CANADA TRAVEL TIPS FOR FIRST TIMERS | 20+ Must-Knows Before Visiting Canada
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I am going to be sharing everything you need to know for your first trip to Canada, from money-saving must-knows and common mistakes to avoid, all the way to bear-proof garbage cans and other oddly specific must-knows. In case you’re new here, hi, I’m Christina from HappyToWander.com and as a very proud Canadian, I couldn’t be more excited for today’s video, I’ve even worn my red plaid and everything. Now this channel is all about practical travel tips from someone who’s been there, done that, so be sure to like and subscribe if that sounds like your kind of thing. Now let’s get started with some Canada travel planning tips. First is to double-check whether or not you need an ETA or a Visa. A very common mistake that first-timers make is assuming that if they don’t need a visa then they don’t need to do anything else in order to enter Canada but this is actually not true. When it comes to flying into Canada, most citizens of Visa-exempt countries, apart from the US, do need to still apply for something online known as an electronic travel authorization, also known as an ETA. This applies even when you’re just transferring in Canada. Before you panic though, don’t worry, ETAs only take a few minutes to apply for, they only cost $7 and after you get one they are valid for 5 years or until your passport expires, so you don’t need to apply for one every single time you come into the country, the most important thing though is to remember to get one. While a lot of people say that ETAs can be processed in just a few minutes, the truth is sometimes it can take several days, so definitely make sure you get this done before you go to the airport. In any case, the official government of Canada website here has a list of all the different countries that do need a Visa or do need an ETA, so be sure to consult that list in advance of your trip. Now another important thing to consider when you’re flying into Canada is layover times. A very annoying thing about air travel in Canada is that sometimes if you’re transferring from an international flight to a domestic flight within Canada, sometimes you do need to actually go to baggage claim, pick up your bag and recheck it and go through security again. So if you have a short layover, this can, of course, be really, really stressful. Thankfully, some airlines these days do let you check your bag through to the final destination but, of course, that depends on the airline and it depends on a lot of different factors, so definitely double-check before you book something with a short layover. And to minimize stress at the airport, do definitely look into whether or not it’s possible for you to pre-book a time slot for security at an airport. A lot of Canadian airports these days do actually offer this option where you can book a time slot in advance and then essentially jump the queue once you’re actually at the airport. This can save a lot of time and stress so be sure to look into it. Now in terms of where to go for your big Canada trip, it is helpful to remember that Canada is huge. By area, Canada is actually the second-largest country in the entire world so needless to say, things are fairly spread apart here. So when people say that their plans for a one-week trip include Toronto, Vancouver and Banff, that’s not necessarily super realistic. Practically speaking, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense to try to cover the entire country in one trip, unless you have a lot of time. So what I would personally recommend is picking a region and exploring that region more thoroughly and you’re definitely going to have a better time. Some popular choices in terms of trips include the West Coast, the Rockies, the Maritimes, Toronto and Niagara Falls, and Montreal and Québec City. Of course, those are just the most popular and well-known options. I have to say, as someone who’s traveled quite a bit in Canada, there is so much more to see beyond just these main sites but for the purpose of a first-time traveler, I will say that those tend to be the main destinations. So that’s why I’d really recommend picking one area and really exploring it thoroughly because then that way you can add in some hidden gems as well. Now when you’re planning your trip, it’s also helpful to remember that Canada is incredibly diverse, with 10 provinces, three territories and six time zones. Yes, again, this country does really cover a lot of ground. And so it’s safe to say that different parts of Canada have very different things to offer in terms of landscape, culture, even temperatures and highlights as well. So don’t just assume that because you’ve been to the West Coast of Canada, you’ve completed the entire country because that’s definitely not the case. Apart from sites and climates though, one important thing to keep in mind is that different provinces and territories often do have differing laws when it comes to certain things, like legal drinking age, for instance. So definitely make sure when you’re doing your research to look into the provincial guidelines or the territorial guidelines for where you’re going. The diversity