From Union to Pearson airport, UP Express is the best choice for most solo travellers and couples with light bags: trains run about every 15 minutes, the ride is about 25 minutes to Terminal 1, and the adult fare is $12.35. A private car (sedan $130-160 all-in) wins for families with heavy bags, pickups away from Union, very early flights and many Terminal 3 departures.
Our Pearson to Union Station route page sets out the fares and pickup points for the car. This post answers a narrower question people search for before a flight: leaving from Union, or from somewhere near it, should you ride the train or book a car? We start from your door, because that is where the trip really begins.
Union to Pearson airport: the facts that decide it
- UP Express runs between Union and Pearson Terminal 1, calling at Bloor and Weston. Trains run roughly every 15 minutes and take about 25 minutes. The UP Express fares page lists an adult single at $12.35, children 12 and under free, a family fare sold at ticket machines and group passes for three to five people sold online.
- Terminal 3 passengers change at Terminal 1 to the free Terminal Link train.
- A private car from Union or any downtown address to either terminal takes 25-45 minutes off-peak and up to an hour at rush hour. Planning figures, all-in with HST separate: business sedan $130-160, executive SUV or luxury van about $160-205.
Everything else is about what happens before Union and after the train.
Door to door: the real comparison
The train's 25 minutes starts on a platform. Here is what a trip looks like from three common starting points.
| Starting point | UP Express, door to T1 check-in | Car, door to T1 curb (off-peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel on Front Street, 3 min walk | 40-50 min | 30-40 min |
| Condo in Liberty Village | 45-60 min (streetcar or taxi to Union) | 25-35 min |
| House in Leslieville | 55-70 min (streetcar + walk through Union) | 35-50 min |
| Office at King and Bay, via PATH | 40-50 min | 30-45 min |
The train holds its time at rush hour; the car does not. The car starts at your door; the train needs you to reach Union first. That trade-off is the whole decision.
Cost by party size
| Party | UP Express (adult single fares unless noted) | Sedan or SUV, all-in planning figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | $12.35 | Sedan $130-160 |
| 2 adults | $24.70 | Sedan $130-160 |
| 2 adults + 2 children (12 and under) | $24.70 (children free) | SUV $160-205 |
| 3-5 adults | Group pass, $25-40 online | SUV or van $160-205 |
| 6 adults with 6 large bags | Group pass + a second ticket | Van $160-205, or two sedans |
On price, UP Express wins every row. The car's case is time, effort and the leg to Union, not the fare.
Who should take UP Express from Union?
- A solo traveller staying within a short walk or PATH walk of Union.
- A couple with carry-on bags on a daytime flight from Terminal 1.
- A family with young children and light bags, since children ride free.
- Anyone flying at 4-6 p.m. on a weekday, when the 427 and the Gardiner are at their slowest.
For them the train is fast, cheap and reliable. We would rather say that plainly.
Who should book a car instead?
- Families with a stroller, car seats and three or more large suitcases.
- Anyone starting away from Union: Liberty Village, the Annex, Leslieville, the Beaches.
- Travellers on a flight before about 7 a.m.; check the first train time against your check-in time.
- Older travellers or anyone with limited mobility; Union is a long walk to the UP platform.
- Many Terminal 3 passengers, because the car goes straight to the T3 curb with no second train.
- Business travellers who want to work or take a call in private on the way.
Our Toronto airport car service is the booking page for all of these.
Early flights: the first-train problem
The station's own FAQ lists the first UP train from Union at 5:30 a.m. That reaches Terminal 1 around 6 a.m. For a 7 a.m. domestic flight with bags to check, that is already tight, and for a 7 a.m. US flight, which needs more time for preclearance, it does not work. Check the current timetable on the UP Express site for your date. A car can collect you at 4:30 a.m. with no timetable to meet; our post on rides to Pearson for early-morning flights has the timings.
Late flights and the last train
Overseas departures between 10 p.m. and midnight are common. The last UP train leaves Union around 1 a.m. by the station FAQ, so late-evening departures are well covered by the train. The issue is getting to Union with bags after dinner. If you are leaving from a restaurant or a home outside the core, a car is simpler.
