A Pearson international arrivals pickup service tracks your flight, starts the clock on actual landing and includes 60 minutes of waiting for international arrivals while you clear CBSA and collect bags. You then meet the chauffeur at the terminal's pre-arranged pickup area on the arrivals curb, or inside with a name board if you add meet and greet at booking. Downtown Toronto is about 27 km, 25–45 minutes away.
How does a Pearson international arrivals pickup service work?
You book the car with your flight number. Dispatch tracks the flight from departure, so a late take-off in London or a strong tailwind from Frankfurt moves the pickup automatically. When the aircraft lands, included waiting begins: 60 minutes for international arrivals, 30 minutes for Canadian domestic and US flights. Our Pearson terminal pickup guide covers the layout of both terminals; this post follows one passenger from the aircraft door to the back seat, with the timings our dispatchers actually see. Pearson's pre-arranged services page confirms how pre-booked cars meet passengers: at a designated pickup area on the arrivals-level curb.
What happens between landing and the curb?
Four stages, each with its own pace:
- Taxi and deplane: 10 to 25 minutes from touchdown to the aircraft door, longer if the gate is busy or you are bused from a remote stand.
- Walk and border inspection: the walk to the hall, then CBSA primary inspection, using kiosks or eGates where offered, then an officer.
- Baggage: bags from a widebody can take 20 to 40 minutes after the hall opens to arrive on the carousel.
- Exit: through the final checkpoint and out to arrivals, where the chauffeur meets you at the pickup area or, with meet and greet, inside.
Most international passengers reach the curb 45 to 75 minutes after landing. Busy afternoons, when several long-haul flights arrive together, push that longer.
How long do different arrivals usually take?
Typical planning ranges our dispatchers use, measured from actual landing to the passenger reaching the car. These are planning figures, not promises.
| Arrival scenario | Typical time to the car | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic flight, carry-on only | 15–25 min | No border processing |
| US flight, checked bag | 30–50 min | Canadian border processing on arrival |
| European flight, mid-morning, one bag | 45–70 min | Moderate queues |
| Asian or Middle East widebody, afternoon peak | 60–100 min | Several big flights together |
| Family with car seats and four cases | Add 15–20 min | Carts, children, oversized items |
| Secondary inspection or a missing bag | Unpredictable | Message the chauffeur, the car stays |
Why are 60 minutes of waiting included for international flights?
Because the border and the bags are outside anyone's control, and we would rather build that into the fare than charge you for a slow carousel. The included time starts when the aircraft lands, not when it was scheduled to land, so an early arrival is not a penalty and a late one costs nothing. After 60 minutes, waiting is added in 15-minute blocks, and the chauffeur sends a message before any extra time begins. On a known problem, such as a long queue, a lost bag claim or a secondary inspection, a quick message lets the car simply wait. Nobody drives away from a passenger still inside the terminal.
How can you speed up the border?
The Canada Border Services Agency runs the inspection, and it explains what to declare and which documents to carry. A few habits help:
- Complete the CBSA Advance Declaration in advance where it is offered for your airport; it can save time at the kiosk or eGate.
- Keep passports, visas or travel authorisations, and the address where you are staying, in one pocket.
- Declare food, plants, large sums of money and gifts honestly; undeclared items lead to delays and penalties.
- Members of NEXUS have their own lane; our post on NEXUS at Pearson explains how much it helps.
Where exactly does the chauffeur meet international passengers?
By default, at the terminal's pre-arranged pickup area on the arrivals curb. Once you are through the final exit, follow the signs for pre-arranged pickups, tell the pickup-area staff you are waiting for a pre-arranged ride, and the chauffeur brings the car up. The chauffeur's text, sent once your flight lands, gives the car, plate and the exact spot. We do not print door numbers here, because Pearson changes signage and zones; the text on the day is the reliable source. Meet and greet inside the arrivals hall, with a name board, is an optional add-on available at booking. Our post on Pearson meet and greet shows how the handover works.
What if your phone does not work after landing?
This is the most common reason a pickup takes longer than it should. Before you fly, check whether your plan works in Canada, or arrange an eSIM. If you have no service, connect to the airport Wi-Fi in the hall and message the number in your confirmation. The chauffeur also has your flight number and will follow the arrival record. Give a local contact in the booking notes if a relative or colleague can relay messages. If all else fails, walk to the pre-arranged pickup area and tell the staff you are waiting for a pre-arranged ride; they can help you find the car.
