Travelling Alone in Toronto… What Would You Do?

People often ask me about travel suggestions. “Have you ever been to this place? And how many days should I spend there?”

Well, that depends. Are you travelling by yourself or with others? Because if you travel with friends, you could spend endless days in the same place by walking around and sampling the local foods and drinks.

But what if you’re by yourself?

It’s a good question and I often ask it of myself when I organize my trips. How long should I spend in each city/town that I plan to visit?

Barring festivals or free accommodations with relatives or travelling companions with other agendas, I believe the highlights of most cities can be done by yourself in 2-3 full days.

Now you could obviously spend endless days in the same place by walking around and sampling the local foods and drinks on your own. But I’m talking about just witnessing the city highlights… before moving onto the next adventure in another town.

In North America and Europe, I believe there are only 4 cities where you can safely spend 4 days by yourself, without a car, and not get bored, and not repeat yourself:

Rome, Paris, London, and New York.

(I don’t count Los Angeles in this comparison because you need a car to get around due to its poor transit system. Also, most of its attractions are very spread out and are located far from any city centre.)

So the rest are 2-3 days. Some cities are only worth one day… I’m looking at you, Frankfurt!

Well, what about Toronto?

A day and a half.

That’s it.

Be honest. Travelling alone in this city, what would you do?

Sure, you could walk the streets and eat at fine restaurants and drink beers at all sorts of bars. But I’m talking about seeing something historical and remarkable that makes this city unique?

There’s that tall tower. Good.

Maybe take the ferry to Centre Island for a nice walk and get a nice view of the skyscrapers.

But what else?

The harbourfront is very underwhelming. The museums are okay but not world-famous. You need a “Mona Lisa” or a “Last Supper” or a “David” statue by the masters to make it worthwhile on the international museum map.

So what else?

In Patricia Schultz’s book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die, only 4 items from Ontario are mentioned: Niagara Falls, skating on the Rideau Canal, the Art Gallery of Ontario for its minor European works and its extensive Canadian collection, and (for some reason) the Four Seasons hotel.

Now the author does possess a strong American bias (and an affinity for nice hotels) but her four choices are not very substantial.

The Canadiana Backpackers Inn in downtown Toronto (voted the best hostel in North America by Hostelworld customers) has an organized activities section on its website and only mentions a Niagara Falls road trip… along with quiz nights and movie nights in the hostel lounge. That’s it.

Then there was the TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) Annual North American Conference in Toronto this past weekend which hosted travel bloggers, writers, and new media content creators.

Now before the seminars and speeches began on Saturday, the conference organized a few tours of Toronto’s attractions.

This was their “First-Timer’s Special: All About Toronto” tour:
“Visit Toronto’s financial district boasting the country’s tallest skyscrapers… Soaring higher than any building in the Western Hemisphere is the CN Tower at 1,815 feet. Nestled near its base is the magnificent Rogers Centre (SkyDome)… From Chinatown to Little Italy, Cabbagetown to Forest Hill, you’ll be provided with an insightful commentary on the development of these communities… Catch a glimpse of Casa Loma, Canada’s majestic castle… Enjoy the sites and sounds of a true global city, including Harbourfront, Queens Park, and the old and new City Hall…”

See? A day and a half.

Okay, so we missed out on some of the colourful history narratives that other communities have. We’re not that old of a country. We had no kings. We had no wars (besides a brief skirmish at Fort York during the War of 1812). We had no dominant church life that contributed to art and architecture.

Soooo… let’s start developing something that’s world class. My suggestion? Pull out all the stops and expand that waterfront. Barcelona, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Chicago have all recently transformed their international reputations by rebuilding their waterfronts into tourist attractions that can be equally enjoyed by its own citizens. That’s a start.

But that won’t happen anytime soon. Not as long as Toronto continues to stagnate in its development by spending all its time and resources on arguing about public transportation solutions and wondering whether its mayor smokes crack cocaine or not.

So for any tourist thinking of visiting Toronto alone? You just need a day and a half… and that might include a day trip to Niagara Falls.
 
For more memorable travel stories, check out:

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/solo-dining/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/best-story/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/christmas-mobster/