Basic orientation and survival
Arrival
You'll probably arrive at Toronto Pearson airport, a little way out of the city. The best way to get downtown is via the UP train; they run 24 hours a day once every 15 minutes. If you're staying with us, get off at Bloor station.
If you're arriving from a short-haul flight, you might arrive at Billy Bishop airport. It's downtown, so the transport connections are better. There's a free shuttle bus to Union station, and TTC stops right outside.
Getting around
Toronto's public transport is "the TTC". You'll need a contactless debit/credit or Presto card to use it. Most trips will be a combination of streetcar, bus, and/or subway lines. A journey costs $3.30, and you get unlimited transfers for 2 hours. Tap your card on the reader when you board (or to open the gates on the subway). You don't need to tap out.
Transport generally runs frequently enough you don't need to worry about timetables. Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Citymapper can give you directions.
Downtown
Toronto streets follow a grid system. Yonge Street runs north-to-south, and is the official dividing line between east and west Toronto. Nathan Phillips Square is the heart of the city, and often hosts events.
The environment
Toronto's weather is more extreme than the UK: warmer summers and colder winters. You can generally count on pleasant weather from the end of May to mid September. You'll need a jacket in April and October; plan to bring a good coat in the winter months. There might be some snow in December; you can generally count on it in January-March.
Apart from a warm coat and hat, layers are your best bet for handling the cold. You can always add one more: two pairs of socks, longjohns under trousers, an undershirt/T shirt/jumper and coat, 2 pairs of gloves. A hot drink in an insulated flask also makes a huge difference.
Toronto is on the same latitude as Spain, so don't mess around with the sun. Wear sunscreen, even if it's cold outside. You might like to wear a sunhat, and you should definitely carry a water bottle.
Insects in Ontario are relentless outside of winter. This won't bother you downtown, but if you're planning to visit a provincial park or similar woodland walk: wear DEET-containing insect repellent. You'll get bitten anyway; a hot spoon will treat your bites.
Etiquette
Tipping is pervasive but not as bad as the US. A good starting point is 15% in restaurants (pre-tax) and $1/drink in bars. Just leave a loonie on the counter.
Cannabis
Pot's legal in Canada; there are dispensaries on every block. When it was legalised in 2018 I was expecting a shitshow: pot smoke everywhere, stoners stumbling around downtown, a critical shortage of snack foods. None of that came to pass: there are a lot of dispensaries but you don't see people getting high in public that much.
Unlike Amsterdam, there aren't coffee shops for consumption. (Kensington Market's Hotbox closed in 2022.) You'll need to buy from a dispensary and then consume it off-site. You can buy pre-rolled joints and edibles from dispensaries as well as "dried flower". A joint is meant to be shared: don't smoke it solo in one go. Edibles have a reputation of being mild, but it's still an edible: give it a couple of hours before deciding it's not working for you, lest you end up needing backup.