Travel and Tourism Information

Travel - International

AIR

Canada’s principal national airline is Air Canada (AC) (website: www.aircanada.ca).

International Airports

Canada has 13 international airports. All have full banking and catering facilities, duty free shops and car hire. Airport-to-city bus and taxi services and, in some cases, rail links, are available.

Calgary (YYC) (website: www.calgaryairport.com) is 20km (12.5 miles) from the city (travel time – 45 minutes).

Edmonton (YEG) (website: www.edmontonairports.com) is 28km (17 miles) from the city (travel time - 30 minutes).

Montréal (YUL) (Dorval) (website: www.admtl.com) is 25km (16 miles) from the city (travel time – 25 minutes).

Ottawa (YOW) (Macdonald-Cartier) (website: www.ottawa-airport.ca) is 15km (8 miles) from the city (travel time – 20 to 45 minutes).

Toronto (YYZ) (Lester B Pearson) (website: www.gtaa.com) is 27km (17 miles) from the city (travel time – 30 minutes).

Vancouver (YVR) (website: www.yvr.ca) is 13km (8 miles) from the city (travel time – 20 to 45 minutes).

SEA

The Main ports: Canada has many ports which are all served by international shipping lines.

RAIL

The Canadian rail system connects to the USA at several points. Major routes are: New York–Montréal, New York–Buffalo–Niagara Falls–Toronto, Chicago–Sarnia–London–Toronto, Cleveland–Buffalo–Niagara Falls–Toronto and Detroit–Windsor–Toronto. VIA Rail Canada, the country’s main rail operator, issues a discount pass for rail travel within Canada and the USA: The North American Rail Pass (available to anyone) is valid for 30 days and allows 12 days unlimited travel within that 30-day period on VIA trains in Canada and practically any Amtrak train in the USA, with direct access to over 900 Canadian and US cities and towns. For details of ticket prices and reservations, contact VIA Rail in Canada (tel: (1 888) 842 7245 (toll-free in Canada); website: www.viarail.ca) or their UK representative 1st Rail (tel: (0845) 644 3552/3; website: www.1strail.com)

ROAD

The only road access to Canada is through the southern border with the USA or from the west through Alaska. Apart from private motoring, the most popular way of travelling by road is by bus. The biggest coach company in the world is the Greyhound Bus Company (see the Coach section in Travel – Internal) and this is one of the most common routes to Canada from the USA. There are many crossing points from the USA to Canada, but some of the most common are: New York to Montréal/Ottawa; Detroit to Toronto/Hamilton; Minneapolis to Winnipeg; Seattle to Vancouver/Edmonton/Calgary.

Travel - Internal

AIR

Air Canada has a low-cost airline called Tango that offers reduced flights from most Canadian provinces and Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa in Florida, USA to a number of internal destinations. For further information about Tango services contact Air Canada, PO Box 64239, Thorncliffe Outlet, 5512 Fourth Street, NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2K 6JO (tel: (800) 315 1390 (toll-free in Canada); website: www.flytango.com).

There are also around 75 airlines operating local services, the principal ones being: Air Nova (for eastern Canada) (website: www.airnova.ca), Air Alliance, Air Ontario and WestJet (website: www.westjet.com) (for central Canada). Reductions are available for those aged 13 to 21, with substantial reductions for those under 12.

SEA/RIVER/LAKE/CANAL

Canada has many thousands of miles of navigable rivers and canals, a vast number of lakes and an extensive coastline. The whole country is well served by all manner of boats and ships, particularly the east and west coasts, where the ferries are fast, frequent and good value. The St Lawrence Seaway provides passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. For further details, see individual regional entries or contact the Visit Canada Centre (see Contact Addresses).

