Toronto: MGF Savvy Travel Tips

So you’ve planned how to get there and where to stay. But when you get there – wow, who knew there was all those “little things” to consider. Enter our Savvy Travel Tips. Here we give you a few tips that may have been missteps during our travels or would have made life a little easier if we only knew!

Research Materials: We hit the bookstore a mere two hours after booking the arrangements. As far as researching a new destination goes, Lenny and I always do the “separate but equal” thing. By this we mean that we do our own separate research and then come to the table to create a suitable itinerary. I know, I know…planning kills that bohemian spirit of just going out and experiencing things. But let’s face it – people get lazy. If most people left everything to chance, they would have spent $1300 to sit around a hotel room avoiding the experience the city has to offer!

We’re big Fodor’s fans, so it’s no surprise that when we hit the check-out line at the bookstore, we had both purchased a different Fodor’s guide a piece. Lenny went the traditional route with the Fodor’s Toronto 2007 ($16.95, U.S.), published in February of this year. If you’ve never used Fodor’s or are a first time traveler, I highly recommend them as your encyclopedic guide. Fodor’s does a great job breaking down the neighborhoods and sights into bite sized pieces to help make the most of your time. I reached for Fodor’s Toronto’s 25 Best 2006 ($11.95, U.S.). Having never been to Toronto, I wanted to know right away what was worth seeing. And best of all, it had a foldout map. This allowed us to see where our hotel was and plan from there.

That foldout map was well and good during planning, but it proved to be our downfall during the trip. Sadly, it wasn’t until Day 3 we finally picked up a Toronto Pop-Up Map by Compass Maps. These little guys are the best! They’re pocket-sized and have a laminated cover. The easy pop-up and fold-up design takes the hassle away from walking and navigating at the same time. And at $6.95 CAD, a steal!

Travel Documentation: Both of us were in possession of our passports prior to our trip, so documentation was not a problem. But the question this year seems to be: To Passport or not to passport? If you have the time to apply and receive it, DO IT. The government has been going back and forth so often due to delays, the rules of the game change frequent. As of this original posting, U.S. citizens are not required to have a passport to re-enter the U.S. However, you do need to meet the old minimum requirements to show proof of citizenship. This all changes in January 2008. But since things change so quickly, check with the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs before making any decisions.

Cold Hard…Loonies: The official currency in Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). With exception of the $1 (“loonies”) and $2 (“toonies”) CAD coins, the terminology/numeric value is pretty much the same (nickel, dimes, etc.). In the past, the U.S. had enjoyed a great exchange rate. When I spent 3 weeks in Canada on business back in 2001, I hardly made a dent in my expense report with an almost 2 to 1 ratio! In 2007, the exchange rate is now about even. As always, check the exchange rate at least 3-days from departure to avoid any surprises.


You Think We Have it Bad: We are so spoiled! Here in the U.S., we pay a singular sales tax on purchased goods. In Canada, they hit you TWICE. First, you have a 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST). On top of that, you have the provincial sales tax. In this case, Ontario charges an additional 8% for Provincial Sales Tax. It does make a simple lunch for two look a bit daunting, but thankfully Toronto’s retail prices aren’t considered astronomical to begin with.

Paper or Plastic: Since Canada and U.S. have such an even exchange rate, both currencies are accepted throughout the city. So don’t feel so bad if all you can pull out is a Washington versus a Loonie. Debit and credit cards are widely accepted (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express), but T.O. is not as familiar with the concept of “cash back” through debit transactions. Ask before you run the transaction!

If you do want cash – don’t go to the exchange houses. No exchange rate in the world will compensate for the additional fees they’ll charge you. Luckily, there are ATMs available. But, as we discovered on our first day in the city, just because it’s an ATM doesn’t mean it’s going to take your card. Pay attention to the logos on the back of your ATM card (i.e. Interlink, Plus, STAR). If you can’t match one of those to the ATM you’re staring at…you’re not going to liberate cash from it willingly. Your best bet is to find an ACTUAL bank ATM. We became very familiar with the RBC machine at the border of Chinatown! Not sure if you’re dealing with an above board bank? Familiarize yourself with their biggest names before taking off for the Great White North.

