Hi everyone.

I will be in Chicago for a few days next year and I was thinking to visit Toronto as well. Is there an easy/cheap way to travel from Chicago to Toronto by train/bus via Detroit or is Buffalo the only possibility?
Also do you know if I need a special visa if I travel from US to Canada and back to the US being a EU citizen ? (probably I should ask this in the US forum)
Thanks in advance!

there should not be a visa.. not sure about that though. going through buffalo would be pointless. it would add like 10 hours to the ride.. sort of like going to Amsterdam from Paris but going through Cologne instead of Brussels.. pointless, unless you want to see buffalo more than Detroit!

good luck getting a train. even if there is a way, it would probably involve multiple tranfers. you would probablytake a Amtrak traon to detroit, have to get off there, somehow cross the river to Windsor, and then take a CN train from there.

no idea on buses though, you might be able to get a greyhound bus somehow.

You can take a Greyhound from Chicago to Toronto through Detroit. It's a looooong trip... I've done it before. You can also take the much cheaper Megabus from Chicago to Detroit, but then you would have to switch to the Greyhound to get to Toronto. Not sure if you'd save much money over just taking the Greyhound the whole way.

As for the visa, I really doubt you'll need one if you're an EU citizen. Visas are generally for people from poor countries because they might not want to leave.

Instead of taking a bus or train, you might want to consider Porter Airlines (https://www.flyporter.com/Flight/Tickets?culture=en-CA), you should be able to find flights for somewhere in the range of ~$130.

Taking Greyhound is a little cheaper, probably around $70-80 but its also an 800 km trip. Don't even bother with a train because it will require a transfer (Amtrak to Detroit and then Via Rail to Toronto) and therefore take even longer the bus and be more expensive than flying.

Also, if you have a Spanish (?) passport, you won't need a visa to enter Canada.

If you decide on a bus, get the ticket at least a full 7 days before it would depart Chicago; enquire of the bus company if it is even cheaper if you get it earlier than that.

Porter Chicago to Toronto $130 CAD round trip (random january date "firm" purchase category) 50 Minute flight time each way.

Greyhound Chicago to Toronto $140 CAD round trip (same random january date "14 days advance purchase") 12hr to destination and 14hr return trip.

Even if you can get bus for half the price, I personally would rather not spend an extra 24 hrs of my life on a bus. Also you can get to fly into billy bishop and see the Toronto skyline with porter.

^^How much is the Porter ticket with tax? It would absolutely be a nicer way to go.

Oh guess I read it wrong, the price is $130 each way so $260 + tax = $376.91 CAD

Bus is still going to be about the same as I quoted previously. So a tough choice on a budget but I still prefer flying.

Thank you so much everyone for all the info!
We are two and we both hold EU passports (one Italy one Netherlands)

You should absolutely fly Porter from Chicago to Toronto. Train / bus are really bad choices.

There is a 20% off promotion currently underway at Porter, use promo code GIFT20 (but you gotta book by Nov. 29th). That should help you stay within budget. :)

Btw. no visas necessary for IT and NL passports. Enjoy your time here and don't forget to pack some very warm jackets. :lol:

You should absolutely fly Porter from Chicago to Toronto. Train / bus are really bad choices.

There is a 20% off promotion currently underway at Porter, use promo code GIFT20 (but you gotta book by Nov. 29th). That should help you stay within budget. :)

Btw. no visas necessary for IT and NL passports. Enjoy your time here and don't forget to pack some very warm jackets. :lol:

did he ever mention what time of year he will be visiting? don't worry about jackets from may - start of september.

Thanks.
I will be there in May

You should absolutely fly Porter from Chicago to Toronto. Train / bus are really bad choices.

There is a 20% off promotion currently underway at Porter, use promo code GIFT20 (but you gotta book by Nov. 29th). That should help you stay within budget. :)

Btw. no visas necessary for IT and NL passports. Enjoy your time here and don't forget to pack some very warm jackets. :lol:

Thanks! Are you from Sofia? I was in Sofia last March, really nice city center with yellow paved streets. I did really enjoy and people have been very kind!

did he ever mention what time of year he will be visiting? don't worry about jackets from may - start of september.

Oops, my bad! Although you could still use a light jacket for some cooler summer nights. :)

Thanks! Are you from Sofia? I was in Sofia last March, really nice city center with yellow paved streets. I did really enjoy and people have been very kind!

Yep, I'm originally from Sofia! Glad you enjoyed my hometown, although frankly there are nicer places and cities in Bulgaria. You should explore more when you get the chance. Veliko Tarnovo and Plovdiv are amazing, and so are numerous smaller towns and villages in the mountains. :)

Back on topic, feel free to resuscitate this thread closer to your travel dates and I/we will be glad to post some more recent Porter promo codes. They have discount codes pretty much all the time. It's totally worth flying them just for the awesome experience of landing in downtown Toronto: the view is unique and simply amazing. Provided there's no fog, of course. :lol:

http://urbantoronto.ca/sites/default/files/imagecache/display-slideshow/images/articles/2011/10/3398/urbantoronto-3398-9962.jpg

:cheers:

Thanks mate, really appreciated!

there should not be a visa.. not sure about that though. going through buffalo would be pointless. it would add like 10 hours to the ride.. sort of like going to Amsterdam from Paris but going through Cologne instead of Brussels.. pointless, unless you want to see buffalo more than Detroit!


Actually it would only ad 2 to 2.5hrs to the trip, he could also see Niagara if he went that way.

Thanks, yes I was considering that too. - I could do it on the way back to NYC as I am flying to Barcelona from there.