Terminal 3: the extra step
UP Express stops only at Terminal 1. For a Terminal 3 flight you ride the free Terminal Link train from Terminal 1, which adds roughly 10-15 minutes with bags, more if you have to find the platform. WestJet, Porter and many other airlines use Terminal 3, but check your booking or our terminal finder. The connection is described in Terminal 1 to Terminal 3.
Five real departures, five answers
Priya, consultant, hotel on Front Street, 2 p.m. flight from T1, one roller bag. UP Express. Walk across the street, 25 minutes on the train, done.
The Nguyen family, Leslieville, 8 a.m. flight from T3, two children, four cases, two car seats. Car. Pickup at 5:30 a.m., straight to the T3 curb, seats already fitted.
Tom and Ana, Oakville, noon flight, arriving by GO train at Union. It depends on where the GO drops them. From Union, UP Express is a sensible second leg. From Oakville itself, a car from home is simpler and skips Union altogether; see our Oakville page.
Five colleagues, King Street office, 6 p.m. flight from T1. UP Express with a group pass, walking through the PATH. The car would sit in rush-hour traffic on the Gardiner.
Margaret, 81, Annex, visiting her son in Vancouver. Car from her front door to the departures curb, where the airline's wheelchair assistance, booked with her ticket, takes over. Union's walk to the UP platform is too far for her.
Joining UP Express at Bloor or Weston instead
Not everyone in the west end needs to go downtown to catch the train. UP Express also stops at Bloor, next to Dundas West subway station, and at Weston. If you live in Roncesvalles, the Junction or near the Line 2 subway, boarding at Bloor cuts out the trip to Union entirely and shortens the ride. For them the comparison changes: a short streetcar or subway ride to Bloor plus about 15 minutes on the train is hard to beat for a solo traveller. A car still wins for the heavy-luggage family, because it saves carrying bags through two stations.
What about a taxi from the Front Street rank?
Taxis wait on Front Street outside Union, and a metered cab to Pearson is a reasonable choice when you decide at the last minute. The meter runs in traffic, so the fare depends on the day, and the vehicle is whatever is next in the rank. Rideshare prices move with demand. A booked car fixes the price and the vehicle in advance. Our guide to limo vs Uber vs taxi vs UP Express sets all four side by side.
What the car includes that the train does not
A fixed all-in fare, set before you confirm, including the chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, 407 tolls if used, airport fees and gratuity; HST shown separately. Door-to-curb service, help with bags, child seats on request, and a chauffeur who knows which departures door suits your airline. For a solo traveller it is a comfort; for a family with four cases it is often the difference between a relaxed start and a sweaty one.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the UP platform is next to the Great Hall; it is on the west side via the SkyWalk.
- Forgetting that Terminal 3 needs a second train.
- Counting only the 25-minute ride, not the trip to Union.
- Booking a car for 5 p.m. on a Friday and expecting 30 minutes.
- Taking the first train of the day to a flight that needs you at the counter before it arrives.
Our guide on how to navigate Union Station shows the route to the UP platform with bags.
Business travel: time, privacy and receipts
For a business traveller, the fare difference matters less than the hour. On the train you can read, but calls in a crowded carriage are awkward and the walk through Union eats into the working time. In a car you can take a confidential call or finish a deck from the office lobby to the departures curb, and the receipt is a single fixed amount for the expense report. Companies with regular travellers can set up a corporate account with central billing. For a quick daytime trip from a hotel beside Union, though, the train is usually the sensible choice.
Weather and service disruptions
In snowstorms the train usually keeps running while the highways slow, which is a point for UP Express. Occasionally the train has disruptions of its own; Metrolinx posts service updates on the GO Transit and UP sites. For a car, winter means leaving earlier; dispatch will call you if we think the pickup should move. Check Ontario 511 the night before a morning flight in winter.
Coming back: Pearson to Union
The same logic applies in reverse, with one difference: after a long flight, the walk from the arrivals hall to the UP station and then through Union to a taxi rank is harder than it sounds. Our sibling post on the Toronto airport shuttle to Union Station covers every option for the arrival.
Booking the car
Enter your address, Pearson and the terminal, and the flight number. The fare is fixed before you confirm. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10 % at 72 hours or less, 50 % at 48 hours or less, and 100 % at 24 hours or less or a no-show.
