Billy Bishop Airport Guide: Tunnel, Ferry & Downtown Access
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) sits on the Toronto Islands directly opposite the foot of Bathurst Street, which makes it the only major Canadian airport where the city skyline is your taxiway view — and the only one you enter by walking under the water or floating over it. Crossing the channel takes minutes via the pedestrian tunnel or the short ferry, and downtown's hotels are just 2.8 km from the mainland ferry terminal. This guide covers the two crossings, what to expect landing and departing, how to get anywhere in the GTA from the island airport, and when YTZ genuinely beats Pearson for a Toronto trip.
Where Billy Bishop actually is — and why that is the point
YTZ occupies the western tip of the Toronto Islands, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel at the foot of Bathurst Street, a few minutes' drive from the downtown core. The airport handles short-haul regional flights, and its entire appeal is compression: land, cross the channel, and you can plausibly be at a downtown meeting before a Pearson arrival on the same schedule has cleared the 427.
The mainland side of the operation is at Eireann Quay, where the tunnel entrance, the ferry dock and the ground-transport pickups all cluster. Everything about the airport is small and quick by design — which is exactly why business travellers and downtown-bound visitors love it, and why the one unusual step, the water crossing, is worth understanding before you fly.
The tunnel: the default way across
The pedestrian tunnel is how most travellers cross today. Elevators (with escalators and moving walkways along the route) carry you down on the mainland side, a level corridor runs beneath the channel, and you rise directly into the terminal — the walk takes only a few minutes, it is fully indoors, and it runs independent of weather, which in a Toronto February is not a small thing.
The tunnel's other virtue is predictability: there is no schedule, no queue for a boat, just a steady walk at your own pace with luggage rolling beside you. If you are timing a tight departure, the tunnel is the crossing you can plan to the minute.
The ferry: the ninety-odd-second alternative
The ferry that shuttles across the channel is famously one of the shortest scheduled crossings anywhere — the ride itself lasts barely longer than the docking at either end. It runs frequently from Eireann Quay, carries passengers and authorized vehicles, and for first-time visitors it is honestly part of the experience: a minute on the water with the skyline on one side and float planes on the other.
Practically, choose the ferry when you enjoy it or when you are directed to it, and the tunnel when you are optimizing. Both land you at the same small terminal; neither takes long enough to change your travel math meaningfully. The real timing question at YTZ is not the crossing — it is the ground leg on the mainland side.
Getting downtown from YTZ — short ride, honest pricing
Downtown hotels sit about 2.8 km from the airport's mainland doors — one of the shortest airport transfers in the country. With us, a sedan from Billy Bishop to a downtown hotel quotes from $132.91 all-in and an SUV from $194.01, and it is fair to ask why such a short hop is not priced like a five-dollar errand: short trips are governed by per-vehicle minimum fares, and every airport pickup carries the $15.27 airport fee, already inside the quoted total. What you are buying is not distance — it is a chauffeur, tracked to your flight, waiting on your landing.
That structure pays off the moment anything is nonstandard: a winter arrival, a client you want met properly (meet & greet, +$65, puts your chauffeur inside arrivals with a name sign), luggage for a two-week trip, or a landing that slips — the pickup follows the actual arrival, because we collect the flight number on every airport pickup. Book at /ride/ and the instant quote shows the exact total for your address.
Beyond the core: North York and the wider GTA
YTZ is not only a downtown airport. For anyone headed uptown or beyond, a chauffeured car is the practical option, because the island airport has no rail link of its own — from Billy Bishop to North York, a 28 km run up the DVP or Allen corridor depending on your address, a sedan quotes from $132.91 all-in and an SUV from $194.01, with a Sprinter Van from $491.01 for groups up to eleven.
Notice those figures match the downtown-hotel fares despite ten times the distance — that is the minimum-fare floor doing its honest work: short and mid-length trips both sit on it, and only longer runs price by distance. Wherever you are headed, the quote at /ride/ compares every vehicle side by side, and drop-offs TO the airport quote a little lower than pickups, because the $15.27 airport fee applies to pickups only.
YTZ or Pearson: when the island airport wins
Choose Billy Bishop when your itinerary allows it and your destination is central: for downtown meetings, harbourfront hotels and quick regional hops, the compression is unbeatable — minutes from wheels-down to the core, no 400-series highways involved. Its limits are the flip side of its charm: a short-haul route map and a small terminal, so long-haul and most international itineraries still mean Pearson.
The good news is you do not have to optimize alone. We serve both airports (plus Hamilton and Buffalo) with the same fleet, the same flight tracking and the same all-in pricing — compare vehicles at /fleet/, and for the broader which-airport question, our comparison guide covers YYZ, YTZ and YHM in detail. Book online three or more hours ahead, or call (416) 200-5070 for anything closer.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get across to Billy Bishop airport?
Two ways: the pedestrian tunnel — a few minutes, fully indoors, with elevators, escalators and moving walkways — or the short ferry from Eireann Quay at the foot of Bathurst Street, one of the shortest scheduled crossings anywhere. Both reach the same terminal.
How far is Billy Bishop from downtown Toronto hotels?
About 2.8 km from the airport's mainland entrance — one of the shortest airport transfers in Canada. A chauffeured sedan quotes from $132.91 all-in and an SUV from $194.01, minimum fare and the $15.27 airport pickup fee included.
Why does a 2.8 km airport ride cost $132.91?
Short trips are priced by per-vehicle minimum fares rather than distance, and airport pickups include the $15.27 airport fee. The fare buys a professional chauffeur tracked to your flight and waiting on your actual landing — not kilometres.
Can I get a car from Billy Bishop to North York or the suburbs?
Yes — the island airport serves the whole GTA by road. Billy Bishop to North York (28 km) quotes from $132.91 all-in for a sedan, $194.01 for an SUV and $491.01 for a Sprinter Van seating up to eleven. The quote at /ride/ prices your exact address.
Is there meet & greet at Billy Bishop?
Yes — meet & greet (+$65) is available on airport pickups, with your chauffeur waiting inside arrivals holding a name sign. With a terminal this compact, connecting with your chauffeur takes moments.
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