First 24 Hours

🛟 Toronto Survival

Toronto is one of the safer big cities in North America, but it has its own quirks: 13% sales tax that's not in quoted prices, tipping on the pre-tax subtotal, contactless-everywhere payments, and an eTA you may have forgotten to apply for. This page is the first 24 hours, condensed.

Emergency Numbers

Save These Now

All emergencies
911
Police · fire · ambulance
Non-emergency police
416-808-2222
Toronto Police
Telehealth Ontario
811
24/7 nurse line
Beck Taxi
416-751-5555
Local cab dispatch
Don't have travel insurance? An ambulance ride in Ontario for non-residents is ~CA$240. An ER visit without OHIP can run US$1,000+. Get insurance before you fly. Most credit cards include basic medical for trips under 21 days — check the fine print.

Payments

Tap, Don't Cash

Toronto is one of the most cashless big cities anywhere. PIN-and-tap is universal, contactless limit was raised to CA$250, and Apple Pay / Google Pay work everywhere — including all TTC vehicles. Pull cash from an ATM only for cash-only food trucks or street performers.

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Tap limit CA$250
Above CA$250 you'll insert + PIN. Most card readers accept any contactless Visa/Mastercard/Amex regardless of issuer.
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Apple/Google Pay
Universal acceptance. Works on TTC turnstiles, taxis, restaurants, even most food trucks. No transaction limit when it's a phone wallet.
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Cash rarely needed
Tipping at hotels, certain markets, parking meters that haven't been upgraded. Pull CA$100 from an airport ATM and that should cover the trip.
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ATMs
Use bank-branded machines (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC). Avoid white-label ATMs in convenience stores — fees CA$3.50–5 plus your home bank's foreign fee.

Tipping & Tax

The Math

Sales tax is added at the till — 13% HST on almost everything except basic groceries. Quoted prices are pre-tax. Tip on the pre-tax subtotal even though terminals often default to post-tax tipping.

🍽️
Sit-down restaurants
18–20% on pre-tax subtotal. Card terminals often present 18/20/22% on the post-tax total — manually adjust to pre-tax if you care.
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Bartenders
CA$1–2 per drink, or 15–18% on a full tab. Tipping the bartender directly buys you faster service all night.
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Hotel housekeeping
CA$3–5 per night, left on the pillow daily (cleaners rotate). Bellman CA$2 per bag.
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Cabs / Uber
10–15%. Uber app prompts a default — bump to 15% if the driver helped with bags or recommended a route.
HST math: Ontario HST is 13% — that CA$45 menu price becomes CA$50.85 with tax. Then 18% tip on the pre-tax CA$45 = CA$8.10. Final total ~CA$59. Mentally add ~30% to any quoted menu price for the all-in.

Getting Around

Transit & Rideshare

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TTC Open Payments
Tap any contactless credit card, phone, or PRESTO card on the reader. Single fare CA$3.35. 2-hour transfer is unlimited rides on TTC. Day Pass CA$13.50.
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UP Express to airport
Union Station to Pearson Terminal 1, ~25 min, every 15 min. CA$12.35 adult one-way with PRESTO; CA$13.05 single-use. Way faster than CA$60+ taxi.
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GO Transit (regional)
Links the GTA. Exhibition GO is one stop from Union Station and adjacent to BMO Field — your match-day workhorse.
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Uber / Lyft / cabs
Uber, Lyft, Uber Black operate citywide. Local cabs: Beck (416-751-5555), Co-Op (416-504-2667). Surge near BMO Field hits 4–6× post-match — walk a few blocks first.

eTA + Customs

Visa Rules

Visa-exempt nationals (UK, EU, Australia, NZ, Japan, etc.) need an eTA. CA$7, takes a few minutes online at canada.ca/eta. Apply before flying — airlines won't board you without one. US citizens are exempt (passport only).
Mexican nationals: as of Feb 2024, Mexicans need an eTA only if they hold a current Canadian visa or US non-immigrant visa. Otherwise a TRV (full visitor visa) is required. Verify at IRCC before booking.
Customs allowance: 1.5L wine OR 1.14L spirits OR 24×355mL beer; 200 cigarettes; CA$60 in gifts. Declare match tickets on the kiosk if asked — tournament tickets are exempt from duty.

Etiquette & Safety

Don't Be That Guy

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Queues + door-holding
Canadians queue religiously, hold doors for strangers, apologize reflexively. Match the energy. Cutting a line is the closest thing to a public sin.
🇨🇦
"Canada is part of the US"
Don't joke about it. Even ironically. The 2024–25 political climate made this a third-rail joke. Toronto bars will go quiet if you try.
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Scams (low overall)
Fake-charity clipboard squads at Yonge–Dundas Square; "broken phone" hustle; pickpocketing on the 504 King streetcar during games. Otherwise extremely low scam rate.
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Cannabis
Federally legal, 19+. Buy at OCS / licensed dispensaries — they're everywhere. No smoking on stadium grounds or in indoor public spaces. Don't carry across the US border, ever.
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Tap water
Excellent — Toronto's tap water consistently rates among the best in North America. Free refill stations in most parks and at City Hall. Skip the bottled water.
🤝
Addressing strangers
"Excuse me" works universally; first names once introduced. "Sir/ma'am" is uncommon and reads as either military or southern-US-affected. Keep it light.
Conflict resolution: Torontonians de-escalate by going quiet. If a conversation gets tense, the local move is to nod, change topics, and walk away. Pushing back hard is read as American-style aggression. Match the rhythm.

Multi-City Planning

Beyond Toronto

Multi-City Planning from Toronto

Toronto (BMO Field) is Canada's primary host city — Canada opens vs. Bosnia Herzegovina here on June 12. Vancouver is the other Canadian host (BC Place), about 4.5 hours by flight. Fans crossing between Canada and the US need separate entry documentation for each country (US visa or ESTA + Canadian eTA/visa independently). Toronto to New York is about 1.5 hours by flight.