Canada Hotels Flights Holiday and Travel Guide
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Canada Travel - Internal
AIR:
Air Canada has recently introduced 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 Tango by Air Canada, PO Box 64239, Thorncliffe Outlet, 5512 Fourth Street, NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2K 6JO (tel: (800) 315 1390 (toll free in
Canada); fax: (866) 584 0380; 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), and Air Zip (website: www.4321zip.com), Air Alliance, Air
Ontario and West-Jet (website: www.westjet.com (for central
Canada).
Reductions are available for those aged 13-21, with substantial
reductions for those under 12.
Departure
tax: From C$5 to C$28, depending on the airport of
departure and the destination.
Note: From 1 April 2002 there is was an Air Travellers
Security Charge (ATSC) which helps to pay for the additional security following
11 September 2001. This charge will be levied on all passengers departing from
any Canadian airport for domestic, national and international flights. The
charge is currently C$24 per person for national and international departures
and C$12 per person per flight for all domestic service to a maximum of C$24 per
person per ticket.
Canada Travel - 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 section).
Canada Travel - RAIL
VIA Rail Canada operates extensive services across Canada.
The regional railways are Ontario Northland, Algoma Central,
British Columbia Railway, Great Canadian Railtour Company,
Québec North Shore & Labrador, Toronto Hamilton &
Buffalo Railway, White Pass & Yukon Route. Children under
two years of age not occupying a separate seat may travel free (one per adult)
and children 2-11 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 12-17.
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. All trains
operating between Vancouver and Toronto include showers in 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 between Montréal
(Québec) and Halifax (Nova Scotia). Long-distance trains are extremely
comfortable, with full restaurant services, air conditioning, spacious reclining
seats, etc.
The Rocky Mountaineer service (website: www.rockymountaineer.com) 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 443km (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
(Toronto–North Bay–Cochrane–Moosonee) runs daily (except Friday) 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, Edmonton–Jasper–Prince George–Prince
Rupert (with exceptional scenery between Burns Lake and Prince Rupert), North
Vancouver–Squamish (a one-day 87km round-trip (54 miles) tour of the Howe Sound
on a steam locomotive to the logging town of Squamish where there are many First
Nation arts and crafts and the 374m (1000ft) Shannon Falls), Victoria–Courtenay
(along sheer cliffs to Malahat Summit with good views of Vancouver Island) and
Vancouver–Whistler–Lillooet–Prince George (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, then the snow-covered mountains looming
over the verdant forests and farmlands of the Pemberton Valley, before the final
descent into Fraser River Canyon).
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.
Canada Travel - 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 3 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 8-, 12-, 15- and
22-day travel within Alaska and British Columbia, including travel on Greyhound Canada,
Alaska Ferry, White Pass & Yukon
Railroad, Holland America Motorcoaches and Alaska 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 Contact Addresses section).
Canada Travel - ROAD
The 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). 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; fax: (613) 247 0118; website: www.caa.ca) is affiliated to most European organisations, giving full use of facilities to members. Road signs are international.
Canada Travel - 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 Canada Pass ticket must be purchased outside of North America
and entitles the holder to unlimited travel over periods of seven days, ten
days, 15 days, 21 days, 30 days, 45 days and 60 days in Alberta, British
Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon and
as far east as Montréal. The Greyhound Canada Pass PLUS offers unlimited
travel for seven days, ten days, 15 days, 21 days, 30 days, 45 days and 60 days
throughout all of Canada, including the area east of Montréal to the Maritimes.
The Greyhound Canada Pass includes 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.
The Canada Pass PLUS includes all these previous routes plus Orleans
Express: serving Montréal, Québec City and Rivière du Loup; Acadian
Lines: Amherst to Truro and Halifax and SMT Lines: routes through New
Brunswick. For further information contact Greyhound Canada (tel: (403) 265 9111
or (800) 661 8747 (toll free in USA and Canada); e-mail: canada.info@greyhound.ca; website: www.greyhound.ca). The Go Canada pass,
which includes hostel accommodation, costs £396 for 15 days/nights and £588 for
30 days/nights.
Gray Line is another bus company that offers
excursions to major Canadian resorts (website: www.grayline.ca). Canada also has regional bus
services, the most important of which are:
Atlantic Canada: Acadian
Lines, Terra Nova Transport, SMT Eastern and CN Roadcruiser.
Central
Canada: Canada Coach Lines, Voyageur and Voyageur Colonial, Grey Goose Bus
Lines Limited, Saskatchewan Transportation and Orleans Express.
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.
Besides long-distance travel, all these companies operate a
range of services, such as regional tours and escorted sightseeing for groups.
RoutPass offers 14-, 15-, 16- and 20-day passes for unlimited bus travel
in eastern Canada. Children are not charged if under 5 years old; half the adult
fare is charged for children aged 5-11 years old. Persons aged over 65 are
eligible for reductions on fares in some provinces. 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. Major companies from which cars can be booked in the UK
for use in Canada are Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar,
Hertz, National and Thrifty.
Traffic regulations: Traffic drives
on the right. Road speeds are in kilometres per hour and are: 100kph (60mph) on
motorways, 80kph (55mph) on rural highways and 50kph (30mph) in cities.
Distances are measured in kilometres. 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.