Also bear in mind that your bank will charge you a conversion transaction fee for converting your payment from CAD to USD when it clears your account. Check with your bank for details on how they charge this rate. In my case, I was charged an additional .16 to .96 per transaction.

Driving: Good news – the rules are generally the same. Right turns on reds are permitted, seat belts are required, and Canadians jay-walk as much as Americans do. Signage is prevalent and easy to see on the expressways. On our way to Niagara, we discovered that Ontario driver’s suffer from two plagues: Tailgating and Unexpected Lane Changes. These are such big problems that there are advertisements on their electronic marquees along the expressways. Follow at a safer than normal difference. And remember: It’s metric…so, when you’re screaming “I’m going 120, damn it!” you’re really only going about 70 MPH.

Drive It or Hoof It: As I said previously – we are not usually car renting travelers. And taxis are either strictly to and from the airport, or a splurge. We usually rely on public transportation or our own two feet on vacation. But if you’re planning on traveling outside downtown Toronto, it’s probably best to look into rental. As for the rest of the city – we have been told that the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is quite efficient and widespread. We thought we were going to make frequent use of it, but the itinerary we chose were all walkable distances. Despite the size of it’s metro area, Toronto is truly a great walking city and if you can take advantage of that (and have a good pair of walking shoes), you’ll be glad you decided to hoof it.

Next Post: Time for the fun! MGF Travel reviews Toronto area attractions, restaurants, shopping, and hotel.

Toronto: The Nuts and Bolts

Like any traveler today – we were looking for the best bang for our buck. And today’s internet is ripe with “deals.” While MGF Travels would LOVE to tell you all the choices…we can’t. There are just too many. But, in our destination pieces, we want to give you, “The Nuts and Bolts.” Here, we hope to share the first hand experience our bloggers in terms of where they were traveling and staying. They relate their personal decisions in the hopes of informing you in your own decisions.

As the old Chinese saying goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” In the case of Lenny and Lily White’s summer vacation…this 1885 mile trek from Sky Harbor International to Pearson International began with about a thousand different search variations and reviews on the internet. Here’s how our trip details went down:

Travelers: 2 adults
Timeframe: 5 days, 4 nights at the end of July 2007
Simple Planned Itinerary: The immediate downtown Toronto and a day trip to Niagra Falls

The Nuts and Bolts: Since we were so close to our departure date, we immediately went through the "Travel Website Trinity” (Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz) to start our research. We needed to set a baseline price pronto! We figured we were going to spend $700 max per person on getting there – and that was just for airfare and hotel. But, we found July was deal heavy. And considering that the average ticket for major air carriers was in excess of $400 per person -- a package was the way to go for us.

We lucked out. For the grand total of $1376.07 (including most taxes), Expedia gave us a smashing deal! Included in the price was roundtrip airfare on American Airlines, 4 nights at a residence style hotel in Toronto’s entertainment district, and rental for an economy car with Hertz for two people.

How did this package win out? When it came down to it, there wasn’t much difference between Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity. In terms of rate it was a dead heat; all three websites offered the combo of airfare-hotel-car rental. We weren’t too worried about the car, the rental being Hertz across the board. And an airline is an airline is an airline to us. So the deal breaker here was the hotel.

We wanted a hotel that was centrally located, offered free wireless connection (Lenny was still in the middle of summer session with his Master’s classes), and maintained our basic standards of hotels. Anything in the 3-4 star rating was considered. But Expedia won hands down because their package offered a practically BRAND NEW hotel that wasn’t even listed on the other two websites. Not only was the Residence Inn Toronto two months old and all suites, but it was walking distance to almost all the attractions we wanted and easy access to the expressway leading to Niagara. Parking lots were abundant in the blocks surrounding the hotel and full breakfast was included in the price.

