GoTransit is one of the most reliable and easy ways to travel in some cities in Ontario, Canada. While public transportation still has a long way to go in the country, GoTransit definitely has made it easier for tourists like me to travel across towns.
According to their website, "GO's distinctive green and white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven million across more than 11,000 square km stretching from Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo in the west to Newcastle and Peterborough in the east, and from Orangeville and Beaverton in the north to Niagara Falls in the south."
If this is your first time taking any type of GoTransit in these cities, I hope you'll find these tips helpful:
Knowing where and when to go.
Before everything else, it is important to know two things: where your nearest station/stop is and what time the Go's train or bus stops by. The best way to know this is to check the GoTransit website. In their homepage, you will find this section:
In the FROM and TO fields, you can input station names or street address. If you are inputting a street address, the system will automatically give you the nearest stop/station. In this example below, I've added in a street address as a destination and the screenshot right below it is what the system said is the nearest stop.
You can also view the details of the trip like the number of stops and the cost of the ticket when you click on Details/E-tickets option on the schedule that you like.
Purchasing your tickets online.
Once you've chosen a schedule, if you wish to purchase your fare online, click on the buy E-tickets option that pops out when you click on Details/E-tickets.
You will be then led to a page where you can continue to purchase your ticket. Have a printed copy of this ticket or on your mobile and show it to the driver upon boarding the train or bus.
Using the Presto Card
If you're going to be taking GoTransit multiple times and/or you'll be travelling in Downtown Toronto or nearby cities where Presto cards are used as payment for public transport, you might want to just get yourself one and save yourself the trouble and some money. You can purchase Presto cards in bus or train stations or in some Shoppers Drug Mart stores. The complete list of where you can purchase a Presto card is here. Fare using Presto card is relatively cheaper.
You can load your card via their website but it will take approximately 24 hours for the reload to process. If you want an instant reload, you have to reload using their app or these machines that you can find at stations:
Heading to your stop or station
After preparing your fare or Presto card, it is time to head to your station or stop. It is important to get there around five to ten minutes before your schedule just in case the bus or train comes early or you have a difficult time trying to locate your stop. This is more challenging during the colder months but that's really the give with public transportation.
A Go station will have its own main building where you can check your schedule and which platform your bus or train will stop.
Meanwhile, a Go bus stop will have this logo on the stop sign:
Taking the transit
If it is your first time taking a specific route for Go Transit, I suggest it is best to keep track of the stops and know what is the stop before yours. If you are taking the bus, you can see a monitor where the series of stops will be shown and tracked.
For both buses and trains, the stop will have announcements so you must pay attention. I wouldn't recommend sleeping at this point because it will be very difficult for you to get back if you miss your stop.
For buses, after bus has left the stop before yours, you have to request the next stop if no one else has not already. The stop buttons are sometimes in red (as shown in the photo below) right above you or in the yellow handles. On other buses, this can be a yellow strip that is right on the window of your seat.
Tap on, tap off
Unless otherwise announced in the bus or train, always make sure to tap on your card before boarding. I am so sorry I wan't able to take a photo but you can check what the tapping machines look like here:
- On train stations - these are usually found near the entrance or right before the platforms
- On buses - these are usually at the left or the right of the bus when you enter
If you don't tap on or tap off your card, the payment that will be charged to your card will not be correct so make sure you tap.
Taking Go buses and trains are very easy but it is important to know these few basics just to make sure you will have a smooth ride.
Happy travels!
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