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Layover guideToronto · YYZ · YTZ

What to buy in Toronto

Thirteen per cent HST goes on at the till, and the customs quantity limits are tighter than most crew assume.

RizaCPH / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
All of Toronto

Ontario's HST is 13 per cent. A seller only has to make clear whether the tax is included in the price or added separately.

Retail stores that may sell liquor in Ontario can do so from 07:00 to 23:00, seven days a week. Delivery hours are 09:00 to 23:00. A 24-hour shop is still only allowed to sell alcohol inside those hours.

The quantity you can bring in before duty and taxes may apply is 1.5 litres of wine, or 1.14 litres of spirits, or 1.14 litres of wine and spirits, or 8.5 litres of beer or ale. You must be 19 to bring alcohol in through Ontario.

The tobacco allowance is 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 grams of manufactured tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks. Vaping products are capped at 12 containers or fewer, with a maximum of 120 millilitres of liquid or 120 grams of solid.

All food, plant and animal products must be declared when you arrive, pets included. If you do not declare them, officers may seize them and you may have to pay a penalty of up to $1,300.

  1. Canada Revenue Agency: charge and collect the GST/HST · checked 2026-09-03
  2. AGCO: hours for liquor sale, service and delivery · checked 2026-09-03
  3. Canada Border Services Agency: what visitors can bring into Canada · checked 2026-09-03

The rest of Toronto

The whole guide
Getting out of the airportUP Express runs between Terminal 1 and Union Station in 28 minutes, every 15 minutes, from 05:27 to 00:54 out of Pearson on weekdays and from 06:24 at weekends and on holidays.Ride-hailingHail a taxi on the street or take one from a stand and it must charge the City-regulated rate. Book through an app and you agree the price before the trip starts.Local laws that catch crew outCannabis is legal to buy at 19 in Ontario and a serious criminal offence to carry across the Canadian border in either direction, with or without a medical document.Staying connectedPearson's Wi-Fi is free, and subway platforms no longer have free Wi-Fi, but every station on Lines 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 has 5G.WeatherWinter is the operational fact here: at the airport, January does not average above freezing at any hour of the day.Eating near the crew hotelsEvery eating and drinking place posts its latest inspection notice at the door, the menu price may or may not include tax, and the alcohol clock stops at 02:00.TippingOntario law treats a tip as the employee's money, and treats a service charge on the bill as a tip.