Kingston Train Station Limo & VIA Rail Car Service

Kingston train station limo service is built around a fact that surprises first-time visitors: the VIA Rail station is not downtown. It sits on John Counter Boulevard, close to Highway 401, and the historic waterfront is a short drive south-east. That gap is small, but it is exactly the gap a booked car closes.

Kingston is also a natural midpoint. It sits between Toronto and Montréal, close to Ottawa and on the edge of the Thousand Islands, so the station is as much a jumping-off point for road journeys as it is a place to catch a train.

Where is the Kingston VIA Rail station?

VIA Rail gives driving directions on its station page. From Highway 401, take exit 613 (Sydenham Road), turn left on Highway 2 (Princess Street), then left on Counter Street. A chauffeur does not need the directions, but they are a useful check if you are meeting someone arriving by road.

For a wider view of our Eastern Ontario coverage, see the Ottawa limo page and the Toronto limo page, which together bracket the Kingston corridor.

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Station facts from VIA Rail

These details are published on VIA Rail's Kingston station page. Check it for current hours.

VIA also notes that for two specific trains the station opens 30 minutes before departure and closes 15 minutes after, with no ticket sales, so on those services plan to arrive with your ticket already in hand.

Kingston station car service fares

Prices come from the rate card before tax. Tolls, including the 407 ETR on the Toronto side, are extra where they apply, and gratuity is at your discretion. The booker returns the all-in fare for your pickup address.

Distances are planning figures. Long runs are priced by the kilometre and are one-way assignments. Where distance times rate is below the vehicle's minimum, the minimum applies.

What the trains offer from Kingston

VIA's Kingston to Toronto page lists 253 km, an average journey of 2 hours 31 minutes, and 95 departures per week on the Corridor. The sample day shows around 16 distinct trains between roughly 06:16 and 20:55. Other routes from Kingston go to London, Montréal, Ottawa and Québec, per VIA's Kingston to Toronto page.

The takeaway is frequency. With around 95 departures a week to Toronto alone, Kingston is a place where you can usually find a train that fits your day. That makes the train a serious competitor to a long private transfer, and we say so plainly in the comparison below.

Train, bus or private car between Kingston and Toronto, Ottawa or Montréal

If you are going from Kingston to downtown Toronto with one bag, the train is the better choice. It is faster than most expect, runs often and puts you in the centre of the city. A private car makes sense when you are three or more, when the trip begins or ends somewhere the train does not reach, or when you are carrying more luggage than a seat can hold.

When the train is the better choice

Be honest about the alternatives. For Kingston to Toronto Union, the train's cost is typically lower than a private transfer of 253 km by road, and it removes parking and traffic. A traveller with a laptop and a standard day can work on the train and arrive rested. Our own Toronto Union Station page covers the other end of the journey.

The private car wins when your timing is irregular. A corporate group arriving for a conference can share a Sprinter from the station, and a family travelling to a cottage or wedding will not be well served by a train that ends at a downtown platform. For Kingston to Ottawa, our Toronto to Ottawa and Ottawa station pages show the alternatives.

Kingston highlights by private car

Visit Kingston lists the attractions most visitors want: Fort Henry, Kingston Penitentiary tours, City Hall, Market Square, Queen's University, the Wolfe Island ferry and Thousand Islands cruises, according to its visitor site. The Visitor Information Centre is at 209 Ontario Street.

A chauffeur can combine several of these into a half-day by the hour. Rates are $135-$165 per hour in an Executive Sedan (two-hour minimum), $175-$210 for a Luxury SUV (two-hour minimum) and $240-$295 for an Executive Sprinter (three-hour minimum). Stretch limousines are $225-$300 per hour with a three-hour minimum.

Thousand Islands and Gananoque

The Thousand Islands cruises depart from nearby communities, with Gananoque the best-known departure point about 32 km east of Kingston. Our guide to the Thousand Islands and Gananoque explains the cruises, Boldt Castle on the US side and the border note that applies if you leave Canadian waters.

