To get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 at Pearson, ride the free Terminal Link train. Pearson says it runs 24 hours a day, about every four minutes, with two to eight minutes between stations. Air Canada and most Star Alliance airlines use Terminal 1; WestJet, Porter and many others use Terminal 3. Always confirm the terminal on your own booking.
Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 at Pearson: the quick answer
Toronto Pearson has two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. There is no Terminal 2 any more, which still trips up visitors holding older maps. The two buildings are a few kilometres apart by road but linked airside and landside by the Terminal Link, an automated people mover that also stops at Viscount station for the Value Park lots and a couple of airport hotels. For anyone asking how to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 at Pearson, the train is almost always the answer: it is free, runs around the clock, and trains come every few minutes according to the airport. Details are on the Toronto Pearson site.
The rest of this guide covers which airlines are where, connections between terminals, departures and arrivals at each building, and how a booked chauffeur deals with a terminal change.
Which airlines use Terminal 1 and Terminal 3?
As a general rule, Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express and most Star Alliance partners operate from Terminal 1. WestJet, Porter, Air Transat, Flair and a long list of international and leisure carriers use Terminal 3. That rule has exceptions and it changes: airlines move, a codeshare can put you on a partner aircraft in the other building, and charters sometimes switch at short notice. We do not publish a full airline-by-terminal list, because the only reliable source is the airline and the airport on the day.
Before you set off, check the terminal printed on your boarding pass or in the airline app, and use our terminal finder. Our building guides for Pearson Terminal 1 and Pearson Terminal 3 walk through each one.
The Terminal Link train
The Terminal Link is the free train between the terminals. According to Pearson it runs 24 hours a day, departs about every four minutes and takes two to eight minutes between stations, depending on which stops you ride between. Stations are Terminal 1, Terminal 3 and Viscount. It is step-free, has room for luggage, and it is the way Terminal 3 passengers reach the UP Express station at Terminal 1.
In practice, allow 15 minutes from one terminal to the other once you include walking to the station, waiting and walking out at the other end, and more with children or several bags. Follow the Terminal Link signs; they are posted throughout both buildings.
Terminal 1 vs Terminal 3 at a glance
| Terminal 1 | Terminal 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Main airlines (general rule) | Air Canada and most Star Alliance partners | WestJet, Porter, Air Transat and many others |
| UP Express station | Yes, attached | No; ride Terminal Link to T1 |
| Terminal Link station | Yes | Yes |
| Size and walking | Larger, long piers | More compact |
| Our pickup | Pre-arranged commercial pickup area | Pre-arranged commercial pickup area |
| Meet and greet (add-on) | Inside arrivals with name board | Inside arrivals with name board |
Terminal assignments change; confirm on your booking and on the airport site.
Connecting between terminals
If you are connecting between two flights on the same ticket, the airline's connection process usually keeps you airside and directs you to the right terminal; follow the connection signs and the instructions on your boarding pass. Minimum connection times depend on the airlines, whether you are arriving from or departing to the United States or overseas, and whether you must clear customs in Toronto. Your airline sets and publishes those; check with them rather than relying on a general rule.
Separate tickets are different. If you booked one airline into Terminal 3 and another out of Terminal 1, you will usually need to clear customs if arriving internationally, collect your bags, ride the Terminal Link landside and check in again. Leave a generous buffer. Travellers arriving from abroad can find customs basics on the CBSA site and our arriving in Canada at Pearson guide.
Departures: getting dropped at the right terminal
The departures curbs for Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are on different roads, and the airport ring road does not make a quick U-turn easy. Getting the wrong one costs time, especially at the busy morning and early-evening departure banks. When you book a departure with TorontoAirportTransfer.services, the reservation engine asks for your flight number; dispatch checks it against the airline's schedule the day before and again on the morning of the flight, and the chauffeur drops you at the departures level of the terminal your flight actually uses. If an airline changes the terminal overnight, we follow the change.
For how much time to leave, see how early to arrive at Pearson.
