Toronto to Niagara Falls Train: Taking GO Transit Instead of a Tour

Service All Year, Weighted to Weekends

GO Transit runs trains from Union Station to Niagara Falls all year. The pattern is not even: the most trips run on weekends, when demand from day trippers is highest. Weekday service is thinner, and weekday Niagara trips were cut back in a recent schedule change, so a midweek train day needs more planning than a Saturday one.

Because the exact departure times change with the seasons and with those weekday cutbacks, this page does not print a timetable. Use the GO trip planner for your own date before you commit, and note the last return train when you plan an evening at the lit-up Falls.

Where You Board

Trains leave from Union Station, at the bottom of Toronto's downtown, on Front Street. The station is also the meeting point for some coach tours, including the Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake Tour, which boards at the south entrance at Maple Leaf Square. That makes Union Station a place you may visit more than once on a Toronto trip, so it is worth knowing your way around.

Fares Are Distance-based

GO fares are not flat. The price depends on the distance you travel and on how you pay: you tap on and off with a PRESTO card or a contactless credit or debit card. This page does not quote a fare, because your figure depends on your payment method and the current distance rate.

The practical advice is simple. Put your origin and destination into the GO fare calculator and it will show the exact price for your trip before you travel. Do the same in the trip planner for the departure and return times on your own day. There is also a GO plus WEGO combo ticket that bundles the train with local WEGO bus travel in Niagara Falls, sold by GO Transit and Niagara Parks, which can tidy the two purchases into one.

The Station's Location Matters

Niagara Falls GO station is in the north of the city, away from the Falls themselves. That is the single biggest difference between the train and a tour: a tour coach drops you at Table Rock or another parkway stop, while the train leaves you with one more transfer to arrange. It is not a difficult transfer, but you should plan it and budget for it rather than assuming the Falls are outside the station door.

WEGO Pass Prices

WEGO buses link the Falls, Clifton Hill, the attractions along the Niagara Parkway and the Niagara Falls train station. A 24-hour pass costs C$16 (about $11.30) for an adult and C$12 for a child aged 3 to 12. A 48-hour pass costs C$20 (about $14.10) for an adult and C$16 for a child.

If you stay overnight, the 48-hour pass changes the math, because your return train the next day can follow a slower, fuller day. If you are on a day trip, the 24-hour pass is the one you want.

What the WEGO Reaches

The WEGO network covers the main Canadian-side sights: Table Rock at the Horseshoe Falls, Clifton Hill, the Niagara Parkway attractions and the transfer hub at Falls Parking. That means your train and WEGO ticket set gets you to the boat dock, to Journey Behind the Falls, and to stops such as the White Water Walk without a car or a taxi.

The Boat Cruise

Niagara City Cruises, the boat formerly called Hornblower, runs the 20-minute Voyage to the Falls from the Canadian dock into the Horseshoe Falls basin. An adult ticket is C$47.95 (about $33.85), or C$54.18 (about $38.25) with the 13% HST added. A child aged 3 to 12 pays C$32.95, and children 2 and under ride free. Every ticket includes a recyclable poncho.

The boat is seasonal, running roughly April to November. If you travel by train in the winter months, plan around the swap and check our guide to the Niagara Falls boat tour for the detail.

Journey Behind the Falls and Other Tickets

Journey Behind the Falls costs C$33 (about $23.30) for an adult and C$21.50 for a child aged 3 to 12, with children 2 and under free. It is open every day of the year and takes about 60 minutes, so it is the reliable winter substitute for the boat.

Farther along the parkway, the White Water Walk costs C$21 (about $14.80) for an adult and the Whirlpool Aero Car C$25 (about $17.65), both running April to November. The Butterfly Conservatory costs C$25 (about $17.65). Niagara Parks also sells combined passes: the Adventure Pass Plus at C$90 plus tax, which includes Journey Behind the Falls and the White Water Walk among others, and the Wonder Pass at C$65. The contents change by season, so check niagaraparks.com before buying. The Skylon Tower's own ticket price is not printed on its official page, so no figure is given here.

Side by Side

The train wins on independence and loses on transfers. Driving wins on schedule control and loses to parking and traffic. A tour wins on simplicity and loses on fixed hours.

Note that on most tours the lowest price buys only the coach seat, the guide and free time, and the boat is an upgrade or a cash purchase from the guide.

The One Line on Distance

Union Station to Table Rock at the Horseshoe Falls is 131 km by the QEW, about 1 hour 40 minutes with no traffic. The full drive picture, including when the QEW queues, is in our guide to how far is Niagara Falls from Toronto.

The Train's Advantages

The train suits three kinds of traveler. First, the budget traveler: the GO fare plus the C$16 (about $11.30) WEGO pass and self-bought tickets usually beats a tour once you would have paid for upgrade packages anyway. Second, the flexible traveler: you choose how long to stand at Table Rock, when to eat and whether to add the White Water Walk, with no coach waiting.

Third, the late stayer: if a return train exists for your evening, you can stay for the illumination, which starts at dusk every night of the year, and in the fireworks season the fireworks go up at 10:00 PM nightly from May 15 to October 12, weather permitting.

Where a Tour Wins

A tour suits you if the day is fixed, if you would rather not handle three ticket purchases, or if you want a licensed guide's commentary between stops. A coach also collects you from downtown pickup points, so there is no transfer at the Niagara end. Remember the honest catch: on most tours the from price buys the seat, the guide and free time only, and the boat and Journey Behind the Falls are paid upgrades.

Only a few tours, such as the Niagara Falls Premium Small Group Tour at $136.45, put the boat and Journey in the base price.

A Caution About Weekday Trains

The weekday cutbacks to the Niagara service mean a midweek train day is riskier than a weekend one. Check the return times first, and if the last useful train leaves before the Falls are lit, a tour with an evening option, like the Niagara Falls Evening Tour with Boat, Journey, Dinner & Fireworks, does that job better.