Travelling to Kingston

Kingston, Ontario, Canada is located approximately half-way in between Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec, about a three-hour drive from either. It is also about a two-hour drive from the nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario. Accessing Kingston from any of these three cities is easy, with various options including train, bus, and rental car. From the USA, Kingston is also accessible via car from two international airports across the boarder in Watertown, New York and Syracuse, New York. However, it is not possible to fly into Kingston’s airport, so travel will need to be arranged to one of these five airports with subsequent ground transport to Kingston.

Where to Fly

• If travelling from Canada or outside North America, the best options are to fly into one of Toronto Pearson, Montréal Trudeau, or Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International airports and then take ground transportation to Kingston. Toronto Pearson typically has the most and cheapest flights and the most ground transportation options, but Montréal Trudeau can also be a good option if you can time your arrival to take the train. Ottawa is a good option if you plan to rent a car.
• If travelling from the USA, the best options are to fly to one of those airports or to fly to Syracuse, NY or Watertown, NY and rent a car that you are allowed to drive across the border (many rental cars do not allow this, so do confirm in advance). Both airports are closer than the major Canadian airports and the drive is pleasant. If you are not travelling from the USA it is not advised to take this route as it will mean entering the USA before crossing into Canada by the land border.

A Simple Option: The Air Canada Bus

Although it is not possible to fly directly to Kingston, Air Canada operates buses from Toronto Pearson International Airport that act as the final leg of your ticket, driving to the Kingston airport. This has the advantage that you do not need to arrange for separate ground transportation to Kingston, and you can check into your flight in Kingston on your return journey. Air Canada takes responsibility for any delays, so you can feel confident you’ll make your flight. It can, however, be more expensive than simply arranging a bus or train from Toronto Pearson separately and the buses do not run very frequently, so they may not be convenient. Public transportation from Kingston airport is sparse, so taking a taxi or ride-share to your hotel is advised.

Ground Transportation to Kingston

Here we provide some directions from the nearby Canadian airports. If flying into Syracuse or Watertown, you’ll need to either rent a car that can be taken across the border or find a private shuttle.

From Toronto Pearson International Airport

• Train – Take the Union Pearson Express Train to Union Station in downtown Toronto (~30 min). From there, take Via Rail to Kingston (~2.5 hours). The Union Pearson Express train typically departs every 15 minutes and there are 13 scheduled trains from Union Station to Kingston on October 5. Via rail is comfortable and affordable if booked early, but the prices can rise quickly and the last train for Kingston leaves Union Station at about 6:30 pm. The Via Rail station is not close to downtown Kingston and city bus service to it is sparse, so taking a taxi or ride-share is advised. The main reason to opt for Via Rail over a bus is for the visit to Union Station in downtown Toronto and the views along the water.
• Bus – There are two bus options. Take either Flixbus or Megabus from Terminal 1 to Kingston (~3 hours). Both buses leave from the airport directly and stop at Queen’s University instead of the distant train station, so they are a rather simpler option than taking the train. If your hotel is downtown, Flixbus also stops in downtown Kingston, while Megabus stops at the Kingston Bus Terminal, which is not close to downtown. Both buses are comfortable and clean and ultimately cheaper than the train. The views from the highway are not as exciting as from the train, but you will get to experience North America’s busiest road without having to drive.
• Rental Car – Rental cars are inexpensive in Canada and enable further touristing away from the conference. However, there is no visitor or pre-arranged parking at the conference, and the drive on Highway 401 from Toronto Pearson to Kingston is the busiest highway corridor in North America and can be rather stressful to drive. One can avoid this traffic by taking the Highway 407 toll road, but be warned that this costs around $45 CAD for one trip.

From Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

• Train – Take the free Montréal-Trudeau Airport Shuttle to the Via Rail Montréal Dorval station (~20 min). Note that this is not the downtown Montréal station! From there, take Via Rail to Kingston (~2.5 hours). The shuttle to the Dorval station runs about once an hour and there are six departures scheduled for Kingston on October 5. Via Rail from Montréal is comfortable and affordable if booked early, but the prices can rise quickly and the last train for Kingston leaves Dorval Station at about 6:30 pm. The Via Rail station is not close to downtown Kingston and city bus service to it is sparse, so taking a taxi or ride-share is advised.
• Bus – To take a bus from Montréal Trudeau to Kingston requires first taking a city bus or taxi to downtown Montréal before boarding a Flixbus or Megabus to Kingston. Both buses stop at Queen’s University and Flixbus also stops in downtown Kingston, while Megabus stops at the Kingston Bus Terminal, which is not close to downtown. In general taking a bus from Montreal Trudeau is less convenient and similarly priced compared to taking Via Rail, so the only reason to do it is if your flight arrives too late to take the train.
• Rental Car – Rental cars are inexpensive in Canada and enable further touristing away from the conference. However, there is no visitor or pre-arranged parking at the conference. The drive from Montréal is not bad, however.

From Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport

• Train – Taking the train from Ottawa requires a multi-leg local train and/or bus ride to the Via Rail station that takes roughly 40-60 minutes or a taxi/ride-share (advised). From there, Via Rail has eight scheduled trains to Kingston on October 5 leaving as late as 6:00 pm (~2 hours). The Via Rail station is not close to downtown Kingston and city bus service to it is sparse, so taking a taxi or ride-share is advised. The unwieldy travel to the train station makes this less advisable.
• Bus – Megabus runs four buses a day from Ottawa airport to Kingston bus terminal (~3 hours). These are cheaper than the train and somewhat more convenient given they pick up from the airport. Be aware that Megabus stops at the Kingston Bus Terminal, which is not close to downtown.
• Rental Car – Given the challenges of taking a train or bus from Ottawa, a rental car can be a good option (~2 hours). If you are willing to add 30 minutes to your drive, take highway 15 to Smiths Falls and then cut over to Perth to get on highway 10 to Kingston and you will not be disappointed by the scenery. Be aware that there is no visitor or pre-arranged parking at the conference.