Arrivals: how your chauffeur handles a terminal change
On arrival, our chauffeurs meet you at the terminal's pre-arranged commercial pickup area, which is what the fare includes; meet and greet inside the arrivals hall with a name board is an optional add-on, planning figure $25–35. Every pickup is flight-tracked, so the chauffeur is timed to your actual landing. Dispatch confirms the arrival terminal against the live flight record, so if you typed Terminal 1 but your flight lands at Terminal 3, the chauffeur goes to Terminal 3.
If something changes after you land, for example you are travelling with a companion who arrives at the other terminal, or you walk out of the wrong doors, message the chauffeur or dispatch. We reposition the car to the other terminal for the same booking rather than asking you to haul bags across on the train. Included waiting is 30 minutes after a Canadian or US flight and 60 after any other international arrival, counted from the actual landing.
Meeting passengers who land at different terminals
Families and colleagues often arrive on different airlines on the same afternoon. There are two good ways to handle it. One is a single booking with a stop at each terminal, timed so the first arrival waits in comfort and the car collects the second. The other is to have the first arrival ride the Terminal Link to the second terminal and meet there. Tell dispatch both flight numbers; we plan the timing and choose a vehicle with enough seats and luggage space, from an executive SUV to a Sprinter for groups.
UP Express, taxis and rideshare at each terminal
UP Express trains depart from the station at Terminal 1; Terminal 3 passengers take the Terminal Link first. Pearson's licensed taxis and limos load at the stands outside arrivals at both terminals and charge flat zone rates. Rideshare pickups are at designated zones at each terminal. Compare costs in our Toronto airport taxi fare guide and see the UP Express site for trains.
Accessibility between terminals
The Terminal Link and both terminals are designed to be step-free, with elevators and ramps. Airlines provide wheelchair assistance on request, usually arranged at booking. If you need a vehicle that takes a wheelchair, book wheelchair accessible transfers in advance, and add meet and greet so the chauffeur meets the airline's assistance team inside.
Winter, construction and busy days
Snow does not stop the Terminal Link, but it slows the roads around the terminals and the departures curbs. Ongoing airport works can move curb lanes and pickup points; your chauffeur knows the current layout and will text precise directions. On the busiest travel days, March Break, the summer peak, long weekends and the days before Christmas, allow extra time for security and for the walk between piers at Terminal 1.
Parking, drop-offs and the ring road
If someone is driving you rather than a booked car, remember that each terminal has its own departures and arrivals roadways and its own parking garages, and the airport ring road links them. Missing your exit means a loop around the airport, which at peak times takes longer than you would expect. Short-term parking is attached to each terminal; the Value Park lots at Viscount station connect to both by the Terminal Link. Drivers picking up friends should use the airport's parking and waiting options rather than circling the curb; the details are on the Pearson ground transportation pages. A chauffeured car removes all of that, because the chauffeur stages at the commercial pickup area and pulls up when you are ready.
Food, lounges and time to kill
Both terminals have restaurants, shops and airline lounges airside, with a wider choice beyond security than before it. If you have a long gap between flights in different terminals on the same ticket, you may be able to stay airside; on separate tickets you will likely be landside and need to clear security again at the second terminal. Build that into your plan before you decide to explore. Travellers with an overnight gap can reach the airport hotels at Viscount station by the Terminal Link.
Children, strollers and carry-on bags
The Terminal Link has level boarding, so strollers and wheeled cases roll straight on. Keep children close on the platform; the doors close automatically. At Terminal 1 in particular, the walk from security to the farthest gates is long, so an extra ten minutes with small children is sensible. If you book a car on arrival, add child seats at booking; see child car seat transfers. The chauffeur fits them before you reach the car, so you are not wrestling with straps at the curb.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming your airline's usual terminal; codeshares and changes happen.
- Looking for Terminal 2, which no longer exists.
- Booking separate tickets across terminals with a short gap.
- Heading to UP Express from Terminal 3 without allowing time for the Terminal Link.
- Walking out to the public curb instead of the commercial pickup area when you have booked a car.
Booking a Pearson transfer
Enter your flight number, address and vehicle in the reservation engine; the fixed fare includes the chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, airport fees, 407 tolls if used and gratuity, plus HST. Downtown Toronto is $130–160 in a business sedan as a planning figure. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 72 hours or less costs 10 %, 48 hours or less 50 %, 24 hours or less or a no-show 100 %. See Pearson airport limo for the full service.
