A great idea that is poorly executed. I'm actually from Toronto but thought this would be a fun way to spend an afternoon with my mom.
PROS:
- good price, especially for seniors and students. **Make sure to buy your ticket online and get an extra 10% discount **
- ticket is valid for 3 days! So you could literally take the tour one day and then use the bus as transportation between tourist spots on other days.
- boat tour doesn't expire
- you learn some interesting facts and see places you might not have seen otherwise.
CONS:
- terrible sound system. My mom and I sat inside at the front of the bus and couldn't hear a thing because only 1 of 6 speakers were actually working and naturally that was at the back of the bus. We eventually moved to the back so at least we could hear but the sound quality was still poor.
- ramshackle interior. The bus looks great from the outside but we were stunned to see the interior. Everything looks broken down and falling apart. Every single seat was ripped and torn with the foam protruding. Some of the speakers were just hanging from wires. I've travelled extensively in third world countries and their buses look better. Please put some $$ into updating the interior. It gives a really bad impression of Toronto.
- complacent, indifferent staff. All the staff looked like college/university students who would rather be anywhere else and seemed to be just going through the motions. They were all busy on their phones when not actively narrating. When I mentioned to one that we couldn't hear because none of the speakers at the front was working she mumbled that she didn't know anything about it and would try to get someone to help. Of course, she never asked anyone and pretended that we had never asked our question. You definitely had the feeling that "we've already got your $$ so we don't need to do anything to help you now".
- poorly organized. There is no mention on the website or in their printed brochure about boat tour times. We were VERY disappointed when we got to the bus tour pick-up spot and found out that the last boat tour was at 3 pm. (On a beautiful Saturday of a long weekend???????) so had to forgo the boat tour since we wouldn't be done the bus tour in time to take it. Then as we were getting off the bus at the end of the tour, we overheard a guide telling another customer that 2 more boat tours had been added at 4:45 and 6 pm. Um.....might have been nice to share this information with everyone on the bus!
- very hard to see outside. We sat inside because my mom doesn't like the sun. It was really hard to see out because the windows all have some type of screening over them.
- misses some really great locations like the Beaches and historic U of T buildings and gives you a poor vantage point of some sites. As another poster mentioned, how hard would it be to drive by the front of Casa Loma? Instead, your view is the back of it as seen over the tree tops. Ridiculous. Plus, they often drive so quickly past the different tourist spots that you've barely turned your head to see what the guide is talking about and you've already passed it.
- zero multilingual support. Obviously not all tourists speak English! The narration is English only and very fast paced -- literally non-stop.
Overall, a great idea for learning some facts about TO and getting around to different tourist spots but the tour itself is very low budget and in serious need of improvement.