Connecting Through Toronto Airport

I am heading to Montreal next month; the route is Dublin - Heathrow - Toronto - Montreal with Air Canada; not ideal but it is by far the cheapest route.

When connecting through Toronto, I am wondering if it is the same way as entering the USA; i.e. do you have to clear immigration, pick up luggage, clear customs and then check in for the connecting flight to Montreal. Or do you wait until you reach your final destination before clearing Customs/Immigration.

If anybody has any experience with this, it would be greatly appreciated.

I'm 99.9% sure that you'll have to clear immigration at Toronto .. I've only arrived into Toronto, never connected on to a domestic from Toronto .. but I'm pretty positive that when you arrive you are funneled straight through immigration without any obvious transfer options (and it would make sense as the flight to Montreal would be a domestic flight anyway so there'd be no facility for you to clear immigration when you arrive at Montreal airport domestic gates)

I'm less certain about your baggage, but I'd guess that you probably have to collect and re-check similar to the US

I did it in 2001, a few days after 9/11 so I still remember it. I was supposed to be flying Dublin-Heathrow-Montreal but missed my connection due to a security alert at Dublin Airport. Air Canada in Heathrow rerouted me via Toronto, bags were transfered automatically so didn't have to collect them and cleared immigration in Toronto. Air Canada were unbelievably friendly and helpful. My abiding memory is of one of their staff at Heathrow changing a child's nappy while her colleague was changing the mother's flight.

That was however 8 years ago, it may have changed since then. Enjoy, Quebec is gorgeous

Hi,

We do this yearly, you will have to clear customs and collect your bags in Toronto. Then follow the signs for connections and you drop off your bag - handy because you can take anything out or put anything into your bag - like duty free booze - they don't weight your bag again and if you wanted to change your shirt to a clean one after a long flight you can do that too.
We've had really short transfers through toronto and had no problems with any delays with the above.
If you need any help with Montreal - my hometown - let me know!

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