FAQs

A passport valid until at least the day after you return from Canada. If you hold a full British Passport, you do not need a visa. For other nationals please refer to Visas.

Yes, Canada has a strict legal system and limits its visitors. If you have a criminal record please contact the High Commission for clarification.

Canadian High Commission
Immigration Section
38 Grosvenor Street
London, U.K
W1K 4AA

Children must have their own passport. A letter of permission is required from the parents of any children accompanying travellers who do not have legal custody of the children. If only one parent is travelling with the child, a letter of authority from the other parent is required. If this is impossible, we recommend carrying a letter from a solicitor or a death certificate if applicable to avoid awkward questions at Immigration.

Alcohol – Those meeting the age requirements of the province or territory of entry (19 in most provinces; 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec) may bring either 40 oz. of liquor or wine or 24, 12 oz. containers of beer or ale.
Tobacco – Visitors meeting the age requirements of the province or territory of entry may bring in 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 7 oz. loose tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks.

19 in most provinces. 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

A Valid British Licence is all you need.

Driving is on the right hand side of the road. Pedestrians have the right of way and in certain provinces you can turn right on a red signal. There is also a 4-way stop. This is a cross roads where the right of way is given to first to arrive at the cross roads.

Air Canada you are allowed 1 checked bag and 1 piece of carry on baggage For each bag the maximum weight is 50 lbs (23 (kg). The maximum linear dimensions of your suitcase must be no more than 62 inches or 158 cms. There are special rates for sporting equipment such as golf bags and skis.

Air Transat Free allowance on Air Transat is 20 kg (44 lbs) total per passenger in Economy Class and 40 kg (88 lbs) in Club Class plus a small carry-on bag. Free carriage of certain items such as golf bags, child seats and skis.

If flying on Air Canada, we will reserve your seats free of charge. British Airways does charge depending on the seat /class chosen. Otherwise you can select your seat within 24 hours prior to travel when you check in on line.

A 5% purchase tax (GST) or 12% tax (HST in B.C. – this combines the GST & PST) that is levied on most goods and services similar to the VAT in the UK. Confusingly for us, it is not included in the price labels of things in shops but levied at the check out counter. Tax can be reclaimed on certain articles.

The Canadian Inland Revenue have recently removed the rebate for GST on hotel accommodation so this is now included in your holiday. If you buy certain goods over the value of $50 in Canada, you may be able to reclaim the tax. Visit the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency website for more details.

For most able-bodied people, taking a vacation is no great challenge. Just put together the money, climb aboard a plane and away you go. For many people with disabilities, it is not so easy. Getting on and off airplanes, getting around your vacation spot, finding accessible hotels and restaurants can all pose great challenges. Increasingly, travel providers are recognizing the need to increase accessibility for travellers with disabilities. A variety of travel services are now offered to travellers with special needs. So, as you are planning your trip, visit Access to Travel for details on national transportation carriers, local transportation, and a variety of travel resources on facilities and services.

Canadians celebrate several national (federally established) statutory holidays, in addition to various statutory holidays established by the provinces and territories. Holiday Dates.

Canadian appliances operate on 110 voltage, 60Hz alternating current 2 pins. This means that unless you have a transformer your electrical appliances will only work at half their usual strength as the UK has 240 volts and AC. For more information, check out the World Electric Guide which can tell you what the voltage, frequencies and plugs are in many different countries, including Canada.

To dial the UK from Canada prefix the number with 011 44 ie 01144 208 776 8709 A UK mobile, unless it is a tri-band, will not work in Canada. You will also find that much of Canada is not covered by a mobile network. Many Canadian pay phones take credit cards and you can buy phone cards in Canada that offer very cheap telephone calls to the UK. To dial Canada prefix the 10 digit number by 001. You will normally see Canadian numbers written (001) 123 4567. You will need to dial all this.

In such a huge country, the weather varies enormously. Have a look at Canada Weather for some stats and the current weather

Things are generally cheaper in Canada than in the UK. Here are some sample prices based on an exchange rate of $1.5 to the £1:

• litre of bottled water: 55p
• cup of coffee and doughnut: £ 1.50
• pack of cigarettes: £ 3.50 to £ 4.50
• newspaper: 75p
• t-bone steak per kg: £ 23.00
• litre of petrol: 75p
• souvenir t-shirt: £ 5.00
• bottle of Molson: £ 3.00
• litre of milk: 95p
• movie ticket: £ 7.50

Canada has 6 time zones!

1. London – GMT -0000
2. Newfoundland – GMT -0330
3. Atlantic – GMT -0400
4. Eastern – GMT -0500 (Toronto & Montreal)
5. Central – GMT -0600
6. Mountain – GMT -0700 (Calgary and the Alberta Rockies)
7. Pacific – GMT -0800 (Vancouver and British Columbia)

9,976,000 square kilometres (UK is 244,820 square kilometres)

33,311,400 (January 2008) (population of UK 61,414,062).

Della Falls, BC.