General Information and Advice

Visit spectacular Canada

These pages are intended to provide you with more information about travelling to Canada.

There can hardly be a more pleasurable way to experience Canada than by motorhome. You need to be confident enough to tackle a large, left-hand drive vehicle on the ‘other’ side of the road, but with a little concentration it doesn’t take long to get used to and once on the open road it can be pure motoring joy.

Campgrounds are different to those at home. Facilities are simpler, pitches smaller and there is no six metre rule. However this is usually made up for by the sites’ locations.

On Escorted Tours

On escorted tours, the emphasis is on touring, so some days will involve long drives. Distances given are approximate and suggested places of interest are listed in the brochure and in the day book provided with your travel pack. How much or how little you do is up to you, but most members do a lot!

Your tour escorts will be available throughout the tour to provide information, bring the group together while on site and to help out if any difficulties are encountered.

Passports and visas

A full ten-year passport is required by all British visitors to Canada. British citizens do not need visas for Canada. Your passport must be valid until at least 24 hours beyond your return flight to the UK (but preferably longer, in case of any unforeseen delays at departure). Holders of any non-British passport should check with the Canadian embassy before departing.

Prohibited items

No sharp objects, even pen knives or nail clippers, scissors or files, must be taken into the plane cabin. All liquids may also be refused in cabin baggage, unless you can prove, with appropriate certification, that they are for essential use (please check your airline’s documentation for its specific policy on this). Such items will be confiscated unless they are in checked hold baggage. Certain animal products, fresh fruit, plant materials or animal pests may not be allowed into the country.

British diplomatic representation in Canada

British Consulate-General
1111 Melville Street, Suite 800
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 3V6
Tel: (001) 604 683 4421
Fax: (001) 604 681 0693

British High Commission
80 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5K7
Tel: (001) 613 237 1530; (001) 613 237 1530
Fax: (001) 613 237 7980

British Consulate-General
777 Bay Street, Suite 2800
College Park
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2G2
Tel: (001) 416 593 1290
Fax: (001) 416 593 1229

Other locations of British diplomatic representation in Canada can be found at ukincanada.fco.gov.uk

Tourist Information

The address of Canada’s tourist board in the UK is:

Canadian Tourism Commission
15 Bermondsey Square
London SE1 3UN, United Kingdom
Fax: 44 207 389 9988
Website: uk.canada.travel
Email: visitcanada@dial.pipex.com

Tourist information will be supplied with your travel pack before departure.

Health

The Department of Health does not make any specific health recommendations for visitors to Canada. However, you may also like to check with your doctor before departure. Canada has no reciprocal health agreement with the UK, so you must have full medical insurance to cover the cost of any possible treatment required. For example, if hospitalised, charges are typically $1000-$2000 per day. Visitors bringing in medications should make sure that they also carry a doctor’s certificate in order to avoid problems with customs.

Please note that full and comprehensive medical and personal holiday insurance with Europ Assistance is available through Carefree Travel Service.

Currency

The Canadian dollar is made up of 100 cents. There are (as of 5 January 2012) 1.58 dollars to the pound. Currency can be purchased in advance from your bank or from bureaux de change. Travellers Cheques in Canadian dollars can also be bought in advance from your bank. All major credit cards are recognised in Canada. Cash machines are found at banks and in retail areas throughout Canada. Most cash machines accept UK issued Visa and MasterCard cards. We recommend credit cards and travellers’ cheques as the best way to pay for your purchases. You must carry at least one major credit card with you in order to leave a deposit with the motorhome hire company.

Usual banking hours are Monday to Thursday 09:30-16:00, with many banks open to 18:00 on Friday. Some banks or specific branches may be open later on weekday evenings and some may open on Saturdays.

Time zone

British Columbia is eight hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, Alberta is seven hours behind, Ontario is five hours behind and Nova Scotia is four hours behind.

Security

As elsewhere in the world, it is a very good idea to be generally vigilant about your property, both in terms of your motorhome and personal belongings. No-one wants unnecessary trouble while on the holiday of a lifetime!

