For the Toronto auto show, a business sedan from Barrie to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre is a planning $420–485 one way, about 114 km and 75–105 minutes, or $135–160 an hour for a chauffeur who waits. Solo visitors can use GO Transit's Barrie line; groups, families and delegations usually do better in one vehicle. Plan it with our corporate events and galas page.
When is the Toronto auto show in 2027, and where is it?
The Canadian International AutoShow's own site lists the 2027 show for 12 to 21 February at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, with Media Day on 11 February. The 2026 edition ran 13 to 22 February, and according to the show's visitor page it used the convention centre's North Building at 255 Front Street West and South Building at 222 Bremner Boulevard. Check the show's information page for the 2027 hours, ticket prices and the building for each exhibit, because the 2026 details are only a guide.
We have no connection with the show; we drive visitors to it. The AutoShow site is the place for tickets.
How far is the Toronto auto show from Barrie?
Downtown Toronto is about 114 km from downtown Barrie, 75 to 105 minutes by car depending on the hour, and the convention centre is in the same downtown core as Union Station. Planning figures, one way from downtown Barrie, all-in plus HST with tolls, fuel and gratuity inside:
| Vehicle (Barrie to Union Station / downtown Toronto) | Seats | Planning range one way |
|---|---|---|
| Business sedan | 3 | $420–485 |
| Business SUV | 5 | $550–630 |
| Executive SUV | 6 | $660–760 |
| First-class sedan | 3 | $1,010–1,160 |
| Sprinter | up to 14 | $1,550–1,780 |
| Jet Sprinter | 7 | $2,120–2,440 |
A luxury minivan is quoted by the engine. Our Barrie to downtown Toronto route page covers the drive.
GO train, drive yourself or chauffeur: which is right?
Honest answer: it depends on who is going. For one or two people on a weekday, the GO Transit Barrie line to Union Station is the cheapest option, and the show says its venue connects directly to Union Station. Check the GO Transit timetable on the day; we do not quote schedules or fares. In 2026 the show also sold combined show-and-GO tickets, so ask whether the same is offered in 2027.
Driving yourself costs parking and the Highway 400 and downtown traffic. A chauffeur wins for a family of four or five with a stroller, a delegation with a meeting afterwards and anyone who wants to leave at their own pace. Our GO train versus limo guide sets out the same arithmetic for Pearson.
What does a day at the show cost by the hour?
Most people go to a show for four to seven hours, and the car has to wait that long. That is the case for an hourly chauffeur: one vehicle and one chauffeur, a three-hour minimum, extra time in 30-minute blocks. Business sedan $135–160 per hour; business SUV $175–205; executive SUV $225–265; Sprinter $475–550; Jet Sprinter $650–750.
The alternative is two one-way trips, which suit a visitor who will find another way home or who plans to stay for dinner. Hourly adds the drive time in both directions to the hours at the show. For a full day, add them up and compare against two one-way fares. Over four hours a business sedan comes to $540–640 all-in plus HST.
How does Family Day weekend change the plan?
The 2027 show includes the Family Day long weekend: Ontario's holiday is the third Monday in February, which is 15 February 2027. Weekend and holiday afternoons are the busiest times at any consumer show, and downtown streets fill with families and event traffic. The chauffeur will tell you if a ramp or street is likely to be slow.
If you have a choice, a weekday morning is calmer, and an early departure from Barrie lets you reach the show when it opens. For a Saturday or the holiday Monday, allow the top end of the 75–105 minute window each way, and book the car for a time that leaves a margin.
What does a day look like for a family of five?
A sample, to be replaced by your own plan:
- 8:30 Pickup at home in an executive SUV or business SUV, with a stroller or a booster seat.
- 10:15 Drop at the convention centre entrance you choose.
- 10:30–3:30 The show. The chauffeur waits nearby.
- 4:00 Pickup at the same entrance; a stop for dinner downtown.
- 7:30 Home in Barrie, with children asleep.
Child seats start at $25 each and are added at booking, in infant, child, toddler or booster form. A business SUV carries five and an executive SUV six, with room for coats, bags and the things a child inevitably buys.
What does a day look like for a dealership or club group?
Dealership teams, car clubs and apprentice programmes often travel together. A Sprinter seats up to fourteen at a planning $475–550 per hour, which keeps a team together on the 400 and means one drop at the entrance and one pickup. Barrie to downtown Toronto in a Sprinter is $1,550–1,780 one way.
Plan the day around the group's reason for going: a briefing in the vehicle on the way down, a meeting point at the centre, and a set pickup time. The chauffeur holds a list of names and mobile numbers, so nobody is left on the pavement. See our Sprinter group transportation page for the vehicle.
