Travelling to Canada next week, any tips?

[Shran]

Wife & I are going on our honeymoon finally and decided to go to Banff for a week. Any travel tips, things I should know specific to Canada?

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Travelling to Canada next week, any tips?

Don't.

 

[Blmpkn]

Try to stop in and confirm if RonD is really a 6 year old kid with a pork addiction.


Get some poutine.

 

[Snoranger]

If you’re going there to do work, don’t lie and say it’s just for vacation… if they catch you, you get banned from Canada for 2 years.

 

[RonD]

Current exchange rate is 1.35, so $100us = $135can, this means 33% discount on anything you buy
But stores and restaurants might only give you 20-25% exchange if you pay in US$

Most Credit Cards now charge 2.5% to do foreign exchange on purchases, so cash can save you some money
Not a bad idea to go to your bank and buy some Can.$ for the trip, and it looks funny too, lol
Any bank can ordered Can$ in if they don't have it on hand, so check how long it takes
No $1 or $2 bills, we have "Loonie" $1 coin, and "Toonie" $2 coin

Banff is a tourist area so prices tend to be higher
Scenery is its main attraction, and it is stunning

Should get some good weather, but it will get cold in the evening, its at 4,500ft elevation
The Banff Gondola is nice on a clear day, about $40us, so $64can
Loads of walking or driving trails/roads
Lots of "day trips" out of Banff, because it is a tourist area, lol

Have a great Honeymoon

 

[Roert42]

First suggestion is to not go to Canada. Nice enough place, but way too many Canadians.

Easiest way to get Foreign Money is to wait until you get there, and go to bank and use the ATM. Some Hotels will exchange cash at the front desk. I travel a lot for work, always done it this way, saves you all the exchange fees, just pay the $2 ATM fee.


If you are driving, prepare to be stopped for 40 years getting questioned because you are the only one there. If you fly they are just shuffling cattle thru a chute and you will be done in minutes.

 

[RonD]

Just FYI, ATMs charge 2.5% -3.5% Foreign exchange fee now, plus the usage fee($2+) so same as using credit card, or even more

Outside of a company that does foreign exchange, your local bank will usually give you the best deal

Don't bring weapons, of any kind, across the border, and you will only have to wait maybe 20 years, lol

 

[Curious Hound]

Get photos of our Canadian TRS members

 

[Uncle Gump]

Passport... proof of covid vaccine?

Not sure of the rules these days...

 

[Shran]

Not working, lol, definitely not working. Wife will cut my head off and leave my body there if I am tempted to do any work.

We are driving up through Montana and then almost to Calgary, then west to Banff. My buddy went a year or two ago and said they got questioned a lot about foods and stuff that they were bringing in.

Good to know about the ATMs - our tentative plan was to bring maybe like $500 cash and put the big expenses on a credit card. Is USD cash commonly accepted up there? I guess I would rather exchange some and pay in CND... that way I don't have to mentally keep track of the exchange rate.

 

[Roert42]

proof of covid vaccine?

Not sure if they still do it, but a few years ago you had to download an app or something, and fill out the documentation before you entered Canada. If you waited until you got there they would turn you around and put you back on a plane.

 

[bilbo]

We had a family trip to Banff planned a few years ago. The plan was to drive to Winnipeg then west to get there, then down and through Montana on the way back. Then the Covid thing happened and the border was shut down. As that continued to be extended we finally gave up and went to the UP instead. I'm jealous; my wife and I would still like to go there. It's beautiful country.

 

[RonD]

Actually it was the US that required the Covid vaccine proof to come in, ended May 11th 2023
No Covid related paper work is required to cross US/Canada border either way now, driving or flying

Yes, unprocessed foods are banned, and fresh fruits and vegetables, same coming back in to the US
Guns are a big deal
Most Canadians think anyone from the US has maybe 1 gun you can see but 2 that are hidden, lol
So don't bring a gun, and clean out all the bullets in the vehicle, if they find one they WILL disassemble the vehicle looking for the gun
The 40 year wait

One heads up, if you have ever been charged with impaired driving, not convicted just charged, they can/will not allow you to enter Canada, so keep it to yourself unless asked directly about passed arrrests, usually if it was more than 5 years ago they will let it slide but there is no metric for it, they can refuse entry even if it was 20 years ago

 

[Josh B]

Take an extra qt of oil just in case, they can't make a normal size one there.
Yall have fun, be careful out there

 

[Curious Hound]

So don't bring a gun, and clean out all the bullets in the vehicle, if they find one they WILL disassemble the vehicle looking for the gun

But they’re probably very polite about it.