of the country also has a very direct impact on temperatures as well, so be sure to tailor your research as specifically as possible because it can really, really vary. There’s a common misconception that Canada is really cold all the time across the board but that’s not necessarily the case. Where you go really impacts what the temperature is going to be, so whereas Winnipeg does get super, super cold winters, here in Vancouver our winters are relatively quite mild, so knowing this is going to help you do your research and also help you decide maybe when you should be visiting as well. Overall, I think that summer and autumn are the best times to be visiting Canada but, of course, that depends on what your priorities are. If you want to see a classic Canadian winter or you want to enjoy some winter sports, maybe go skiing then, of course, winter is better but springtime can be really beautiful as well. In Vancouver, for example, we’re very well known for our cherry blossom season, so again, there’s really great reasons to visit year-round, just keep in mind that temperatures do vary across the country so be as specific as possible when you’re doing your research. Now another common misconception is that all Canadians speak French. Granted, French is an official language of Canada but depending on where you go, you can’t necessarily expect to just bust the French out and expect people to understand what you’re saying everywhere you go. In fact, there’s only one officially bilingual province in Canada and it’s probably not the one you think, it’s actually New Brunswick. So that said, you definitely don’t need to learn French for your trip to Canada unless maybe you’re going to more rural parts of Québec. With English, you are perfectly fine to get by in most destinations. But if you are headed to Québec, one important thing to keep in mind is that Québécois French is very distinct and the accent can be quite difficult for people to understand if they’re not used to it. So if you’ve been learning French, kind of the French way, like how they would speak it in France or if you’re from France, a lot of the time when you come to Québec you’ll realize that they use some different vocabulary, the accent is very different and you might have some difficulty understanding. But at the end of the day, don’t panic, in Québec, especially in the touristy areas, most people do speak English as well so don’t worry about that too much. In terms of currency in Canada, of course, we use the Canadian dollar. All our bills are actually plastic and fun fact, there is a very common myth going around that our $100 bills smell like maple syrup. And call it a weird mind trick but I swear it actually does, so if you get your hands on a $100 bill, don’t be afraid to sniff it. Coins-wise, pennies have been abolished for years so if you’re paying with cash then typically what happens is they’ll round the number. 5 cents are known as nickels, 10 cents are known as dimes, quarters are 25 cents and, in possibly the most Canadian vocabulary you can ever learn, a dollar coin is known as a loonie and a $2 coin is known as a toonie. In practice though, these days most businesses actually prefer card payments, whether that’s debit or credit, although some smaller business businesses will still be cash-only especially if they’re trying to avoid fees, so I would recommend having at least $20 cash on you at all times but most of the time you can get by with just card. Now if you’re coming from overseas, I will say that card payments are so common that I would really recommend you get a card that isn’t going to charge you crazy fees for using it abroad. So definitely consider getting a travel-friendly credit card. I’ve been using Wise for years and I have had no complaints, they’re really great and if you use my referral link you can actually get your first transfer for free, up to 500 dollars, euros, can’t remember but up to 500 something. Now as far as accommodation goes, do be aware that unfortunately, accommodation in Canada, in my opinion, is super expensive and generally speaking, the value for money is quite poor. I think it’s because we actually don’t have enough hotels to accommodate the tourism demand and so sometimes you can expect to pay upwards of 300 Canadian dollars for what I consider a pretty mediocre hotel room. So your best defense against this is just booking as far in advance as possible because all the good value options tend to get snapped up pretty quickly. Now when choosing a place to stay, one thing to really pay attention to is location. Most of the time I will say, if your hotel looks pretty cheap there probably is a reason for that so make sure you’re reading reviews and double-checking the location on a map because a lot of hotels in Canada that are more affordable tend to be located really far away from the sites, maybe off of a highway or something and generally, if you want to be having a good time and not wasting time in transport all day, you do want to be staying as close as possible to the main sites. Now if you plan to go camping when you’re in Canada, you know, to enjoy all that glorious nature, something to keep in mind is that campsites in Canada really book out super far in