Note:The official date on which
winter begins, for this and other purposes, will vary from province to province.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is recommended though it
is not legally required. Visitors may drive on their national driving licences
for up to three months in all provinces, with the following exceptions: Yukon –
1 month; Prince Edward Island – 4 months; British Columbia, New Brunswick and
Québec – 6 months.
Canada Travel - Travel times:
The following chart gives approximate travel times
from Ottawa (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in
Canada.
| Air | Road | Rail | |
| Toronto | 1.00 | 5.00 | 4.00 |
| Montréal | 0.30 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Edmonton | 4.30 | 50.00 | 50.00 |
| Québec | 1.00 | 6.00 | 6.00 |
| Halifax | 2.00 | 24.00 | 24.00 |
| Winnipeg | 2.30 | 32.00 | 32.00 |
| Calgary | 4.00 | 50.00 | - |
| Vancouver | 5.00 | 62.00 | 75.00 |
| Regina | 5.00 | 40.00 | - |
Canada Travel - International:
Canada Travel - AIR:
Canada’s principal national
airline is Air Canada (AC) (website: www.aircanada.ca).
Approximate flight times: From London to Calgary is 8 hours 45 minutes, to Halifax
is 7 hours 5 minutes, to Montréal is 6 hours 30 minutes, to Toronto is 7 hours
15 minutes and to Vancouver is 9 hours 20 minutes.
From Los Angeles to
Montréal is 7 hours 20 minutes, to Toronto is 5 hours 15 minutes and to
Vancouver is 2 hours 50 minutes.
From New York to Montréal is 1 hour
15 minutes, to Toronto is 1 hour 20 minutes and to Vancouver is 5 hours 30
minutes.
From Singapore to Montréal is 23 hours 45 minutes, to Toronto
is 21 hours 35 minutes and to Vancouver is 26 hours.
From Sydney to
Montréal is 23 hours, to Toronto is 20 hours 30 minutes and to Vancouver is 18
hours 20 minutes.
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).
Gander (YQX)
(website: www.ganderairport.com)
is 3km (2 miles) from the city (travel time – 10 minutes).
Halifax (YHZ)
(website: www.hiaa.ca) is 35km (21 miles)
from the city (travel time – 30 minutes).
Hamilton (YHM) (website: www.yhm.com) is 10km (6 miles) from the city
(travel time – 20 minutes).
Montréal (YUL) (Dorval) (website: www.admtl.com) is 25km (15 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 – 20-45 minutes).
St John’s (YYT)
(website: www.stjohnsairport.com) is
8km (5 miles) from the city (travel time – 10-15 minutes).
Saskatoon
(YXE) (website: www.yxe.ca) is 7km (4.5
miles) from the city (travel time – 15 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 15km (9 miles)
from the city (travel time – 20-45 minutes).
Winnipeg (YWG) (website:
www.waa.ca) is 10km (6 miles) from the city
(travel time – 20 minutes).
Departure tax:
Vancouver has an Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) which
is C$15 for international departures and approximately C$10 for departures to
other North American destinations, including Hawaii and Mexico.
Montréal (Dorval) has a departure tax of C$10 for international departures. Transit
passengers and children under two years of age not occupying a seat are
exempt.
Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax and St John’s levy an
AIF of C$10, which is included in the ticket price. Calgary’s AIF is
C$12.
Note: Introduced
in April 2002 was a new Air Travellers Security Charge
(ATSC) which helps to pay for the additional security following 11 September
2001. This charge is levied on all passengers departing from any Canadian
airport for domestic, national and international flights. The charge in 2002 was C$24 per person for national and international departures and C$12 per
person per flight for all domestic service to a maximum of C$24 per person per
ticket.
Canada Travel - SEA:
The principal Canadian ports on the Atlantic Ocean (east coast)
are Halifax (Nova Scotia), St John (New Brunswick) and St John’s (Newfoundland).
Montréal and Québec have ports on the St Lawrence Seaway, which links the
Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes and the industrial heartland of Canada and
the USA. Toronto’s port is on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The port
of Vancouver is on the west coast. All are served by international shipping
lines, but Montréal (website: www.port-montreal.com) is the only port
for passenger liners from Europe.
Canada Travel - 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:
(888) 842 7245 (toll free in Canada); website: www.viarail.ca) or their UK
representative 1st Rail (tel: (0845) 644 3552/3).
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 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.
Montréal
Canada’s second-largest city, on a 48km-long (30 mile) island, is a sophisticated cosmopolitan metropolis with a 65 per cent francophone population. Careful central planning for Expo ’67 and the 1976 Olympic Games have produced a spacious and beautiful modern city. A series of underground shopping and recreation complexes, linked by walkways and the metro, is centred on Place Ville-Marie. The Place des Arts is the home of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra and several theatres offering year-round drama, music, ballet and opera. Both the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Contemporary Arts have good collections. Vieux-Montréal, the historic waterfront section, has been carefully restored. Main places of note here are: Place Jacques-Cartier, the former French governor’s residence; Château Ramezay; the city’s oldest church, Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecour; and Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History. Another museum of note is the Stewart Museum, which is dedicated to the exploration and discovery of the New World. It is located on the Ile Sainte-Hélène, in Montréal’s only fort. Mont-Royal Park is the city’s highest point, offering an excellent vista from the centre of Montréal. Behind-the-scenes tours of the Olympic Park, site of the 1976 games, are available. The park is also home to the world’s tallest leaning building, Botanical Gardens and Biodôme. The area around St-Denis is renowned for its many jazz cafes and small restaurants.