How do executives and suppliers use the day?
The automotive sector is part of this region's economy, with plants and suppliers along the Highway 400 and Highway 89 corridor, including Alliston, 45 km and 40–50 minutes from downtown Barrie. Executives and purchasing teams attend a show to meet people, not to walk the floor all day. For them the back seat is working time: calls on the way down, notes on the way back.
A first-class sedan is $350–410 per hour, a Jet Sprinter with lounge seating for seven $650–750. We are not affiliated with any manufacturer or employer. Our executive roadshows post covers the rest of the day downtown.
What about Media Day and industry visits?
The show lists a Media Day on 11 February 2027, with credentials arranged through the show's own site. Journalists, bloggers and industry guests on a tight schedule often book an hourly car, because parking is the first problem at any downtown venue and a chauffeur removes it.
For an industry visit, tell dispatch the entrance, the check-in time and whether you will carry gear: cameras, tripods, a display or samples. A business SUV or executive SUV has more room than a sedan. Keep confidential papers locked in the car while you are inside.
Where does the car stop, and where does it wait?
Downtown Toronto's curb rules are strict, and the chauffeur cannot park in a live lane. The chauffeur drops you at the nearest legal stopping point to the entrance you choose, then waits in a legal spot a few minutes away and returns when you text. You never need to find the car.
Ask the show or the convention centre about drop-off for the building you are using, and tell us at booking which entrance. If the centre has a particular instruction for your date, follow it. A planned meeting point and a mobile number for each person in the group make pickups easy.
What if you drive yourself?
The show's visitor page lists parking in the convention centre's two buildings and in Green P lots nearby, and we do not know the 2027 rates. Compare the cost of parking for a day against a chauffeur's hourly rate and the stress of downtown driving, and remember that you will have the same winter highway as anyone else.
If you drive, leave Barrie early, fill the tank the night before and check Ontario 511 before you start. A driver who is also the designated parking attendant cannot enjoy the show; that is the case for hiring one.
Is February on Highway 400 a problem?
It can be. Barrie is in Ontario's snowbelt: lake-effect squalls off Georgian Bay can slow or close Highway 400 between Barrie and Highway 89, and February is squall season. Our vehicles run on winter tires from November to April, and the chauffeur decides the route on the day using live information. The Environment Canada forecast the evening before is your first warning.
If a squall is forecast, dispatch will suggest an earlier pickup or a four-wheel-drive SUV. See our Highway 400 winter travel guide for how the corridor behaves.
What about two friends who simply love cars?
Not every visitor is a family or a delegation. Two retired friends who have gone to the show for years want an unhurried day, a seat that is easy to climb into and no parking garage at the end. For them a business SUV, five seats with a higher step than a sedan, or a business sedan for two, booked hourly, is the comfortable answer.
Aim for a mid-morning pickup that avoids the first rush on the 400, a drop at the entrance, and a long lunch away from the floor. Tell the chauffeur the time you would like to leave and the car is at the door at that minute. If a walker or cane is coming, say so at booking and the chauffeur will plan the kerb.
Beyond the auto show: Toronto's trade-show season
The auto show is the biggest consumer event, but the trade-show calendar runs through the year. The Metro Toronto Convention Centre hosts conferences and trade shows, the International Centre is in Mississauga near Pearson, and the Toronto Congress Centre is another large venue. Check each venue's calendar for dates.
From Barrie, Toronto Pearson is about 97 km and 60–85 minutes, a business sedan at $380–440 one way. For visitors flying in for a show, the travel desk works with BookingWorldwide.net on flights and hotels.
Accessibility, strollers and families with older relatives
A wheelchair-accessible vehicle can be arranged if you book ahead and describe the wheelchair or scooter; it needs notice, so phone dispatch as soon as you decide to go. The show tells visitors to see the convention centre's own pages for accessibility, and we cannot speak for its entrances or lifts.
Strollers and folding wheelchairs fit in every class of our own fleet. For an older relative, an SUV with a higher seat is often easier than a low sedan. Tell us about walkers, canes and any extra time needed at the kerb.
Booking, changes and cancellation
Open the booking page, choose hourly, enter the first pickup, the date and the hours, and add the entrance and the return pickup in the notes. The engine shows the fixed fare, HST on its own line, before you confirm. Tickets to the show are bought from the show, not from us.
Cancellation is counted back from the scheduled pickup: free if you cancel more than 72 hours ahead, then 10 %, 50 % and 100 % at the 72-, 48- and 24-hour marks, with a no-show charged at 100 %. Alcohol is not allowed on board.