advance. Honestly, the camping culture in this country, I find wild sometimes because it really eliminates spontaneity, in the sense that all the campsites that are run by Parks Canada actually book out months in advance because they release all the time slots and all the dates that you can book on the same day, generally in January or February. That means on the same day, everyone is trying to compete for the best camping spots and that means that people do need to book their camping months in advance and there’s not really that much room for spontaneity. I mean fortunately for visitors, I think most of the time you are going to be booking things really far in advance anyway, so it’s probably not going to impact you too much but if you are planning on camping, I’m going to be leaving a link in the description to the official Parks Canada website where you can find all the different campsites and their launch dates. And you do want to make sure you are online for the dates that they launch these campsites and make them available to the public because people here are very ruthless when it comes to their campsite. Now when you’re building your itinerary for Canada, of course, Canadian cities are really fun and they’re convenient to fly into but I will say, the best part about Canada is the nature so make sure, even if you’re doing a city break, that you are incorporating some glorious Canadian nature into your itinerary as well. But do note that if you are planning on going to any National Parks there is an entry fee associated with those, so again, you can check out the Parks Canada website for a detailed list of entry fees. Finally, just FYI, Canadian outlets use type S and type B plugs that look like this, so they’re the same ones that you use in the US but if you’re coming from overseas, then you might need an adapter or a converter if you’re working with electronics that need a different voltage. Alright, next let’s move on to Canadian transport tips and tips for getting around the country. Flying is hands down the best way to get from city to city in Canada given how vast the distances are between major cities. And when it comes to air travel in Canada, really the landscape is dominated by two major airlines: WestJet and Air Canada. Honestly, both airlines are fine but they also have their flaws, at the end of the day I wouldn’t say one is objectively better than the other because they both kind of have the same issues that they deal with. So at the end of the day, I would just choose based on which price is better or perhaps who you have airline loyalty status with. These days there are also certain budget carriers that service Canada like Flair Air and Porter. Porter, in particular, has been very popular because their whole thing is that included with your economy class ticket you get free drinks and snacks included, as well as free Wi-Fi. Having flown with Porter I will say the planes are a little bit older but the experience overall is quite nice. What I will say though, is with these budget airlines where they tend to get you is with the extra fees, so oftentimes when you’re searching up different flights these budget airlines will show you a price that doesn’t include any checked bags or any carry-on bags even. Sometimes they’ll also fly into airports that are a bit farther away from the city center so do know that there is a catch with these budget airlines, it’s not cheap for no reason but sometimes you can find some really good deals. Now what about alternatives to flying? Unfortunately, when it comes to long-distance travel in Canada, the alternatives are not great. In terms of long-distance bus travel the options have really been super limited ever since Greyhound discontinued their operations across the country in 2021. Plus, given how vast the distances are, you don’t want to spend an entire day sitting on a bus so realistically bus travel isn’t the best if you’re getting from city to city. That said, to cover shorter distances there are quite a few companies you can look into like Flixbus, for instance, I took them to get from Niagara Falls to Toronto and honestly, it was fine, pretty no-frills but a good budget alternative. Unfortunately, long-distance passenger rail in Canada also leaves quite a bit to be desired, with the main exception being around Ontario and Québec. There’s only one national passenger rail company in Canada and that’s VIA Rail and as you can see, according to the route, map most of their operations are kind of concentrated in this area. But if you do plan on traveling across Canada by train, as someone who has done it going from Vancouver all the way to Halifax, I will say it is quite a fun experience but there’s a few things you really need to keep in mind. First is you should only prioritize train travel in Canada if you’re not in any rush. Canadian passenger rail is notorious for its delays, especially when you’re doing those long distances because essentially what happens is freight trains in Canada have priority, so anytime a freight train comes, the passenger train has to pull over and wait and so over time the delays can really accrue to upwards of the day. So unless your goal is to really experience that train aspect of it, there are