The UP Express runs from Pearson Station in Terminal 1 to Union Station in downtown Toronto in about 28 minutes, every 15 minutes, and an adult one-way ticket costs C$12.35. A pre-booked Elly8.net car from Toronto Pearson to downtown costs from US$155 in a business sedan, fixed and all-in, and takes about 31 minutes on a clear road or 45 to 70 minutes at weekday rush hour.
On price alone the train wins, and for a solo traveller with light bags heading somewhere near Union it is usually the smarter choice. The car wins on door-to-door time once your hotel is away from Union, on luggage and children, after the last train and when a fixed budget for a group matters. The rest of this guide shows where that line falls.
Is the UP Express faster than a car service?
Station to station, the UP Express takes about 28 minutes from Pearson to Union, every 15 minutes, which beats a car at rush hour. Door to door, a car is often faster for hotels away from Union, for Terminal 3 arrivals and for anyone with heavy bags, because there is no walk to the platform and no onward leg.
The 28 minutes is the train ride itself. To compare fairly, add the parts on either side. At Pearson, Terminal 3 arrivals first ride the Terminal Link train to Terminal 1, where the UP Express station sits beside it. At Union, you still need to get from the station to your hotel or office, on foot, by TTC or by taxi.
See Toronto prices and reserve
The fares, side by side
Every UP Express figure below comes from the official UP Express fares page. Elly8.net prices are per vehicle and include the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet.
| Ticket or vehicle | Price | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| UP Express adult one-way | C$12.35 | 1 adult, 13 to 64 |
| UP Express adult return | C$24.70 | 1 adult, there and back |
| UP Express senior one-way | C$6.20 | 1 senior, 65 and over |
| UP Express Group Pass | C$25.00 for 3, C$32.50 for 4, C$40.00 for 5 | a group travelling together to or from Pearson |
| UP Express children | free | 12 and under |
| Elly8.net Business Sedan, Pearson to downtown | US$155 | up to 3 passengers, 2 bags |
| Elly8.net Business SUV / Van | US$205 | up to 6 passengers, 6 bags |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$405 | up to 12 passengers, 12 bags |
Note the currencies: UP Express fares are in Canadian dollars, Elly8.net prices in US dollars. Even allowing for the exchange rate, the train is cheaper per head for almost any group. The UP group passes in particular make the train very good value for three to five adults with light luggage, and children ride free.
So the honest answer on cost is simple: if price is the only thing that matters, take the train. The car is worth paying for when it saves something else, such as time, effort, a missed meeting or a tired family's evening.
Door-to-door time: where the car catches up
The train's advantage is that its timetable ignores traffic. The car's advantage is that it starts inside arrivals and ends at your door.
| Trip from Pearson | UP Express | Elly8.net car |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 to a hotel beside Union Station | about 28 min ride, plus walk to the platform and from Union | about 31 min clear road, 45 to 70 min at weekday peak |
| Terminal 3 to a hotel beside Union | add the Terminal Link train to Terminal 1 | same as above, chauffeur waits at Terminal 3 |
| Terminal 1 to Yorkville or Midtown | 19 min to Bloor Station, then the subway or a taxi | direct to the door |
| Terminal 1 to Liberty Village or King West | ride to Union, then a streetcar or taxi back west | direct to the door |
| Any terminal, after midnight | last weekday train 12:54 a.m. | any hour |
Bloor Station is a useful stop to know. According to UP Express's Pearson Station page, the train reaches Weston in 12 minutes, Mount Dennis in 15, Bloor in 19 and Union in 28, and Bloor connects to the subway. For Yorkville or Midtown, that can be quicker than riding all the way to Union.
At the airport end, a pre-booked chauffeur is waiting inside the arrivals hall with a name board, and you get complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. With the train, you walk to the platform with your bags and buy a ticket or tap a card on the way.
Luggage: the rules and the reality
The UP Express is built for airport passengers and handles luggage well. Its frequently asked questions set airline-style limits: bags up to 158 cm in overall dimensions and no more than 23 to 32 kg (50 to 70 lb), with larger items such as sports equipment going in oversized baggage storage areas where space permits. Bicycles must be folded or boxed.
That covers most travellers. The harder cases are not about the rules but about handling: two large suitcases, a carry-on and a child on the platform; a golf travel bag at rush hour; skis plus boots; a stroller and a car seat. Then there is the onward leg from Union, which the train does nothing about.
In a car, bags go from the carousel to the boot with the chauffeur's help. The sedans take up to 2 bags, the SUVs up to 6 and the Executive Sprinter up to 12, and child seats are available on request. Our fleet page shows the space in each class.
Hours: the first and last trains
According to UP Express, weekday trains run from a first departure at 5:27 a.m. to a last at 12:54 a.m. from Pearson, and on weekends and holidays from 6:24 a.m. to 12:54 a.m. Outside those hours, UP suggests GO Transit or the TTC, where a standard adult fare is C$3.30 by PRESTO or card, according to TTC fares.
