7 Things to know before you travel to Canada
Canada, one of the best countries to travel for visitation or residence, stands out for its cities with bustling streets, villages with maple trees and parks with magnificent views of lakes, mountains, and wildlife.
If this breathtakingly beautiful North American country is in your travel list, there are a lot of things you should know before visiting, from getting a visa to setting your feet on the land.
To keep you away from the vale of tears situation the electronic travel authorization visa (eTA) processing can be your white knight. In order to get an e-Visa for Canada, all you need are a valid passport and a debit or credit card. Once you have got this part covered, there are some other essential factors to consider that can make your trip totally worth the time and effort.
Curious much? Check out the best 7 things to keep on mind before you travel to Canada.
1. Prepare for ‘the cold’
Canada is one of the coldest countries in the world. You should be well-prepared by packing some thick coats to remain warm under the blanket of snow. You may even need to wear plenty of layered clothing, so don’t forget to double-check what clothes you are taking as buying a long coat in Canada can make quite a big dent on your budget.
Canada in winter
2. Get your papers right
If you are traveling to Canada from the US, then you don’t a visa. However, from any other part of the world, you must have a visa or an e-visa for Canada. Before completing the e-visa procedure online within a few minutes, you need to check the details on your passport, validity date, blank pages for visa and etc. so that nothing gets amiss.
3. To take or not to take
You can take your beloved pets in Canada with necessary documents, but bringing fresh food or extra liquors in your bag is not allowed. So, if you ever get cravings for fruits or liquors at the airport, then you can quench your thirst by buying yourself drinks and food from duty-free stores. Unfortunately, there is also a limit! Also, keep on mind that whatever is priced more than CAD 60, you have to pay tax for it.
4. Legally driving in Canada is possible
If you are from the US, then you have good news! The US driving license is completely transferable to a Canadian driving license. You could even use the same license; however, the rules are a bit different in Canada. So, before transferring your license, you just need a few rules and regulations to comply. If you are someone from other part of the world, then you need to get a driving license in Canada following the legalized terms.
5. You need to exchange cash
After reading some black and white pages online, you may think that you do not need to exchange your money into CAD. However, simply converting your money into US dollar will not let you enjoy traveling the entire country. In remote towns and small villages, US dollars are not accepted. So, get your old US dollars converted into CAD wads if you don’t want this scenario.
6. The road can be your home
If your plan is to visit all the tourist spots in Canada, then most of the time you need to stay on roads Because the distances are enormous. So, it would be a better idea to visit Canada having a bit extended time On Hand. Or, you can just target a single state of Canada rather than just rushing towards one region to another.
cold Canada
7. Taxes are everywhere
You may get surprised while paying money on a restaurant or buying good on supermarkets after seeing the tax label on bills. Yes, in Canada you have to pay a lot of Taxes. Tax percentage may depend on the state you are staying. In some regions, the tax level can get up to 15%. If you cease your mind thinking of the tax refund program for tourists in Canada, then it would be a bad idea as the program got dropped in 2007.
Final words
It may seem like traveling to Canada is expensive. To be honest, it is, but compared to the other nations, Canada cares the most about the tourists. In fact, you can even get a health insurance here. So, if you are planning to stay in Canada for a long while, then do not forget about medical insurance because medical bills are sky high in this country.
TIP: Check my article about similarities and differences between Canada and Slovakia. You might get surprised about some of them. At least I was :)
