Pearson to Billy Bishop is about 30 km and usually 30–40 minutes by car off-peak via Highway 427 and the Gardiner, 60 minutes or more in rush hour. A TorontoAirportTransfer.services business sedan is a planning figure of $145–175 all-in plus HST, dropping at the mainland terminal on Eireann Quay. Allow three and a half to four hours between flights on separate tickets.
Pearson to Billy Bishop: why this route needs planning
Toronto has two passenger airports that serve very different flights. Toronto Pearson (YYZ) in Mississauga handles long-haul and most domestic traffic; Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), on the western tip of the Toronto Islands, is served by Porter Airlines and Air Canada with shorter regional and US flights. Travellers regularly land at Pearson from Europe, Asia or the Caribbean and continue on a Porter or Air Canada flight from Billy Bishop, or the reverse. There is no airside connection between the two airports, so you clear customs, collect your bags, cross the city by road, cross the harbour channel, and pass security again. A car booked for the Pearson to Billy Bishop transfer removes the guesswork from the middle part. This page covers fares, times, the tunnel and ferry, connection buffers and what to do when a flight runs late.
Fares: Pearson to Billy Bishop by vehicle
Planning figures for a one-way transfer between either Pearson terminal and Billy Bishop's mainland terminal, all-in with chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, 407 tolls if used, airport fees and gratuity, plus HST:
| Vehicle | Passengers / bags | Pearson to Billy Bishop, one way |
|---|---|---|
| Business sedan | 3 / 3 | $145–175 |
| First-class sedan | 3 / 3 | $220–265 |
| Executive SUV or luxury van | 6 / 6 | $180–225 |
| Sprinter | 14 / 14 | $315–385 |
The reservation engine quotes the exact date, time and vehicle; the same fare applies in the reverse direction. For the service overview, see our Billy Bishop airport transfer page, and for every destination, the rates page.
The route across the city
The chauffeur leaves Pearson on Highway 427 south to the Gardiner Expressway, runs east along the lakeshore and exits toward Spadina Avenue or Bathurst Street, then drops down to Lake Shore Boulevard and Bathurst Street to Eireann Quay at the foot of Bathurst. The distance is about 30 km. When the Gardiner is closed or blocked, Lake Shore Boulevard West is the parallel alternative; from some parts of the city the 401 and the Allen Road are used, but for this particular trip the lakeshore corridor is almost always the fastest. The final approach along Bathurst and Queens Quay is slow during events and summer weekends. Live closures appear on 511 Ontario.
Timing by time of day
Typical driving times from Pearson to the Billy Bishop mainland terminal:
- Early morning and late evening: 25–35 minutes.
- Weekday midday: 30–40 minutes.
- Weekday morning peak, about 7 to 9:30 a.m.: 50–70 minutes.
- Weekday evening peak, about 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.: 55–75 minutes.
- Blue Jays games, concerts and waterfront festivals: add 15–30 minutes near Bathurst and Queens Quay.
Billy Bishop's published operating hours are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, and we schedule YTZ drop-offs and pickups inside those hours.
How much time to leave between flights
On separate tickets, nobody protects your connection except you. Our dispatch rule of thumb for Pearson to Billy Bishop:
- International arrival at Pearson: allow 45–90 minutes to leave the terminal after landing, for immigration, customs and baggage.
- The drive: 30–40 minutes off-peak, up to 75 minutes in rush hour.
- The crossing to the island terminal: a few minutes by tunnel or ferry.
- Check-in and security at Billy Bishop: aim to reach the Eireann Quay curb 60 minutes before a domestic departure and 90 minutes before a US departure.
Add it up and a gap of at least three and a half to four hours between the scheduled Pearson arrival and the Billy Bishop departure is sensible, more in winter or at rush hour. Domestic-to-domestic connections can be shorter.
The tunnel and the ferry at Billy Bishop
Cars do not drive to the island terminal. The chauffeur drops you at the mainland pavilion on Eireann Quay, and you cross the Western Channel either through the pedestrian tunnel, about 260 metres with moving walkways and elevators, or on the short ferry. Both are quick; the ferry is popular with travellers carrying heavy bags because there is no long walk, while the tunnel has no waiting for a departure. Security screening happens on the island side. For the full walkthrough, including what to do with oversize bags, read how to get to Billy Bishop airport or the airport's own site at billybishopairport.com.
Drop-off and pickup rules at Eireann Quay
The curb outside the mainland pavilion is for active loading and unloading only, and the rest of the frontage is a no-parking zone; the airport publishes its pick-up and drop-off rules. In practice the chauffeur pulls in, unloads your bags quickly and you walk straight inside. For arrivals at Billy Bishop heading to Pearson, the chauffeur waits nearby while tracking your flight and pulls up when you message that you are coming across. Curbside pickup is what the fare includes; with the optional meet and greet (planning figure $25–35), the chauffeur parks and waits inside the mainland pavilion with a name board. Included waiting is 30 minutes for Canadian and US flights and for flights from the US, from the actual landing.
