Durham is the part of the region that most airport services quietly ignore, and the reason is straightforward. Pickering and Ajax sit an hour to eighty minutes from Pearson, and the whole of that journey depends on one road. The 401 through Scarborough is the least predictable stretch of highway in the province, and a trip that takes sixty five minutes on a Sunday morning can take twice that on a Thursday afternoon.
We serve this area properly, which mostly means being honest about the timing rather than optimistic.
Getting west, and the toll alternative
For most departures the 401 is the route and the only real question is how much margin to build in. We add more than we would from Mississauga or Etobicoke, because there is no second chance if the highway stops moving somewhere around Morningside.
The 407 extension east through Durham, and the link roads that connect down to the 401, give us a way around the worst of it. It costs, and we agree that with you before the trip rather than surprising you with it afterwards. For an early morning flight the 401 is usually fine. For an afternoon departure with a hard check in deadline, the toll is generally the cheaper option once you price the alternative honestly.
Tell us your flight number when you book and we set the pickup time from it. On the return we track the landing, so a delayed flight does not leave your driver waiting or you paying for it.
Which airport, and when
Pearson handles almost everything, but it is not always the right answer from here. Billy Bishop is closer than Pearson for a good part of Ajax and southern Pickering, and for short hops to Montreal, Ottawa or the eastern seaboard it makes a real difference to the day.
For private aviation, the executive field at Oshawa is minutes away rather than an hour, and we handle those pickups regularly. If you are departing from one airport and returning through another, that is simply noted on the booking.
Nights out without the drive
The casino resort and the surrounding development have changed the evening calendar in Pickering considerably. It is the one place in Durham where a proper night out no longer means driving into Toronto, and it is exactly the kind of evening that should not end with somebody driving home.
Closer to the water, the Nautical Village at Frenchman's Bay and the restaurants along the Ajax waterfront handle the summer crowd. For a birthday, an anniversary or a group dinner, one vehicle for the party is simpler than four cars and a designated driver nobody volunteered to be.
Toronto evenings are the other half of it. A game, a concert or a dinner downtown is a long drive each way from here, and the return leg at midnight on the 401 is the part people regret agreeing to.
Weddings and celebrations
Pickering and Ajax weddings tend to use the water and the conservation lands rather than a single grand venue. The Ajax waterfront, the beaches and parks along the lake, Greenwood and the Petticoat Creek lands, and the countryside up around Whitevale and Claremont all give photographers something the suburbs cannot.
Guests are usually the complication. A Durham wedding draws family in from across the GTA and often from the airport hotels, which is a long journey at both ends of the day. Guest shuttles in Sprinters keep everyone together and keep them off the road afterwards.
Business and regular travel
The employers along the 401 corridor and through the industrial and energy sector in the area bring steady visiting traffic, usually on repeat rotations and usually with the same requirement: collection at Pearson, a hotel drop, a full day handled and a return to the terminal with enough margin.
Corporate accounts get consolidated monthly billing and one point of contact for schedule changes. For residents making the same airport trip each month, a standing arrangement means the booking does not have to be made from scratch every time.
Booking a car in Pickering and Ajax
Reserve online, by phone or by email, and you will have written confirmation with your vehicle, chauffeur and pickup details in advance. Given the distance west, book earlier than you would from closer in, particularly for morning departures when a single vehicle covers a smaller number of jobs.