RAIL

VIA Rail Canada operates extensive services across Canada. The regional railways are Algoma Central, British Columbia Railway, Great Canadian Railtour Company, Ontario Northland, Québec North Shore & Labrador, Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railway and White Pass & Yukon Route. Children under two years of age not occupying a separate seat may travel free (one per adult) and children two to 11 years of age pay half fare. Persons over 60 years of age and students carrying an International Student Card (ISIC), will receive a 10 to 50 per cent discount (depending on the type of ticket); student discount fares also apply to young people aged 12 to 17. VIA Rail operates a Western transcontinental service (the Canadian) between Toronto (Ontario) and Vancouver (British Columbia), running three times weekly east and west, transiting Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Jasper. Passengers are drawn to this route by the spectacular scenery of the three mountain ranges which are passed en route – the Rockies, the Selkirks and the Coastal. The route also features views of ancient glaciers, large lakes and waterfalls. The journey takes three days and all trains operating on this route include showers in the sleeping cars. The transcontinental service can be accessed by regular services from the Atlantic provinces and from Québec City and Montréal. Rapid intercity services are available between Québec, Montréal, Halifax, Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa. On these journeys, the fare price includes a meal, snacks and drinks. VIA Rail also operates an overnight Eastern transcontinental service (the Ocean) between Montréal (Québec) and Halifax (Nova Scotia). Long-distance trains are extremely comfortable, with full restaurant services, air conditioning and spacious reclining seats.

The Rocky Mountaineer service (website: www.rockymountaineer.com) runs from April to October and offers the opportunity to travel between Calgary, Banff, Jasper and Vancouver during daylight hours, enabling passengers to view the extraordinary passing scenery. Customers can purchase either a one-way or round-trip fare. A one-way trip takes two days and covers approximately 442km (275 miles) each day. Included in the price is a one-night stopover in Kamloops, bus transfer from train to Kamloops hotel, two continental breakfasts, two light lunches and complimentary beverages (coffee, tea, fruit juices and soft drinks). Alcoholic beverages, films and souvenirs are available on board at an additional cost. For visitors seeking a route into the Canadian wilderness, the Polar Bear Express (www.polarbearexpress.ca), Toronto–North Bay–Cochrane– Moosonee, runs daily (except Monday) from late June to early September. Passengers are advised to make hotel reservations in Moosonee in advance. Particularly scenic routes include Sault Ste. Marie–Eton–Hearst (with superb views of the Montréal River and hundreds of lakes), Winnipeg–Hudson Bay–Churchill, Jasper–Prince George–Prince Rupert (with exceptional scenery between Burns Lake and Prince Rupert), Victoria–Courtenay (along sheer cliffs to Malahat Summit with good views of Vancouver Island) and Vancouver–Whistler (along the fjord-like coast of Howe Sound, then the craggy cliffs and rushing white-water streams in the heavily forested Cheakamus Canyon to Alta Lake) (website: www.whistlermountaineer.com)

VIA Rail also offers tailor-made adventure rail trips (VIA Adventures) to far-flung destinations, some of which are inaccessible by road, offering drop-off and pick-up services and special facilities for carrying bulky items such as canoes and bicycles.

Discount Rail Passes

The Canrailpass must be purchased outside Canada and a valid passport presented at time of purchase; it allows unlimited journeys on the Canadian railway system (except for the Bras d’Or tourist train) for 12 days (up to three extra days can be added to the pass at any time) within a 30-day period, and is only valid on VIA Rail trains. There is also a Student Canrailpass available to holders of International Student Cards (ISIC) and a Senior Canrailpass available to persons aged 60 and over. There is a reduced fare for children. The Alaska Pass (website: www.alaskapass.com) offers eight-, 12-, 15- and 21-day travel within Alaska and British Columbia, including travel on Alaska Ferry, Alaska Railroad, Holland America Motorcoaches and White Pass & Yukon Railroad.

For more information on rail itineraries, timetables, fares and special discounts, contact VIA Rail in Canada (tel: (416) 366 8411; website: www.viarail.ca); or the Visit Canada Centre (see Top Things To Do).

ROAD

The Canadian road network covers vast distances as the country is over 7600km (4800 miles) from west to east and 4800km (3000 miles) from north to south. The longest road is the Trans-Canada Highway (website: www.transcanadahighway.com), running west to east for 8000km (5000 miles) from Victoria, British Columbia to St John's, Newfoundland. On country roads, visitors should be mindful of wild animals that may be roaming, such as deer or moose. Petrol and oil are sold by the litre, and costs per litre should be obtained at time of travel. The Canadian Automobile Association (tel: (613) 247 0117; website: www.caa.ca) is affiliated to most European organisations, giving full use of facilities to members. Road signs are international. Right turns on red lights are not permitted in some parts of Québec. Traffic drives on the right. Road speeds (per hour) and distances are in kilometres, and speeds are: 100kph (60mph) on motorways, 80kph (55mph) on rural highways and 50kph (30mph) in cities. Many road signs throughout the country are bilingual (English and French). Seatbelts are compulsory for all passengers. Radar detection devices are strictly prohibited in many states and may not be carried in automobiles. Studded tyres are illegal in Ontario, but are permitted, without seasonal limitations, in the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Yukon, and are allowed only in winter in other provinces. Many provinces require drivers to keep headlights on during the day. International Driving Permits are recommended - car hire companies may want to see one as well as a passport and air tickets.