Weather and clothing

Bathed by currents of warm, humid air from the Pacific, the coast of British Columbia has the most moderate climate of any region in Canada. Vancouver and Victoria enjoy pleasant and relatively dry summers and mild, wet winters. Snowfalls are rare in low-altitude regions and when snow falls it generally melts the same day.

The Rockies have a much more severe climate. The mountains bring a much colder, longer and snowier winter. Summer, however, is just as warm as on the coast. However, weather can change at a moment's notice, so be prepared.

In Ontario, the presence of the great lakes has a moderating effect on the climate, which is not as continental as might be expected. You should still expect summers to be hotter than in the UK, with week long heat waves not uncommon. The autumn is a favourite for many, with its long, mild and sunny days and bracing nights. In the winter, temperatures average –5°C with very variable weather. Climate in Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador; collectively also known as the Maritimes) is very variable. There can be heavy snowfalls that melt completely several times per winter. Summers are warm, but not hot, with temperatures around 24°C.

Fog is very common, especially from April to June. You should bring plenty of light, comfortable clothing that can be easily layered, as well as enough warm outdoor clothing. Good rain gear is a wise precaution against inclement weather at any time of year.

A comfortable pair of shoes for walking and sightseeing is essential. Some members recommend smart clothes for dining out, but this is simply a matter of individual preference. Canadians usually have a very relaxed dress code.

Tipping

As service charges are not normally added to bills, a tip of about 15 per cent on the pre-tax total is standard practice in restaurants and bars (both at the bar and at the table) and for taxi drivers, barbers and hairdressers. At the customer’s discretion porters, room service and doormen at hotels and airports generally get $1-$2 per baggage item carried.

It is a very good idea to take some currency in small bills with you to cover tips on arrival.

It is also standard practice to tip tour guides, so you might like to have some small bills to hand as you leave excursion buses.

Shopping

Canada has excellent shopping, particularly enjoyable in markets and at native craft shops. Many stores open for the hours of 0900 or 1000 to 1800, seven days per week. City stores and suburban shopping centres are often open until 2100 on several weeknights, particularly on Thursday and Friday. There is also a growing number of shops which are also open on Sundays. Vancouver and Toronto, particularly, are a shopper’s paradise. Whether you are looking for fashion items, native arts and craft, antiques, ceramics or simply souvenirs, you’ll find everything you want there. You will also see plenty of other items to take your fancy when you are on the road. Shopping for food and drink is easy, with supermarkets that are very similar to home. You may also find that fresh produce is often sold at roadside stands in fruit and vegetable growing areas.

Mineral water can be bought but all tap water is drinkable unless marked otherwise.

Bringing goods into the UK

You are entitled to the allowances shown below

200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco OR you can combine these allowances. For example, if you bring in 100 cigarettes (half your full allowance) you can also bring in 25 cigars (half your full allowance).
Other goods (including perfume and souvenirs) worth up to £390
2 litres of still table wine
1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or any other alcoholic drink less than 22 per cent volume OR you can combine these allowances. For example, if you bring in one litre of fortified wine (half your full allowance) you can also bring in half a litre of spirits (half your full allowance)
16 litres of beer AND 4 litres of still wine

If you want to bring back more, you will have to declare it to customs on your way back and pay Customs duty and VAT. For more information, visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs.

Local taxes

GST (goods and services tax) is a 5% federal tax applied to most goods and services provided in Canada. In all provinces except Alberta, an additional provincial sales tax (PST) of between 5-10% also applies to purchases and financial transactions; but territories do not add PST. HST (harmonized sales tax) is a 13% tax that replaces the PST and GST in the provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. GST or HST may be either included in prices, or added separately. You may be entitled to a rebateof local taxes you pay during your holiday.
For more information, please visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca/visitors.

Lonely Planet Guides
The Lonely Planet guide to Canada is recommended. All Lonely Planet guides can be ordered from Carefree.

Accuracy of information
This information was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing (5 January 2012).