Yes, you can walk from Union Station to Billy Bishop airport. It is about 2.3 km, or 30–35 minutes at an easy pace: south on York Street under the rail corridor and the Gardiner, west along Queens Quay to Bathurst Street, then south on Eireann Quay to the mainland terminal. With heavy luggage, children or bad weather, take the free shuttle or a car to Billy Bishop instead.
Can you walk from Union Station to Billy Bishop airport?
Yes. Walking from Union Station to Billy Bishop airport is not a stunt; it is a pleasant waterfront stroll that plenty of carry-on travellers make every day. Toronto is unusual in having a working airport within walking distance of its main railway station, and the route follows the lakeshore for most of the way. The question is not whether you can, but whether you should with the bags, weather and time you actually have. This post gives the turn-by-turn route, a realistic time for different walkers, and the cases in which the shuttle, the streetcar or a car is the better call. For the airport itself, our Billy Bishop airport guide covers the terminal, the tunnel and the ferry.
How far is it, and how long does it take?
Measured along the easiest pedestrian route, the walk from Union's Front Street doors to the mainland pavilion at 2 Eireann Quay is roughly 2.3 km. Planning times:
| Walker | Luggage | Realistic time |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk adult | Backpack only | 25–30 min |
| Average adult | One wheeled carry-on | 30–35 min |
| Couple | Two carry-ons, stopping for traffic lights | 35–40 min |
| Family with young children | Carry-ons and a stroller | 45–55 min |
| Anyone | Two large suitcases | Not recommended |
Then add the crossing to the island: under six minutes by tunnel, or up to a 15-minute wait for the 90-second ferry.
The route, turn by turn
- Leave Union Station by the main Front Street doors and cross to the south-west corner of Front and York, beside the Fairmont Royal York.
- Walk south on York Street, under the railway corridor, and continue south under the Gardiner Expressway.
- Cross Lake Shore Boulevard West at the lights and continue to Queens Quay West.
- Turn right and head west along Queens Quay, with the harbour on your left, past Harbourfront Centre.
- Keep going west along the waterfront past Spadina Avenue until you reach Bathurst Street.
- At Bathurst, continue south onto Eireann Quay; the mainland pavilion and ferry terminal are at the end, by the water.
The waterfront stretch along Queens Quay is the longest part, about 1.5 km, and the most enjoyable.
What the walk is like
The first few minutes are pure downtown: traffic, the rail corridor overhead and the noise of the Gardiner. Once you reach Queens Quay, it changes character completely. The street has a wide granite promenade on the water side, a separated cycle track and the streetcar tracks in the middle, with the harbour, sailboats and island views to your left. In summer you pass festival crowds around Harbourfront Centre; in winter, the wind off the lake is the main feature. The final approach down Eireann Quay is short and well signed, with Little Norway Park on one side. Wheeled bags roll well on the promenade; watch for cyclists when crossing the cycle track.
When walking is the best way
- You have a backpack or one wheeled carry-on and nothing else.
- It is daytime, dry and above freezing.
- You have at least 45 minutes of slack before you need to be at the pavilion.
- You are coming off a GO or VIA train and want to stretch your legs after sitting.
- You enjoy seeing a city on foot and the ferry crossing is part of the fun.
For this traveller, walking costs nothing, involves no waiting and is as quick as many streetcar trips once you count the wait. It is also the most reliable option on a gridlocked event evening, because feet do not get stuck behind a Blue Jays crowd.
When not to walk
We say this as people who are happy to see you walk: some days, do not. With two large suitcases, the walk turns into a struggle at every curb and crossing. With toddlers, 2.3 km is a long way. In freezing rain, a snowstorm or a January wind off the lake, the waterfront stretch is exposed and slippery. After dark in winter, when it is cold and quiet, many travellers simply prefer a vehicle. And if your flight leaves in under an hour, a 35-minute walk plus the crossing and security leaves no margin at all. In those cases, ride.