There weren’t too many cons to this hotel, even sight unseen by us. There were savings everywhere! First of all, a complimentary full breakfast will save you bear minimum $10 per person, per day over the course of the trip. Second, alternative parking to the hotel valet will more than likely save you in the long run. We negotiated $95 CAD for 5 days with in and out privileges just around the corner; compare that to the hotel’s $30 CAD per day price.

And when it comes to traveling, you can usually never go wrong with a hotel that has just opened! In my experience, this is especially true with a known brand of hotel such as Marriott. Still in its infancy, the hotel is doing everything it can to start a client base. This usually means there are amenities and activities that would cost elsewhere. Not only were we given a hearty buffet breakfast each morning, but during the evening, the Hotel Manager had a social hour where the staff and guests would meet. And since it is a very modern hotel, it was equipped with wireless for free, so Lenny could maintain his schoolwork and I my minor addiction to e-mail.

As I stated earlier, most of your taxes and additional costs are included in the price of the package. But that doesn’t mean you’re free and clear, especially with the car rental. Being in a “foreign” country, I purchased the insurance on the car…JUST IN CASE. This was an additional $232 due at the time of rental. We passed on the “you can bring it back empty” fee and just filled it up ourselves. It slipped my mind to do so, but you may want to research the gas prices in the area you’re traveling in so you can get the best deal.

Again – just because you’re short on time – doesn’t mean you can’t find a deal or make smart decisions for your trip!

Next Time: Driving in Canada, ATMs, and other “happy hazards” of being an American abroad.

Toronto: Everything You Want, But Just Across the Border

Lenny and I had a quandary. We passed on going to Europe this year because of what we deemed OUTRAGEOUS prices from Phoenix to Paris at $1200 per person. So Plans B and C were New York and Philadelphia respectively. But things were quickly falling through. New York…too expensive. Philly…crappy flights. I had blocked off 6 whole days of vacation at the end of July because we were supposed to go somewhere. Desperate, I declared to Lenny, “We ARE going on vacation.” But truthfully – I didn’t think it was going to happen. We were just over three weeks until my vacation time.

Then out of the blue, I get a call at work from Lenny, “Why not Toronto?” By the time we had done the research, booked the flights, and bought the travel books, I wondered: WHY DIDN’T WE THINK OF THIS BEFORE?

If you think everything in Canada is all about Canadian bacon, toques, and moose…you’re only partly right. It’s that and so much more! This century’s Canada is not merely a facsimile of it’s neighbor to the south. The country is booming with its own national pride that runs deep and redder than the maple leaf on its flag. Today’s Canada has all the modern conveniences of the U.S. with a decidedly less obsessive compulsive quality. Instead of stressing out at how they never have time for anything, our Canuck friends still put a lot of emphasis on community, culture, and growth.

Canada is no longer the forgotten middle child in the North American continent. It has become a country all on its own.

And there was no better place to start my education on Canadian culture than Toronto. How to describe the most metropolitan city in Canada? Think of it as New York…except cleaner. Or for an even better assessment, I will refer to what I said to Lenny in our 3-hour adventure in finding our hotel (LONG story):

“This place is the same…but it isn’t.”

Every place you look at in Toronto, you get the signs of a city booming with the cosmopolitan feel of a U.S. big city. But every other place, there are snippets of a European feel. You get the tall skyscrapers, mass transportation, and bustling commerce ala Dallas, New York, and Chicago. But hidden between and just outside them are pockets of artistry, the tastes of foreign cultures, and historic brick buildings like Paris, London, and Dublin. It can be a hodgepodge for sure – but Toronto does it’s best to balance things out.

It’s almost like Toronto is the best of everyone’s tastes. For first time travelers, it offers a Euro-style atmosphere without the language barrier and massively long flight. For families, it’s someplace your kids can appreciate as they cater to the tykes as well as the adults. For people on a budget – you really can’t beat the fact that Toronto is a walking city with great public transportation. For the high end traveler, the lure of luxury and shopping at lower base prices is a draw.

Toronto is a magnet for arts and culture worldwide, let a lone Canada, so there is always something to do or see. It is very much a city alive and on the rise. And for those who venture to visit it…a huge box of surprises.