really better ways to get around. Now in terms of saving on train tickets, the best day to book is by far on Tuesdays, VIA Rail always has a Tuesday special where you save 10% off your tickets with the code Tuesday. And if you’re flexible, there’s also a special sales page on their website where you can enter your departure point and then it’s going to show you the cheapest trains leaving from that destination, the different dates, the different cabin categories and things and often times you can find some really, really good deals. Now in terms of shorter distances, if you’re using a major Canadian city as a base, public transport is generally pretty decent with options including buses, trams, ferries and even rapid transit like the SkyTrain in Vancouver, the TTC in Toronto and the metro in Montreal. So if you’re visiting a major Canadian city, I would say public transport is generally fine and you won’t need to rent a car. That said, if you want to get out in nature or explore beyond the city center, then having a car in Canada can be super handy. Generally, when I’m comparing different car rental options I’ll just hop on Discover Cars and that will allow you to search up different companies at the same time. It’s also worth noting as well that most major Canadian cities have Bike Share programs, so if you want a fun way to get around and you’re comfortable on a bike then that’s definitely something to look into as well. Now finally, let’s move on to some Canada travel tips for once you arrive. First, prepare for sales tax to be added on top of your purchases. I don’t really know why this is the case but unfortunately, in Canada, when you’re shopping the prices that you see on the price tags don’t actually include tax so when you go up to the till to pay, don’t be surprised when you have to pay a little bit more than what you expected just because the tax gets added on top. Speaking of paying extra, let’s now talk about Canadian tipping culture. Unfortunately, tipping is very widespread in Canada and is fully expected in all realms of public life, from restaurants and cafes and bars all the way to taxis, haircuts, you name it, even at the liquor store sometimes they’ll ask you to tip. I don’t personally love this system but it is so widespread that I think visitors really need to keep it in mind. When paying by card, which is the norm these days, most of the time when you insert your card or tap it it’ll give you an option to add tip on top of what you’re paying so generally, it’ll give you an option of entering a set dollar amount or it can also have percentages as well and so it’ll do the math for you. Even with quick service or fast food, a lot of the time what happens now is they’ll tell you the total and then they’ll flip the screen around and it’s an iPad that asks you for a tip. In these situations it is a bit more of a grey area, some people don’t tend to tip for takeout but don’t be surprised if they give you a bit of attitude if you don’t. In terms of food, I think a lot of first-time visitors are very keen to tackle what they think Canadian cuisine is. But I have to say, one of the best things about Canada is just how diverse the country is and our approach to multiculturalism here is really something that we call a cultural mosaic whereby people, yes, when they move here they become Canadian but at the same time they still really like to honor their roots and traditions and, of course, cuisine. So one really cool byproduct of this is in major Canadian cities you will tend to find food from all around the world. In fact, some popular dishes from large immigrant populations like pierogies, for instance, have become so popular in Canada I almost consider them honorary Canadian foods. So be sure to try as many different cuisines as possible when you come to Canada. Which ones to try may depend on where you’re visiting so in Vancouver, for instance, sushi and Chinese food are really, really big whereas Jamaican beef patties in Toronto are practically their own religion. All that said though, there are certain Canadian staples that I think are well worth trying. Nationwide, besides the obvious maple-flavoured everything, poutine or ”poutin’,’ if you want to pronounce it the Québécois way, is probably the best-known Canadian food and something that you definitely need to try, especially if you’re in Québec but you can find it all over the country. Basically, this is a Québécois specialty that involves fries with gravy and squeaky cheese curds. So, so good, often there’s different toppings as well but you don’t necessarily need to add the fancy toppings, I find a classic poutine is so so good. Donairs are another Canadian twist on the traditional doner kebab and is typically made with beef and a sweet Donair sauce. And of course, we can’t forget Canada’s national cocktail; the Caesar. This is like a Bloody Mary but it’s made with Clamato juice instead, which is like a tomato and clam juice mix and you add in some hot sauce, some Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and some celery salt on the rim and there tends to be a very elaborate garnish sometimes as well, the most standard one is celery or maybe a pickle but you can find some restaurants that will deck it