Billy Bishop to Pearson: the reverse connection
Travellers also fly into Billy Bishop from Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax or US cities and connect to a long-haul flight at Pearson. The same fare and the same timing apply in reverse, with one difference: long-haul check-in counters at Pearson often close 60 minutes before departure, and international security queues can be long in the evening bank of departures. Aim to be at the Pearson departures door three hours before an international flight. The chauffeur drops at the correct terminal door: Air Canada and most Star Alliance carriers use Terminal 1, while WestJet and many others use Terminal 3. Confirm yours in the terminal finder and read our Pearson Terminal 1 vs Terminal 3 guide.
What happens if your first flight is late
This is where a tracked booking earns its keep. Your chauffeur follows the actual arrival time at Pearson, so an early or late landing moves the pickup automatically. If the delay puts your Billy Bishop flight at risk, message dispatch as soon as you land; we will tell you the realistic drive time for that hour so you can decide with your airline whether to rebook. We cannot hold a Porter or Air Canada flight, and we will not promise a drive time the traffic will not allow. If you miss the onward flight and need to go to a downtown hotel instead, the chauffeur can change the destination on the spot and the engine reprices it.
Other ways between Pearson and Billy Bishop
You can also connect by transit: UP Express from Pearson Terminal 1 to Union Station, then the airport's free shuttle bus from 44 York Street, beside the Fairmont Royal York, to the Billy Bishop mainland terminal. The shuttle page lists current frequency, and UP Express lists train times; the standard adult UP fare to Union is $12.35. This route is inexpensive for one traveller with a small bag and plenty of time. It involves two transfers with luggage, so it is less suited to tight connections, families or anyone with checked bags. Taxis from Pearson's stand and rideshare also go to Eireann Quay; rideshare drivers use a designated pickup and drop-off area there.
Luggage and the right vehicle
Long-haul travellers connecting to Billy Bishop usually arrive with checked bags. A business sedan carries three passengers and three bags; with more, choose an executive SUV or luxury van for six and six. Porter's cabins are compact and the airline sets its own baggage allowances, so check them with Porter or Air Canada before you fly; that is between you and the airline, but it affects how much you will be carrying through the tunnel. Child seats are on request and fitted before pickup; add them at booking. See child car seat transfers for what we carry.
Accessibility at both airports
Both the tunnel, with elevators and moving walkways, and the ferry are workable for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility. Tell us at booking so the chauffeur positions the car as close as the rules allow to the pavilion door and helps with bags, and consider meet and greet at the Pearson end so someone is waiting inside the arrivals hall. Travellers who need a ramp-equipped vehicle should book through our wheelchair accessible transfers page. Airline assistance inside either airport, such as wheelchairs to the gate, is arranged directly with the airline.
Overnight layovers and groups
Not every connection happens the same day. If your Pearson arrival lands late in the evening and your Billy Bishop flight leaves the next morning, the airport's 11 p.m. closing makes an overnight stop downtown the practical plan. Book two legs: Pearson to your hotel near the waterfront or Union Station tonight, and hotel to Eireann Quay in the morning, which is usually a 5–15 minute drive from the core. Our travel desk can add the hotel. Sports teams, film crews and conference delegations moving between the two airports are better in one Sprinter for up to 14 with luggage than in a string of taxis, and a coordinator can split a large group across vehicles timed to different flights.
Weather on the waterfront
Fog and strong winds off Lake Ontario can delay turboprop departures from Billy Bishop more than jets at Pearson, and winter storms slow both the Gardiner and the final approach along Bathurst Street. On poor-weather days, check your Billy Bishop flight status before leaving Pearson and message dispatch if you want to change the destination or timing. Current conditions are on weather.gc.ca. The ferry is exposed to the wind, so dress for a few minutes outdoors in January. Our fare does not change with the weather or traffic.
Booking, changes and cancellation
Book both flights into the reservation engine: the arriving flight at Pearson for pickup tracking and the Billy Bishop departure in the notes so dispatch can flag a tight connection. Choose the vehicle and confirm the fixed fare. Changes are free more than 72 hours before pickup; after that the sitewide terms apply: 72 hours or less before pickup, 10 %; 48 hours or less, 50 %; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100 %, measured from the scheduled pickup. A delayed arrival is never a no-show. For the full airport guides, see Toronto Pearson and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Private jet passengers using the island's FBO should see Billy Bishop FBO transfers.
