For the National Bank Open in Toronto, a chauffeur drives you to Sobeys Stadium on York University's Keele campus: about 23 km and 25 to 45 minutes from downtown, about 20 km and 20 to 30 minutes from Pearson. For night sessions most fans book an hourly chauffeur who waits until the last ball. Book your tennis-day car and see the fixed fare before you confirm.
National Bank Open Toronto: getting to the tennis by chauffeur
The National Bank Open is Canada's big summer tennis tournament, held each year in Toronto and Montreal, with the men's and women's events alternating between the two cities. In Toronto it is played at Sobeys Stadium, the tennis centre on York University's campus in the city's north-west. The official National Bank Open site shows which tour is in Toronto, the session schedule and the ticket rules; the tournament usually runs from the end of July into mid-August, and the site already lists the 2027 dates. TorontoBlackLimousine.com drives fans, corporate hosts, players' families and media to the stadium for day and night sessions, and most of them book the hourly chauffeur service so the car is there when the match ends, whenever that turns out to be.
Where is Sobeys Stadium?
Sobeys Stadium sits on the Keele campus of York University, close to Highway 407 and Highway 400, north of the 401 and west of Keele Street. The campus is large and its internal roads are busy during tournament week, so the stadium and university set specific drop-off, parking and ride-share arrangements for the event. Your chauffeur follows the current tournament plan, uses the designated drop-off closest to the gates and agrees a pickup point with you before you go in. We do not promise a particular gate. Our page on university and hospital campuses covers York and other campuses in general.
How far is Sobeys Stadium from downtown Toronto and Pearson?
| Starting point | Distance to Sobeys Stadium | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Toronto (Union Station area) | about 23 km | 25 to 45 minutes |
| Yorkville and Midtown | about 18 km | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Toronto Pearson (YYZ) | about 20 km | 20 to 30 minutes |
| North York Centre | about 9 km | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Vaughan Metropolitan Centre | about 8 km | 10 to 20 minutes |
| Mississauga (Square One area) | about 30 km | 25 to 40 minutes |
| Markham | about 30 km | 25 to 40 minutes |
Weekday afternoons on the 401 and the Allen Road slow everything down, so allow more time for a session that starts in rush hour. The exact fixed fare for your address, date and vehicle appears in the reservation engine.
Which route does the chauffeur take?
From downtown the usual line is north on the Allen Road or the Don Valley Parkway to the 401, then up Keele Street or the 400 to the campus; from Pearson, the 427 and 407 or the 401 and 400 are the quickest options most days. Your chauffeur checks Ontario 511 before leaving and picks the route on the day. Summer construction is a fact of life on Toronto highways, and on tournament days the campus approaches can queue, so the chauffeur may drop you at a different designated point from the one you used the day before if that is what the event plan says.
Day sessions and night sessions
Tennis does not run to a clock. A day session can finish early with straight sets or stretch into the evening with long matches, and night sessions regularly end late. That uncertainty is why a single one-way ride home is risky: when 10,000 fans leave at once, app cars are scarce and surge pricing appears. With an hourly booking the chauffeur parks nearby and waits until you message. The minimum is three hours for sedans, SUVs and Sprinters; a single session plus the drive both ways usually needs four to six. If you are staying for both sessions, book the whole day.
TTC, driving yourself or a chauffeur?
The TTC subway reaches the campus at York University station on Line 1, which makes transit a sensible option for fans travelling light from along the Yonge-University line. Driving yourself means campus parking and a slow exit after the evening session. A chauffeur is the comfortable choice for hospitality guests, families, visitors staying downtown or in Yorkville, anyone coming from Pearson, and fans who want a drink with the tennis and a reliable ride home after a late night match.
A night-session timeline
Night sessions are where a chauffeur earns the booking. A typical plan from downtown: pickup in the late afternoon allowing for weekday traffic on the 401, a drop at the designated area with time to find your seats and dinner at the venue, and the chauffeur parked nearby through the evening. If a match goes to a third-set tiebreak and the second match starts late, you simply stay; the hourly booking extends in 30-minute blocks by message. When you leave, walk to the agreed pickup point, and you are back downtown with the highways quiet.