A day trip from the station to Gananoque and back, with a wait for a cruise, is best priced hourly, since you will pay for the waiting time anyway.

Wine, weddings and Prince Edward County

Kingston is also a base for Prince Edward County, an area known for its wineries. See our guide to Prince Edward County wine for what to expect. Wedding parties often combine a Kingston ceremony or reception with a country venue, and a Sprinter at $240-$295 per hour (three-hour minimum) can ferry 12 to 14 guests with luggage. There is no charge for child seats reserved with the booking.

Arrivals by air and by rail

If you fly into Norman Rogers Airport, VIA lists it as the local airport. The drive to the station is about 15 km, which is a minimum-fare transfer. For longer arrivals, many travellers land at Ottawa or Toronto and then take the train to Kingston. Our Ottawa airport page covers YOW pickups.

International arrivals include 60 minutes of free wait after landing, and domestic arrivals include 30 minutes. The optional name-board meet-and-greet in the arrivals hall is $100-$150.

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Kingston as the midpoint on the 401

Toronto to Montréal is roughly 540 km by road, and Kingston falls close to the middle of that distance. For travellers on a long private transfer, it is the natural place to stop for a meal, a stretch and, if the day demands it, a change of plan. Our Toronto to Montréal page compares the car, the train and the flight over the whole distance, and the Ottawa to Montréal page covers the link beyond the capital.

If you are taking the train for part of the route, Kingston is also where many people leave one mode and pick up another. A traveller who arrives by Corridor train from Toronto, spends a night in Kingston and continues by road to Ottawa in the morning is following a very common pattern, and it is the reason we price Kingston to Ottawa as a one-way run rather than a round trip.

Planning a pickup around a Kingston departure

Three quick examples show the thinking. They are illustrations, not promises, and the booker is the authority for your exact trip.

• Morning train to Toronto from a downtown hotel. The station is about 6 km away, a drive of 10 to 20 minutes. Allow extra for the morning rush and for the walk from the curb to the platform. Because the station opens early on weekdays, a pickup around 40 minutes before departure is comfortable.
• Evening arrival from Toronto with a hotel at the waterfront. The chauffeur waits at the curb, tracks the train and drives you to the hotel. With 95 departures a week on the route, there is usually a later alternative if you miss yours.
• Weekend departure with a group. Saturday hours close earlier than Friday's, so for a Saturday evening train check the posted hours and agree a curbside pickup in advance.

If you will need to leave baggage before boarding, VIA lists a baggage checkroom at the station, and its bicycle box handles bikes. Rules and fees are set by VIA, so ask before you pack.

Business and institutional travel

Kingston has a steady flow of institutional visitors, from academic guests to government and corporate travellers. The station's business lounge, open daily from 08:30 to 21:30 according to VIA, is a useful place to wait if you hold the right ticket. A chauffeur can meet a guest at the curb, escort them to the vehicle with their bags and keep to a strict timetable for a series of meetings.

For a multi-stop day, hourly service is often better than point-to-point pricing. A two-hour minimum in a sedan at $135-$165 per hour covers a short tour of downtown, the university and the waterfront, while an SUV at $175-$210 per hour suits a group of four to six with luggage. See the fleet and limo rates pages.

Weekends, university moves and busy days

Kingston is a university city, and move-in and graduation weekends bring heavy traffic and tight bookings. If you are travelling on one of those weekends, book early and give us the train time. The station's published hours differ by weekday, with Saturday closing at 20:30 and Sunday opening at 08:30, so a late arrival may require a curbside pickup.

Winter adds its own considerations. Snow and wind can reduce visibility on stretches of the 401 and on Highway 2, and a long transfer to Ottawa or Toronto in a storm may take noticeably longer than the figures in our tables. We would rather tell you that at booking than apologise at the roadside, so for a winter trip with a firm commitment at the other end, choose an earlier departure and let the chauffeur set the pace. If conditions are severe enough that the trip is unsafe, we will contact you before the pickup to discuss a revised plan.