Canada - Info & Facts

Suggested Length of Stay

Canada can be experienced on a short major destination highlights holiday of 7 days to a grander 28 days adventure.

Modes of transport

Roads

For the most part, driving in Canada is very similar to driving in Australia, but some slight differences in the laws and provincial rules of the road vary between the countries. Remember Canada is a right-hand drive country and road signs in Quebec are in French.

Public transport

Bus

Travel by intercity coach is available between most major cities in Canada.

Rail

Passenger rail service in Canada, although very safe and comfortable, is often an expensive and inconvenient alternative to other types of transport. It is mostly used as a tourist attraction or a vital link to remote communities or those accessing the bush. The corridor between Windsor and Quebec City is the exception to this generalisation, with frequent service across Southern Ontario including Toronto, London, Kingston, and Ottawa and onward to Montreal and Quebec City. Also, if natural beauty is your thing, the approximately three-day train ride between Toronto and Vancouver passes through the splendour of the Canadian prairies and the Rocky Mountains, with domed observation cars to allow passengers to take in the magnificent views.

Flying

Canada has an extensive domestic network and is well worth flying if you are on a shorter itinerary.

Health Precautions

Health risks in Canada are similar to those in Australia.

Food and Drink

English Canadians may be mystified if you ask where you can get Canadian food. English Canadian cuisine varies from region to region. Some specialties include maple syrup, Nanaimo bars (chocolate-topped no-bake squares with custard or vanilla butter filling and crumb base), butter tarts (tarts made with butter, sugar, and eggs), beaver tails (fried dough topped with icing sugar), fiddleheads (curled heads of young ferns), peameal bacon (a type of back bacon made from lean boneless pork loin, trimmed fine, wet cured, and rolled in cornmeal; eaten at breakfast with eggs or for lunch as a sandwich), and Halifax donairs (sliced beef meatloaf wrapped in pitas and garnished with onions, tomatoes, and a sweet condensed milk sauce similar to Turkish döner). They are important, if somewhat humble, part of the Canadian culinary landscape.

Money

The local currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). You can change Australian dollars at commercial banks and exchange bureaus. Declare all amounts over $C10,000. This covers all forms of currency, not only cash. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted.

Time Zone

Canada has 8 time zones ranging from GMT-8 Pacific Time (Yukon, British Columbia) to GMT-3.5 Newfoundland Time (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Visas

Australian passport holders must apply for an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) before travelling to Canada by air. If you arrive by car, bus, train, or boat you don’t need an ETA or a visitor visa, but you do need to bring the right travel documents.

Australian Embassy & Consulate contacts in Canada

Australia has High Commission or General Consulates in Vancouver, Toronto, and Ottawa.

Canadian Embassy contacts in Australia

The Canadian High Commission is located in Canberra and Consulate is in Sydney

Electricity

For Canada, there are two associated plug types, types A and B. Plug type A is the plug that has two flat parallel pins and plug type B is the plug that has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin. Canada operates on a 120V supply voltage and 60Hz.

Getting there (stopovers)

Qantas and Various US-based airlines fly between Australian east coast cities and Canada via a US port.

Tipping

Gratuities are seldom included in Canadian restaurants. It is customary to tip approximately 15-20% on the total bill before tax, less for poor service, more for truly exceptional service. Many restaurants may charge an automatic 15-18% gratuity for larger groups.