Union Station to Scotiabank Arena: walk, PATH or car?

People who type "Union Station to Scotiabank Arena" into a search bar are usually arriving by train for a Maple Leafs game, a Raptors game or a concert and want to know if they will make puck drop. You will: it is one of the shortest connections in the city. Our Union Station car service page covers rides to and from the station; this post explains the walk honestly, and then the parts of an arena night where a car really earns its place.

How do you get from Union Station to Scotiabank Arena?

On foot, mostly indoors. Metrolinx's own guide to getting to Scotiabank Arena from Union Station gives about 2 to 3 minutes from the Bay Concourse and 3 to 5 minutes from the York Concourse. Inside the station, follow the overhead signs for Scotiabank Arena; the route connects through the PATH, Toronto's underground walkway, so you can arrive without stepping outside. The City's PATH page has maps of the wider network.

If you are coming off a GO train, you are already almost there. If you are coming off the UP Express at the west end of the station, add a few minutes to cross to the Bay side. On a game night the corridors are busy, but they move.

Is there any reason to take a car between Union and the arena?

For the hop itself, almost never. Even a guest with a cane is usually better served by the indoor route than by a car crawling along Bay Street in pre-game traffic. The exceptions are a passenger who cannot manage the walk at all, or a group arriving at Union with luggage on the way to a hotel, who drop their bags first.

The car question is really about the rest of the evening: getting downtown from Oakville, Markham or Pearson, getting home after the final whistle when a full arena empties at once, or moving a group of clients between dinner, the arena and a hotel.

How long before the game should I arrive at Union?

Work back from the start time. Doors usually open well before puck drop or tip-off, and security lines at the entrances are slowest in the final 30 minutes. Plan to come up from the platform 45 to 60 minutes before the start. That leaves time for the walk, security, a drink and finding your seats. Check the arena's getting here page and your ticket for entrance details on the night.

If your GO train is the last one that gets you there on time, take the one before. Missing the anthem because a train held at a signal is a common game-night story.

When does a car to the arena make sense from outside downtown?

When the trip is longer than the walk and the group is bigger than one. Planning figures to the arena area:

On game nights add time. The Gardiner ramps at York and Bay, Lake Shore Boulevard and Front Street all slow down in the hour before an event, and a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre on the same evening makes it worse.

What does a full game night look like for a family from Markham?

A family of five, Leafs game at 7:00 p.m. on a Saturday:

1. 5:15 p.m.: an SUV collects everyone at home in Markham. Markham to the arena area is about 35 km, 30 to 45 minutes, plus pre-game traffic.
2. 6:05 p.m.: drop-off a short walk from the arena, on the side the chauffeur chose to avoid the Gardiner ramps.
3. 6:10 to 9:45 p.m.: the game. On an hourly booking the car waits nearby; on two one-way bookings it leaves and returns.
4. 9:45 p.m.: the final horn. The family walks a few minutes to the texted spot while the crowd heads for Union.
5. 10:00 p.m.: away home, with the children asleep before the 404.

Nobody drove, nobody parked and nobody stood on a platform with a tired eight-year-old.

Train in, car home: is that the best combination?

For many suburban fans, yes. The GO train in avoids pre-game traffic and parking. The car home avoids the post-game platform crush and the walk from a suburban station to your door at midnight. Book the car for a time 20 to 30 minutes after the expected finish and tell us the event; the chauffeur will wait a few blocks from the arena, away from the worst of the traffic, and text you exactly where.

Our post on a Scotiabank Arena concert exit plan goes deeper on the end-of-night choreography.

Where does the chauffeur meet you after the game?

Not at the arena doors. Streets around the arena are crowded and often controlled by police after an event, so the chauffeur picks a legal stopping point a short walk away, usually north of Front Street or east toward Yonge, depending on closures that night. You walk a few minutes, through the PATH if it is cold, and find a car that is already waiting.

Agree a backup with your group before the event: a hotel lobby nearby, or a corner, in case phones die. Fifteen minutes of waiting is included on a timed pickup, then 15-minute blocks, and you are messaged before extra time begins.

When is the hourly chauffeur the better booking?

When the arena is one stop in a longer evening. A typical corporate night: pick up clients at a Financial District office at 5:30, dinner nearby, the game at 7:00, a nightcap after, and drop-offs at three hotels. Our hourly chauffeur service keeps one car and one chauffeur for a 3-hour minimum, with extra time in 30-minute blocks. The car waits during the game, coats and bags stay in it, and nobody hunts for a ride after the final buzzer. For overtime or an encore, the booking simply runs on.

Which vehicle suits an arena night?

For two people, a business sedan or a first-class sedan for clients. Four to six fans fit an SUV or a premier luxury SUV. Office outings and birthday groups of up to twelve fit a Sprinter luxury van, which keeps everyone together for the drive home to different suburbs. Stretch limousines and party buses come from vetted partner operators, with a 4-hour minimum for stretches and 4 to 5 hours for party buses.

What about fans with limited mobility?

The indoor walk is short but crowded. For a fan who uses a wheelchair or a walker, the calmest plan is often a car straight to the arena area at a quieter time, before the crowd builds, rather than a train at peak hour. We have a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for anyone who must stay seated in a wheelchair or scooter, available when booked in advance: chauffeurs fold and stow wheelchairs and walkers for passengers who can transfer to a seat. Contact the arena about accessible entrances and seating before the night.

Does winter or bad weather change the plan?

Winter is when the indoor route earns its keep. From Union, the PATH keeps you out of the wind and slush all the way to the arena. The drive into downtown is the part that slows: snow on the Gardiner, the DVP or the 401 can add 15 to 30 minutes, so leave earlier and let the chauffeur choose the line after checking Ontario 511. Our cars run winter tires from November to April. After the game, the chauffeur picks a spot you can reach through the PATH or under cover where possible, and keeps the car warm. Bring gloves anyway; the last few metres to any car are outdoors.

Which mistakes do fans make around Union and the arena?

• Driving downtown to park. Garages near the arena fill early and empty slowly.
• Booking a pickup at the final whistle. The car cannot reach the doors; give it 20 to 30 minutes and a nearby spot.
• Cutting the train too fine. Take the earlier train.
• Exiting Union on the wrong side. Follow the arena signs, not the crowd heading to Front Street.
• No meeting point for the group. Agree one before anyone has a drink.

How do the options compare for an arena night?

Can you combine an arena night with a hotel stay?

Plenty of fans from Hamilton, Niagara or Kingston make a night of it: arrive by VIA or GO, check into a hotel, walk to the arena and go home the next morning. Our entertainment district hotels page covers the hotels around the arena and the Rogers Centre. For visitors from further away, our travel desk can book the hotel and flights, and the car on the same plan. The schedules and tickets themselves live with the teams: the Maple Leafs and the Raptors.

What does the fare include, and how do I book?

The reservation engine shows a fixed fare before you confirm: chauffeur, vehicle, fuel and gratuity, with HST shown separately, and no surge on event nights. Book on any page or at the booking page; for an evening with several stops, choose "hourly". Our Scotiabank Arena games and concerts page covers event nights at the arena in full. Cancellation runs from the scheduled pickup: free more than 72 hours before, 10 % at 72 hours or less, 50 % at 48 hours or less, and 100 % at 24 hours or less or on a no-show.

Book your arena night chauffeur