out with an entire full meal, so definitely a very popular thing to try in Canada, though beware that a lot of first- timers do not like it. Not to mention the many unique snacks and flavors that we have in Canada like ketchup chips or all dressed chips, as well as sweet treats like butter tarts and Beaver Tails, which are not as they sound, they’re basically just these slabs of fried dough that have fun toppings like candy and chocolate. Other regions in Canada also have their own specialties, like the lobster rolls in Atlantic Canada or the bagels and smoked meat in Montreal. So definitely be sure to research based on your specific destinations. Oh, and Tim Hortons is, of course, a Canadian national icon but I have to stress the food is just fine, like it’s not going to blow your mind, you know, it’s – it’s fast food so if you want to try it to have a very quintessentially Canadian experience, go for it but just keep in mind the food is not going to blow you away. If you do go to Timmy’s though, I really like their breakfast sandwiches and the most common coffee order is a double double, so that’s a coffee with two creams and two sugars. If you’re up for experimenting a little bit though, my personal favorite is a half French vanilla, half coffee, it’s really, really good. Now sorry, I didn’t realize I was going to get so specific about Tim Hortons but if you’re still with me, be sure to comment “Timmy’s” in the comments. Now finally, I also recommend you try some Indigenous food in Canada if you get a chance. These days there’s actually quite a few Indigenous restaurants popping up across the country in major Canadian cities where you can try some really delicious specialties like Bannock, which is like a tasty flatbread, bison burgers and various types of game sausage. Now on that note, if you are visiting Canada and you want to learn a bit more about the Indigenous history and culture of Canada, then do keep in mind that there’s over 700 different Indigenous communities across the country so there’s a lot of ground to cover. In Canada, we tend to use the term Aboriginal or Indigenous to refer to the first inhabitants of Canada, including the First Nations, Inuit and Méti peoples. Terms like Indian and Native are definitely less common, so be sure to use the term Indigenous in your research, you’re likely to find more things that way. And if you’re interested in seeing this side of Canadian culture then Destination Indigenous is a really great resource. Now in terms of safety, it’s very important to keep in mind that while Canadian wildlife is super cool, you should make sure you’re keeping your distance. Especially in nature-focused spots like Banff and Jasper, you often hear stories of tourists getting way too close to bears, elk, moose, other really dangerous animals and obviously, they’re cool and you want to take photos of them but remember at the end of the day, as cute and fun as they are, they are wild animals that have the ability to really hurt you so be sure to keep your distance and admire them from afar. And if you’re planning a trip that involves hiking, I’m not joking that there is a lot of wildlife in Canada like bears that you might encounter depending on where you go. So before you head out on the trails, don’t just assume that you know what hiking is going to be like because you’ve hiked in your home country, it is important that you be “bear aware” and kind of learn the basic etiquette when it comes to encountering wildlife. I’m not saying this to scare you but you do encounter bears pretty often out in the wild so be sure to keep that in mind and look into the necessary things to bring with you. Now speaking of bears, in Canada you’ll very commonly encounter trash cans that are designed to be bear-proof and it’s very funny because if you’ve never encountered these trash cans before, they can be really difficult to understand, so if you ever see a trash can that looks like this: essentially what you’re looking for is some kind of latch or button that you can push so that you can open the door. So most of the time there’s going to be like a little button or like press-y thing that you can do underneath so be sure to look out for that and if you’re pulling on a trash can and the lid’s not opening, it’s probably because of a bear-safe mechanism so be sure to assess it and use your common sense because I’ve seen a lot of people struggling with these. On a similar safety note, if you’re coming in winter and you see a frozen lake or a frozen river, do not walk on it unless you’re with someone who’s very experienced and knows when it’s safe to go on the ice because a lot of the time, tourists don’t really know when it’s safe to actually walk and you can get stuck in a really, really tricky situation. So better safe than sorry, admire the ice from afar. Needless to say, you should also avoid getting too close to cliff edges and waterfalls. I would say this is common sense but unfortunately, I have witnessed enough in real life to know that this is not the case. Alright, thank you so much for watching, I hope that was helpful, be sure to like and subscribe for more travel videos just like this one and wishing you safe travels to Canada. I’ll see you next time, bye!
