Cheap flights from Melbourne to Toronto

Flying out of Melbourne

When flying out of Melbourne, you'll have many airport options. Unfortunately, no airport in the city offers direct flights from Melbourne to Toronto.

The city's main airport is Melbourne Airport (MEL) (also known as Tullamarine Airport), located about 23km from the city centre. The airport's most-travelled flight route is from Melbourne to Sydney. From Sydney Airport, Air Canada offers direct flights to Toronto. There are also many airlines, like United and Qantas, which fly from MEL to Toronto with one stop in Los Angeles.

The second busiest airport in the area is Avalon Airport (AVV), located about 50km from Melbourne. The airport is only served by one airline, Jetstar Airways. Jetstar flies to four destinations within Australia: Adelaide, Gold Coast, Hobart and Sydney. Of the four, only Sydney Airport offers direct flights to Toronto.

Melbourne's other two airports, Moorabbin Airport (MBW) and Essendon Airport (MEB) are similarly limited in airlines and destinations. If you choose one of these two airports, your trip from Melbourne to Toronto will have at least two layovers.

Toronto Airport Options

Flying into Toronto's Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is your best bet for the most flight options and best flight prices. The airport is located on the border of Toronto and Mississauga and is served by more than 30 airlines.

Due to Toronto's heavy traffic, a trip from YYZ to downtown Toronto could take 45 minutes to over an hour and cost between $40 and $70 by taxi. There is also an Express Train option that is affordable and gets to downtown Union Station in about 25 minutes.

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), also known as Toronto Island Airport, is another airport possibility. However, this airport has fewer airline and flight route options. While it is possible to fly into YTZ from Melbourne, your trip will have two or more layovers.

What to Expect in Toronto

The most important thing to remember about visiting Toronto is that the seasons are reversed in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, if you leave Melbourne in the summer, you'll arrive in Toronto's winter. Canada's winters are also much more severe than those in Melbourne. From December to February, the temperatures in Toronto do not often rise above freezing and the city experiences cold winds, ice and snowfall.

Toronto is also 14 hours behind Melbourne, so be prepared for extreme jet lag. Prices in Toronto are lower than those in Melbourne, which is helpful as the city is home to some great premium shopping malls, like the Eaton Centre and the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Some of the city's other can't-miss attractions include the CN Tower and Casa Loma.