any size can ride the subway, the streetcar and the bus on a leash, at no extra charge. The catch is the clock rather than the size of the animal: the TTC bans pets during weekday peak periods, so your day has to be built around a morning that starts before 6:30 or after 10:00 and an afternoon that avoids 15:30 to 19:00. The regional network is generous in a similar way, with GO Transit and the UP Express airport train both taking up to two leashed dogs free of charge outside rush hour and requiring a lap-sized carrier inside it. Add the Toronto Island ferries, which take leashed pets year round, and a car-free visit with a large dog is genuinely workable, as long as you read the timetable first.
| Mode | Policy | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Subway, streetcar and bus (TTC) | Leashed pets, or pets secured in an enclosed container, travel free on every TTC mode at weekends and on holidays all day, and on weekdays only during the off-peak periods: before 6:30, from 10:00 to 15:30, and after 19:00. Non-service animals are not allowed during weekday peak periods. Dogs are not permitted on the seats and must stay on the floor at your feet. Service animals may accompany a passenger at any time. | 💡 |
| GO Transit and UP Express airport train | Both networks take up to two leashed dogs per passenger at no extra charge, all day at weekends and on holidays, and on weekdays from 9:30 to 15:30 and from 18:30 until the end of service. Outside those hours a dog, like every other pet, must be in a carrier that fits on your lap or under your seat. On GO trains and buses dogs must use the lower level, and all other pets must be in a carrier at all times. Service animals travel any day, any time. | 💡 |
| Toronto Island ferries | Pets are allowed on the ferries from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at 9 Queens Quay West and must be on a leash at all times inside the waiting area and on board, and must never be left unattended. The islands themselves are entirely on-leash: there is no off-leash area anywhere on Toronto Island Park, and dogs are not permitted on the island beaches. | 💡 |
Arriving in Toronto
Toronto Pearson (YYZ) lies about 22 km north-west of downtown and handles nearly all international arrivals. The good news for owners is the UP Express, which runs from Terminal 1 to Union Station in around 25 minutes and takes up to two leashed dogs free of charge outside weekday rush hours, so a large dog does not force you into a taxi the way it does in most North American cities. Land outside the 9:30 to 15:30 or post-18:30 windows, though, and your dog has to fit in a lap-sized carrier, which for a big animal means a taxi instead. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport sits on the island edge of the harbour and puts you a short walk from the waterfront, and VIA Rail arrives at Union Station in the heart of downtown.
Building a day around the TTC pet ban
The weekday peak ban is the single fact that shapes a Toronto itinerary with a dog. Between 6:30 and 10:00, and again between 15:30 and 19:00, a pet cannot legally board a subway train, streetcar or bus, and there is no small-dog exemption for the peak window: the restriction applies to leashed animals and carried animals alike. In practice that means starting the day on foot, taking the subway out to a park at mid-morning, and either walking home along the waterfront or waiting until after 19:00 to ride back. Weekends remove the problem entirely, which is why Saturday and Sunday are the days to attempt anything that involves crossing the city. Downtown itself is flat and compact, so the Distillery District, St Lawrence, the Harbourfront and the ferry terminal are all within an easy walk of one another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are dogs allowed on the Toronto subway?
Yes, on a leash or in an enclosed container, free of charge, but only outside weekday peak periods. That means all day at weekends and on holidays, and on weekdays before 6:30, from 10:00 to 15:30 and after 19:00. Dogs must stay on the floor rather than on the seats.
Can I take my dog on the UP Express from Pearson airport?
Yes. UP Express allows up to two leashed dogs per owner all day at weekends and on holidays, and on weekdays from 9:30 to 15:30 and from 18:30 until the end of service. Outside those hours the animal must travel in a carrier that fits on your lap or under the seat.
Do dogs pay a fare in Toronto?
No. Neither the TTC nor GO Transit nor the UP Express charges for a pet, and there is no size limit on a leashed dog. The restriction is on when you travel, not on what you pay or how big the animal is.
Pet-Friendly Hotels in Toronto
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NoMad Suites - Toronto's Entertainment District
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