If you’re looking for an adventure that won’t break the bank, there are so many cheap day trips from Toronto you can take to storybook-like Ontario small towns and cities.
Plus, you don’t need a car to travel out of the city because you can get there with GO Transit!
Some of these short trips on GO trains and buses cost less than $20 roundtrip so you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time.
Getting on a train from Toronto’s Union Station can transport you to truly charming places around the city like Unionville, Aurora, Oakville, and more.
So, here are seven small towns and cities you can get to from Toronto with GO Transit for a cheap day trip.
Whitby
Getting on the Lakeshore East GO train at Union Station takes you to Whitby, a town east of Toronto that’s between Ajax and Oshawa on the northern shore of Lake Ontario.
It costs $11.40 for an e-ticket or $9.59 for PRESTO oneway which works out to $22.80 or $19.18 roundtrip.
Whitby has not one but two heritage downtowns with over 400 shops, restaurants, and businesses so you really get that small-town experience.
There’s even Whitby’s Award-Winning Food Guide so you can find restaurants to dine at that will
If you’d rather spend the day outdoors, there are more than 100 parks, over 1,000 acres of open space and beaches, and 60 kilometres of trails to explore around town.
The town’s beaches include Iroquois Beach Park which has a long sandy shoreline and Rotary Sunrise Lake Park which has a pebble beachfront and a path to the Whitby Harbour Lighthouse.
Also, Whitby is where a secret spy training facility — Camp X — was set up during World War II!
It’s now known as Intrepid Park which was the codename for William Stephenson who established the facility.
Aurora
You can take the GO train on the Barrie line from Toronto’s Union Station to Aurora, a town just north of Richmond Hill.
It costs $10.15 for an e-ticket or $8.54 if you tap your PRESTO card to get on the train. That’s $20.30 or $17.08 roundtrip.
Aurora’s historic downtown features quaint restaurants (including Aw, Shucks! Oyster Bar and Bistro which has a rooftop patio) charming boutique shops, an art gallery, murals, spas, and Machell’s Alley (an open-air seating area).
It’s also a short distance to Town Park and Aurora Town Square.
There are over 60 parks in the town that span more than 800 acres so you have a lot to explore.
That includes the picturesque Aurora Community Arboretum (featuring a home from the 1800s, trees, flowers, a meadow, birds, rivers and ponds) and the Tim Jones (Nokiidaa) Trail.
Unionville
Taking the Stouffville GO train from Union Station transports you to Unionville, a small town in Markham.
It costs $9.25 for an e-ticket or $7.78 for PRESTO which works out to $18.50 or $15.56 roundtrip.
There are shops — like Crock A Doodle pottery and Tucci Armadio clothing — and things to do — like the McKay Art Centre, The Stiver House, and the Rouge Valley Trail — around town.
Local restaurants are all over the town’s main street including Unionville Arms Pub & Grill, Il Postino, Watercolour Mediterranean Restaurant, Ambiyan Indian Restaurant, and more.
If you’re looking for recommendations on where to eat, Ryan Reynolds visited Unionville in 2023 and dined at Il Postino!
Also, Unionville is where part of the Gilmore Girls pilot was filmed and you can still find spots from the show’s first episode in town including the place that was transformed into Luke’s Diner (156 Main Street Unionville).
Uxbridge
You can get to Uxbridge by taking the Stouffville GO train from Union Station and then the 70D GO bus from Mount Joy Station.
Get off at the Railway and Albert stop and you’re in town!
It costs $13.15 for an e-ticket or $10.61 with PRESTO oneway which works out to $26.30 or $21.22 roundtrip.
Uxbridge is known as the “Trail Capital of Canada” so while you’re there why not get on a trail and explore the natural landscape?
Uxbridge Rail Trail, which is part of the Trans Canada Trail, takes you to The Uxbridge Trestle bridge and through the forest.
You can connect to the Barton Trail from the Uxbridge Rail Trail and head back to town.
Streetsville
You can get to Streetsville, a neighbourhood in the city of Mississauga along the Credit River, with the Milton GO train.
It costs $9.80 for an e-ticket or $8.25 if you’re paying with PRESTO oneway. That’s $19.60 or $16.50 roundtrip.
You can bask in the small town-like charm in the Streetsville Village Square at Queen Street East and Main Street.
There are a bunch of local restaurants to dine at along the main street including Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza, Stavro’s Greek Restaurant & Lounge, and El Mariachi Tacos and Churros.
You can get ice cream at La Diperie or Murphys Ice Cream Parlour and then stroll along the nearby riverside trail.
Georgetown
Taking a ride on the Kitchener GO train leads you to Georgetown, a community in the town of Halton Hills.
It costs $12.50 for an e-ticket or $10.52 for PRESTO oneway which means you’ll spend $25 or $21.04 roundtrip on transportation.
Georgetown’s main street has restaurants like Silvercreek Socialhaüs, Briskit BBQ, Shepherd’s Crook (a pub in a stone building from the 1880s), Uncorked on Main, and more.
You can also go to cafes and dessert spots like Lyla’s House, Whimsy Street Treats and SUGAR SHACK, and shops like The Way We Were (a clothing boutique) and Glazed Expressions (a paint-your-own pottery studio).
At the corner of Main Street and Wesleyan Street, there’s a mural that spans the entire side of a red brick building.
Just off Main Street at Mill Street and Guelph Street, there’s a mural of the community and its namesake.
Oakville
You can get to Oakville by taking a Lakeshore West GO train from Union Station to Oakville Station.
It costs $9.70 for an e-ticket or $8.16 with PRESTO oneway which works out to $19.40 or $16.32 roundtrip.
This town features a charming main street with shops, restaurants, cafes, and more that you can explore.
If you head beyond downtown, you can immerse yourself in Oakville’s natural landscape which includes lakeside parks, beaches, a historic lighthouse, trails, and more along Lake Ontario and Sixteen Mile Creek.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