That timetable covers most flights. It does not cover a late evening arrival that lands at 12:20 a.m. and clears customs at 1:10, or a departure that needs you at the airport at 4:45 a.m. for a 6 a.m. flight. Those are the trips where a pre-booked car is the only option that is not a taxi queue or an app at that hour. For departures, our guide to booking a limo to YYZ has the timing we suggest.
Three arrivals, three answers
A consultant landing at Terminal 1 at 2 p.m., meeting at King and Bay. One carry-on, no rush, an office a short walk from Union. Take the UP Express: C$12.35, about 28 minutes on the train, and a few minutes on foot through the PATH. A car would cost more and save nothing.
A family of four landing at Terminal 3 at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday, staying in Yorkville. Four suitcases, a stroller and a five-year-old who needs a booster seat. The train means the Terminal Link to Terminal 1, the platform with all the bags, a change at Bloor and then the onward leg. A business SUV at US$205, with the booster fitted before pickup and the chauffeur waiting inside arrivals, is the easier evening, even if Friday traffic stretches the drive.
A team of eight landing at 11:40 p.m., heading to a Front Street hotel. By the time they clear customs, the last train at 12:54 a.m. is close, and eight people with sample cases will not all make it. One Executive Sprinter at US$405, tracked to the landing, takes everyone to the same door. For more on vans, see our Toronto Sprinter guide.
Who should take which: the verdict
Take the UP Express if:
- you are travelling alone or as a couple with carry-ons or one checked bag each;
- your hotel or office is close to Union Station, Bloor Station or Weston;
- you land at Terminal 1 during service hours;
- three to five adults can use a group pass and do not mind the onward leg.
Book a car if:
- your destination is away from the train line, such as Yorkville, Liberty Village, the Distillery District, North York or Mississauga;
- you have children who need seats, a stroller, sports equipment or more bags than hands;
- you land after the last train or leave before the first;
- you need to take a call or prepare for a meeting on the way in;
- you are a group that wants to arrive together at one door with one fixed price for the vehicle.
For the other options, such as a taxi from the rank or a rideshare, see our guide to Pearson airport transportation and the comparison of Toronto Uber vs taxi vs private car.
What about Billy Bishop?
At Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport the comparison is different again. According to the airport, complimentary shuttle buses run between the airport and Union Station every 15 minutes. An Elly8.net car from Billy Bishop to downtown starts at US$95 in a business sedan. As with the UP Express, the free shuttle is the natural choice for a light traveller going near Union; the car is for the door, the bags and the timetable.
Union Station as a meeting point
Union is also where many trips start rather than end. If you arrive at Union by VIA Rail from Montreal or Ottawa, or by GO Transit, and need a car onward, our train station transfers meet you in the concourse. And if you take the UP Express in and want a car for the rest of the day, an hourly chauffeur from US$110 an hour, with a 3-hour minimum, can collect you at Union.
Booking the car side
- Enter Pearson or Billy Bishop and your destination, with your flight number so we can track it.
- Choose the vehicle by passengers and bags.
- Reserve now, or use the web booker for any address not on a price list. Confirmation arrives by email.
Prices are fixed in either direction, and a Pearson round trip booked together starts at US$295 in a business sedan. 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 for a no-show, refunded to the original card. Toronto and the GTA run on the Elly8 fleet and chauffeurs. For more comparisons, see chauffeur vs a shared airport shuttle and our airport transfers page.
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Frequently asked questions
How much is the UP Express from Pearson to Union?
An adult one-way ticket is C$12.35 and an adult return is C$24.70, according to UP Express. Seniors pay C$6.20 one-way, children 12 and under ride free, and group passes for 3 to 5 people travelling together cost C$25.00 to C$40.00. PRESTO fares are also available.
How often does the UP Express run, and when is the last train?
Every 15 minutes. On weekdays the first train leaves Pearson at 5:27 a.m. and the last at 12:54 a.m.; on weekends and holidays the first is at 6:24 a.m. and the last at 12:54 a.m. Outside those hours, UP suggests GO Transit or the TTC.
Is a car service worth it over the UP Express?
For one traveller with light bags staying near Union, usually not. A car is worth it for hotels away from the line, families with child seats, travellers with heavy or bulky luggage, arrivals after the last train and groups who want one door and one fixed price. Elly8.net fares start at US$155 per vehicle from Pearson.
Can you take large suitcases on the UP Express?
Yes, within airline-style limits: up to 158 cm in overall dimensions and 23 to 32 kg per bag. Larger items such as sports equipment go in the oversized baggage areas where space permits. The challenge is usually handling the bags to the platform and on from Union, not the rules.
Does the UP Express stop at Terminal 3?
No. The UP Express station is in Terminal 1, next to the Terminal Link train that connects Terminals 1 and 3. Terminal 3 arrivals ride the Terminal Link first. An Elly8.net chauffeur meets you inside the arrivals hall of whichever terminal you land at.
What is the cheapest way from Pearson to downtown?
The TTC is cheapest, at a standard adult fare of C$3.30 by card, but it is slow with luggage. The UP Express at C$12.35 is the best balance of cost and speed for a light traveller. A pre-booked car costs more and is the most direct for groups, families and late arrivals.