The alternatives from Union, compared
| Option | Cost | Door to pavilion | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk | Free | 30–35 min | Light luggage, fine weather |
| Free airport shuttle from 44 York St | Free | About 15 min ride plus wait | Light luggage, any weather |
| 509 Harbourfront streetcar | TTC fare | Under 15 min ride plus wait and short walk | Transit users with a PRESTO card |
| Taxi or app car | Metered or app price | 10–15 min off-peak | Spontaneous trips with bags |
| Booked car | Fixed fare quoted by address | 10–15 min off-peak | Luggage, children, set times |
The shuttle details are on the airport's shuttle page and the streetcar details on its public transit page.
A bad-weather plan B
If you set out to walk and the sky opens, you have exits all along the route. The 509 Harbourfront streetcar runs along Queens Quay, so you can hop on at any stop heading west and ride to Bathurst and Queens Quay West. Taxis and app cars can collect you on Queens Quay, though stopping is tight on a street with a streetcar median. And if you have not left yet, the free shuttle at York Street is right beside the start of the walking route. Check the TTC for streetcar diversions, which happen on some summer weekends when events close parts of the waterfront.
Accessibility and step-free walking
The route above is step-free: the York Street underpass, the Lake Shore crossing and the Queens Quay promenade are all at grade, with curb cuts at the crossings. It is, however, long, and some crossings are wide with busy turning traffic. At the airport, both the pedestrian tunnel, with elevators and moving walkways, and the ferry are accessible. For wheelchair users or anyone who tires on long distances, the shuttle or a car is the kinder choice; our wheelchair accessible transfers service sends a vehicle chosen for the mobility aid you use.
Walking the other way: Billy Bishop to Union
Landing at YTZ with a small bag and a train to catch is when the walk shines. Cross back to the mainland, walk up Eireann Quay to Queens Quay, turn right and follow the harbour east to York Street, then turn left and head north to Front Street. The route is the same in reverse and takes the same 30–35 minutes. If the train matters more than the scenery, read Toronto Island airport to Union Station, which times every option against real connection windows.
Walking to the Toronto Islands ferry is a different trip
One mistake we see every summer: visitors who want the beaches and parks of the Toronto Islands walk to Eireann Quay, because it is the ferry they found on the map. The airport ferry and tunnel are for airport users. The public island ferries leave from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street, a short walk south-east of Union, and the City of Toronto publishes their schedules on its island ferry page. If your day is about the islands, not a flight, see our Toronto Islands attraction guide.
Timing the walk before a flight
Work backwards from your departure, not forwards from the hotel. For a domestic flight, aim to reach the Eireann Quay pavilion about 60 minutes before departure; for a flight to the United States, where preclearance happens on the island, about 90 minutes. Then subtract 35 minutes for the walk with a carry-on, plus ten for traffic lights and a coffee on the way. So for a 3 p.m. flight to Ottawa, leave Union at about 1:15 p.m.; for a 3 p.m. flight to Newark, about 12:45 p.m. Your airline's cut-offs take priority, and on a morning with a cluster of departures the security line can be longer than the walk. Our post how do I get to Billy Bishop airport gives the curb-to-gate minutes in detail.
Seasons along the waterfront
In summer, Queens Quay is at its best and its busiest: festival crowds around Harbourfront Centre, tour boats loading, and a steady stream of cyclists on the trail. Walk on the promenade, not the cycle track, and allow a few extra minutes for crowds. In spring and autumn, the walk is quick and pleasant, though the lake breeze is cold earlier and later than in the city streets a block north. In winter, the promenade is cleared but exposed, and the stretch past Spadina can feel like a wind tunnel on a bad day. In any season, the CNE in late August and big events at BMO Field bring crowds to the western end of the route.
What to pack for the walk
- Comfortable shoes; the waterfront stretch is longer than it looks.
- A layer for the wind, even in summer; the lake is always cooler.
- Boarding pass on your phone, so you can go straight to security.
- A bag you can carry, not only roll, for crossings and curbs.
- Ten minutes of extra time for a photo of the skyline from Queens Quay.
When a car to Eireann Quay makes more sense
A car does not have to be expensive for a trip this short. The reservation engine quotes downtown hops to the exact address before you confirm, with the chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, fees and gratuity included and HST shown separately. It makes sense with luggage, with children who need seats (fitted on request, added at booking), before the first flights of the day, in bad weather, or when your trip starts somewhere other than Union. The Billy Bishop airport transfer page explains how drop-off and pickup work on Eireann Quay, and our Union Station page shows where the car meets you at the station.