Book early for the semi-finals and final
The last days of the tournament, and especially the final weekend, are the busiest for tickets, hotels and cars alike. Book the car when you buy your tickets, and if you are flying in, add flights and the hotel through the travel desk at the same time. Sprinters and multi-car corporate days should be booked furthest ahead. The cancellation policy is simple: free more than 72 hours before pickup.
Corporate hospitality and client days at the tennis
Tournament week is a classic client-entertainment day, with suites and hospitality packages sold by the organisers. For companies, the polished way to host is one coordinated set of black cars collecting guests from Bay Street offices and downtown hotels, arriving together, and taking each guest home afterwards. Our corporate car service handles account billing and guest lists, and VIP event transportation covers multi-car days. A first-class sedan for a senior client or a first-class executive Sprinter for a team keeps the conversation going on the way.
Which vehicle for the tennis?
- One or two fans: a business sedan or the electric Tesla Model Y.
- A senior client: the first-class sedan.
- A family of up to six: the business SUV or premier luxury SUV.
- Up to seven colleagues: the executive Sprinter.
- Up to twelve: the Sprinter luxury van.
- A club or company group: a partner coach, priced in writing by a coordinator.
Visitors flying in for tournament week
Tennis fans come from across Canada and the U.S. for the tournament. Your chauffeur tracks your flight into Toronto Pearson, waits in the pre-arranged pickup area at the arrivals curb (meet and greet inside arrivals is an optional add-on at booking), and drives you to your hotel or straight to the stadium, only 20 km or so away. Included waiting is 30 minutes after landing on Canadian domestic and U.S. flights and 60 minutes on other international arrivals. Our travel desk can arrange hotels and flights for the week.
Where to stay for the National Bank Open
There are two sensible bases. Downtown or in Yorkville you get restaurants and nightlife, with a 25 to 45 minute ride to the stadium. North York and Vaughan put you much closer to the campus. Our pages on North York and Vaughan hotels and Yorkville hotels cover transfers from both areas, and North York car service and Vaughan car service explain local runs. Whichever you choose, the chauffeur can do the daily stadium run and a dinner reservation on the same booking.
Players' families, coaches and media
Tournament week also brings players' families, coaching teams, agents and media to Toronto, often with tight schedules between hotels, practice times, interviews and dinners. A private chauffeur on standby for the day, or a car on call for several days, keeps them moving without relying on shuttles. Discretion is part of the job: chauffeurs do not discuss passengers, post about them or pick up anyone not on the booking. Our private chauffeur service explains how all-day standby works.
Summer heat, storms and rain delays
Tournament week falls in the hottest part of Toronto's summer. Bring water, hats and sunscreen; the chauffeur keeps the car cool and stocked with water for the ride. Thunderstorms can stop play, and rain delays can stretch a night session well past its expected finish. With an hourly booking the delay is covered: message the chauffeur if you decide to leave, and extend in 30-minute blocks if you decide to stay. Nobody is waiting outside in the rain for an app car that keeps cancelling.
Families, children and accessibility
Child seats (infant, convertible and booster) are available at booking; give ages and weights so the right seats are fitted before pickup. Younger fans often last one session, so families sometimes book a shorter morning or afternoon block and let parents decide on the day whether to extend. Passengers who use a wheelchair or walker and can transfer to a seat ride comfortably; the chauffeur stows the mobility aid. We have a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for anyone who must stay seated in a wheelchair or scooter, available when booked in advance.
Making a day of it in the north end
The campus sits within easy reach of north-end attractions, so a tennis day can include more. Before an afternoon session you can shop at Yorkdale or visit Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan with the children, or stop at Black Creek Pioneer Village, right next to the university. On an hourly booking each stop is just one more message to the chauffeur.
What does the fare include?
No prices appear on this site. The reservation engine shows your fixed, all-in fare before you confirm, covering chauffeur, vehicle, fuel and gratuity, with HST shown separately. What changes it: the vehicle, the hours, the pickup address and the date; final weekend sessions book up first. Cancellation follows the sitewide rule: free more than 72 hours out, 10 per cent at 72 hours or less, 50 per cent at 48 hours or less, and the full fare at 24 hours or less or on a no-show.
Other summer events we drive to
Tennis week sits in a packed summer: the Indy race weekend in Markham, the CNE at Exhibition Place, golf at the RBC Canadian Open and baseball at Blue Jays games. The complete calendar is on our events page.
