If you are planning a trip to Toronto, you will encounter Toronto Pearson International Airport, also known as Lester B. Pearson International Airport or YYZ. The airport now consists of three terminals. Established in 1939, this airport is located approximately 20 miles from downtown Toronto and is ranked at number 28 amongst the world's busiest airports, handling nearly 30 million passengers in 2005. But is the airport really equipped to please all these travellers?

Although thorough security is to be welcomed, the initial questioning when stepping of the plane seems a little excessive, especially since passengers then proceed to face immigration officials once again before arriving at the baggage claim. We made the mistake of taking some time out to visit the washroom before going through immigration, which ultimately meant that we were facing long queues. Once again, we found immigration officials to be very thorough, often questioning visitors for several minutes before stamping their passports and allowing them into the country.

***Baggage claim***

***Customs***

***Leaving the airport***

I strongly recommend using the downtown bus service - as it stops at most major downtown hotels and is a lot less stressful than the subway. The subway is really only a comfortable option if you arrived from elsewhere in Canada or the United States, as it takes a long time to reach downtown and involves a lot of carting of the luggage.

When we returned to Terminal 3, we were really overwhelmed by the amount of passengers in the terminal. Although there are screens pointing you into the direction of your airline, it does take some time to orient yourself and find your check-in counter. We found that the cheap airlines, such as Zoom and Thomas Cook, were in plain view, whereas the more reputable airlines, such as British Airways and KLM, where located around the corner.

As we had almost three hours to kill before our flight, I suggested we should have a look around the shops located in the check-in hall. Much to our disappointed, most of these shops actually closed right in front of our nose - as it was past 9 p.m. The only stores that remained open were a bookstore and one of the stores containing tourist items.

***Security checks***

The queuing system for the security check is further complicated by the fact that there is no separate line for either disabled people or flight crew. Ultimately this means that from time to time these individuals will squeeze past you to the security check. Whilst I understand the need for them to be prioritised, I felt that it was a real failing of the airport not to provide a separate queue.

***Duty free and other facilities after the security check***

There is a book store selling magazines, candy and drinks for refreshment as well as a Starbucks and a little bar, which has a small television. Other than that, all that is left to do is to wait for your flight. You cannot roam around the terminal building, in fact, we saw some interesting stores located behind a glass door, which sadly seem to be intended for passengers flying to the United States only.

On the whole, Toronto airport has very little to offer for passengers on return flights. I would therefore recommend checking in online (if possible with your airline) and arriving only 1 ½ hours before your flight departs. A general nuisance at the airport is its disorganisation and the constant need to stand in very slow-moving queues. You cannot avoid the airport if arriving from the United Kingdom, so be prepared and make the most of your - hopefully short - visit to YYZ.