Note: The official date on which winter begins, for this and other purposes, will vary from province to province.

Coach

One of the cheapest and most convenient ways of travelling the country apart from private motoring is by coach. Each region is well served by a large network of coach lines, the most extensive being the Greyhound Bus Company, which covers more than 193,000km (120,000 miles) of North America. Greyhound’s International Discovery Pass system offers a variety of options to travellers from outside Canada and the USA. The ticket must be purchased outside of North America and entitles the holder to unlimited travel in the region specified on the pass. The International Canada Pass offers travel over periods of seven, 10, 15, 21, 30, 45 and 60 days in Canada. The International North America CanAm Pass offers travel over periods of 15, 21, 30, 45 and 60 days in Canada and the USA. The International Eastern CanAm Pass offers 10 or 21 days in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the eastern coast of the USA. The International West Coast CanAm pass offers 10 or 21 days travel in British Columbia, Whitehorse, Yukon, Alberta and the western coast of the USA. The Greyhound Discovery Passes include all scheduled routes on Greyhound plus Greyhound Lines Inc: Montréal to New York and Vancouver to Seattle; Voyageur Colonial: Toronto to Montréal/Ottawa and North Bay to Montréal; Brewster Transportation: Banff to Jasper; Adirondack Trailways: New York to Buffalo to Toronto; Canada Coach Services: Toronto to Niagara Falls and Buffalo and Toronto to Detroit; Grey Goose Bus Lines: routes between Manitoba and Ontario; Laidlaw Coach Lines: services on Vancouver Island; Saskatchewan Transportation Co: Alaska to Saskatoon; and VIA Rail: Toronto to Ottawa to Montréal. For further information, contact Greyhound Canada (tel: (403) 265 9111 or (800) 661 8747 (toll-free in USA and Canada); website: www.greyhound.ca).

Canada also has regional bus services, the most important of which are: Atlantic Canada: Acadian Lines, CN Roadcruiser, SMT Eastern and Terra Nova Transport. Central Canada: Canada Coach Lines, Grey Goose Bus Lines Limited, Orleans Express, Saskatchewan Transportation, Voyageur and Voyageur Colonial. West Canada: Brewster Transport and Vancouver Island Coach Lines. Other coach companies operating in Canada include: Gray Coach: Toronto to Niagara Falls and Buffalo; Arctic Frontier Carriers: Hay River to Yellowknife. Discounts are available for children under 16, persons over 62 years and students.

The Moose Travel Network (website: www.moosetravelnetwork.com) offers a 'jump on, jump off' service for backpackers and independent travellers.

Besides long-distance travel, all these companies operate a range of services, such as regional tours and escorted sightseeing for groups. RoutPass (www.routpass.com) runs between May and December. It offers 14-, 15-, 16- and 20-day passes for unlimited bus travel in Ontario and Québec. Children are not charged if under five years old; half the adult fare is charged for children aged five to 11 years old. Contact individual operators for details.

Bus

Metropolitan buses operate on a flat-fare system (standard fares, irrespective of distance travelled). Fares must be paid exactly, which means that drivers do not carry change or issue tickets. Transfers should be requested when boarding a bus.

Car Hire

Available in all cities and from airports to full licence holders over 21 years of age. For some rental companies drivers may need to be at least 25 years old. Major companies from which cars can be booked in the UK for use in Canada are Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Pelican Car Hire and Thrifty.

Resorts & Excursions

Canada offers a huge range of attractions, from large cosmopolitan cities such as Montréal and Toronto in the south to isolated Inuit (Eskimo) settlements dotted around the frozen shores of Hudson Bay. The contrasting Pacific and Atlantic seaboards and the thousands of lakes and rivers of the interior provide superb watersports and fishing. The Rocky Mountains and other ranges offer breathtaking scenery on a grand scale. Some of the best resorts are in the series of great National Parks which preserve the wildlife and forests of Canada in their virgin state. Those in the north provide basic amenities for tours of the beautiful northern wilderness. A taste of the pioneering west can be had in the rich farming and grain regions of central Canada. Further north is the New Frontier of Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.