If your vacation this year takes you a bit Northward, then these 7 Canadian Travel Tips are sure to come in handy. Hitting the road with your family and heading across the border to Canada is a great adventure. Canada is a great travel experience for Americans thanks to the good dollar exchange rates, as well as the beauty of the country as a whole.
Order your passport early. Yes, you will need a passport to cross the border into Canada. A traditional passport request can take up to 12 weeks to receive. Usually you will receive within the first 8 weeks, but you should plan well in advance. If you are in a rush, you can pay a premium to get your passport quickly. The extra cost however is large enough for me to want to get this done as soon as possible instead of at the last minute.
Have a dollar to dollar conversion app handy. Nothing is more confusing when making a purchase than a currency exchange rate. Do a bit of research ahead of time to learn more about what the current rate is, but always have an app on your phone handy so you can understand what you are really spending at that shop or restaurant.
Learn a bit of French before you travel. While no all Canadian Provinces are French, many areas of the country are fluent in French. Find out if your destination is a French speaking one, and devote some time to learning a few simple words and some basic conversational French to help your communication while traveling. English is a second language for some, but widely spoken throughout so this is more for fun than necessity.
Know what you can and cannot cross the border with. While some foods are fine to cross into Canada with, others are not. Take the time to find out what is safe to cross the border with so you don’t end up with problems at the border crossing check point.
Learn border crossing procedures. If you are driving into Canada, you’ll definitely want to learn a bit more about what to expect at the border crossing. When you arrive it will go much faster if you know what to expect of them, and what they expect of you.
Understand weather patterns and pack appropriately. Canadian weather can vary widely. Take the time to check out statistics for the time you will be traveling as well as he area you’ll be traveling to. When you understand you can pack appropriately. When in doubt, pack light and loose layers that mesh well together.
Find out if you will have roaming charges on your phone. Before you cross the border find out what roaming charges are for your cellular service. Even just a few feet across the border can mean large fees nobody wants to pay. There are often special plans you can buy to cover your time across the border without running up a gigantic bill.
These Canadian travel tips are a great start to enjoying a beautiful country full of culture, beauty, wilderness and technology.