Is meet and greet worth adding for international arrivals?
For many long-haul passengers, yes. It makes the most sense for first-time visitors to Canada, older parents travelling alone, guests with limited English, unaccompanied executives you are hosting and families juggling children, a stroller and several suitcases. The chauffeur waits inside arrivals with a name board and walks you to the car, taking the cart. Frequent travellers who know Pearson usually prefer curbside pickup, which is faster because the car is brought up as they walk out. Meet and greet is available at booking; the engine shows it before you confirm.
What vehicle should you book after a long-haul flight?
Book for the luggage you will actually carry, which on an international trip is usually more than on the way out. Two travellers with two large cases fit a business sedan. Anyone who wants to stretch out after a 13-hour flight may prefer a first-class sedan. A family of four with four checked cases and a stroller needs an SUV. A delegation or a returning tour group fits a Sprinter. Child seats, infant, convertible and booster, are available at booking and are installed before the car reaches the terminal.
Where are international passengers usually heading?
Downtown Toronto is about 27 km and 25 to 45 minutes from Pearson. Yorkville and Midtown are about 25 km, Markham about 40 km and 35 to 50 minutes, and Niagara Falls 130 km and 85 to 110 minutes. Many international visitors go straight to a hotel; see our pages on luxury hotels in Toronto and Pearson airport hotels for an overnight before a connection. Families arriving to reunite with relatives across the GTA will find our family arrivals page useful for coordinating several cars.
Can you go straight to meetings after an international flight?
You can, and an hourly chauffeur is the way to do it. The car meets you at Pearson, keeps your luggage in the trunk while you shower at a hotel or attend the first meeting, and moves you around Bay Street, Mississauga or Vaughan for the rest of the day. The minimum is three hours for sedans and SUVs, with extra time in 30-minute blocks. For a jet-lagged executive, a quiet back seat between appointments is worth a great deal, and nobody has to find a ride when a meeting runs over.
What does the fare include?
The fixed, all-in fare shown in the reservation engine covers the chauffeur, the vehicle, fuel, airport fees, gratuity, flight tracking and the included waiting, with HST shown separately. There is no meter and no surge. It changes with the vehicle class, the distance and drive time to your destination, extra stops, waiting beyond the included time, the date and season, and add-ons such as meet and greet or child seats. No prices appear on this site; the engine at /book/ shows your exact number, and our how our fares work page explains the structure.
What about late-night international arrivals?
Several long-haul flights land at Pearson in the evening and around midnight, and that is when a pre-booked car matters most. The train may not suit your arrival time, taxi queues build when delayed flights land together, and nobody wants to negotiate a ride after a night without sleep. Your chauffeur is already following the flight and waiting in the pre-arranged area. Highways are quiet late at night, so downtown is often closer to 25 minutes than 45. If you land very late before an early onward connection, an airport hotel overnight may be the better plan, and the same car can collect you in the morning.
Connecting to Billy Bishop or another airport?
Some international passengers land at Pearson and continue on a short-haul flight from Billy Bishop on the Toronto Island, about 30 km and 30 to 50 minutes across the city. Leave generous time: the border, bags and the cross-town drive all add up, and missing a separate-ticket connection is costly. Our Pearson to Billy Bishop route page explains the drive and the island drop-off at Eireann Quay; the Billy Bishop airport site lists current airlines and services. The car can also continue to Hamilton, Waterloo or Buffalo when that is where your next flight leaves.
Booking for someone else who is flying in
Many international pickups are booked by a relative in Toronto or an assistant for a visiting executive. Enter the passenger's name exactly as on the passport, the flight number and the passenger's mobile number including the country code. Add your own number as the booker. If the passenger will not have service, choose meet and greet so the chauffeur is inside with a name board. If you also need to book the passenger's flights or a hotel, our travel desk can arrange them. Confirmation and chauffeur details can go to both of you.
How do you book an international arrivals pickup?
- Open /book/ or press the floating Book now button.
- Choose an airport transfer from Pearson and enter the flight number and date.
- Add passengers, bags, child seats and meet and greet if wanted.
- Enter the destination address and any stops, then see the fixed fare.
- Confirm. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 72 hours or less costs 10 %, 48 hours or less 50 % and 24 hours or less 100 %.
