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Arrivals curb outside a Toronto Pearson terminal with a dark car waiting beside the pickup lane.

Pearson arrivals guide

International Arrivals at Pearson: Planning the Pickup

When you land at Toronto Pearson from another country, you clear immigration, collect your bags and pass customs before anyone can meet you. Each step takes a different amount of time on different days, so your pickup should be flexible rather than tied to the landing time.

  • Understand the steps between landing and the curb
  • Tell your chauffeur it is an international flight
  • Message when you have your bags and are walking out

Online booking & enquiries available 24/7

What happens between landing and the curb?

A flight from outside Canada follows the same order every time. You leave the aircraft, walk to the border services area, and see an officer. Then you collect checked bags, go through customs, and only after that reach the public arrivals hall.

None of those stages has a fixed length. A quiet afternoon with one flight on the board can move fast. A morning when several wide-body flights land together can leave long lines at immigration. Your chauffeur cannot see inside the secure area, so the pickup plan has to leave room for both outcomes.

Why does the wait change so much from day to day?

A few things push it around. The number of flights landing close together matters most. Your own paperwork and how the officer wants to handle your visit matter too, as does the wait for checked bags to appear on the belt. Some travellers are also pulled aside for a secondary check, which adds time nobody can predict.

Ask your airline or the airport's own arrivals information what to expect on your date. They know the day's pattern better than any general guide. We will not give you a minute count, because any number would be a guess.

What should I tell my chauffeur before I fly?

Put the airline, the flight number and the words international arrival in your request. We then set the pickup with a wide margin and agree how to reach you. Add your mobile number and say whether your phone will work after landing, since roaming and airport wifi differ by carrier.

If a second person is travelling on a different flight, send both flight numbers. We can plan the pickups in order rather than as two separate trips.

  • Airline and flight number
  • Terminal, if your airline has told you
  • A phone number that will work on arrival
  • Passenger count and the number of large bags

Which terminal should I expect?

Passenger flights use Terminal One or Terminal Three, and the airline decides. Your boarding pass or booking email usually names it, and the airport's arrivals board confirms it on the day. Our Pearson terminals guide explains the difference, and the Pearson airport page covers the pickup process.

What about delays, late landings and tired travellers?

Flights land late, early, or get held on the apron. Message or call us if you see a change, and we will reshape the meeting plan and explain how it touches the booking.

After a long overnight flight, a prearranged ride is calmer than a queue for a car. Choose a larger vehicle if your bags are heavy. A luxury sedan fits a small party with ordinary luggage. For more people or large cases, look at the executive SUV or the executive van.

Simple process

How booking works

  1. 1

    Tell us about the trip

    Date, pickup, destination and passengers. It takes about a minute.

  2. 2

    We confirm availability

    We check the vehicle category and come back with availability and pricing.

  3. 3

    You approve the details

    Review the plan and confirm. Nothing is booked until you say yes.

  4. 4

    Your chauffeur meets you

    Your chauffeur follows the agreed pickup plan and handles the route.

Client feedback

What clients say

“Booked a ride from Pearson to a hotel on Bay Street after a long flight. The chauffeur was waiting where we agreed and handled both of our big cases.”
MMarcus H.2 weeks ago

Tripadvisor

“Visiting from Spain, we booked a chauffeur for a full day. He showed us the waterfront, waited at every stop and never rushed us.”
EElena V.3 weeks ago

Quick answers

International arrival questions

Cannot find your answer? Call or email us and we will help.

Should I schedule the pickup for my landing time?
Use the landing time as a starting point and expect to be later than it. Customs and immigration vary, so we agree on a flexible plan and wait for your message.
Can you tell me how long customs will take?
No. Nobody can say for certain, and a guess would not help you. Your airline can tell you what is typical for your date.
Do I need to tell you my flight is international?
Yes, please. It changes how the pickup is planned. Put it in the request along with the flight number.
What if I connect through another Canadian city first?
Then the border steps happen where you first enter Canada, and your Toronto flight is treated as a domestic arrival. Send the flight number you take into Toronto.
Can my chauffeur wait inside the terminal?
We confirm the exact meeting arrangement in your booking message once we know your terminal. Ask us when you request the quote.
What if I miss my connection and land the next day?
Message us as soon as you can. We will re-plan the pickup and tell you what changes for the quote.

Landing at Pearson soon?

Share your airline and arrival date. Our reply includes a pickup plan with room for customs.

Free quote

Tell us the trip. We handle the rest.

Prefer to talk it through? Call us or send a short email and we will take it from there.

Get Free Quote

Two quick steps. Tell us about the trip and we will confirm availability and pricing.

Trip details
Contact details

No payment now. Prefer to talk? Call +1 647 477 1520.

CallGet Free Quote

Get Free Quote

Tell us about the trip. We will confirm availability and pricing.

Trip details
Contact details

No payment now. Prefer to talk? Call +1 647 477 1520.