Oh Canada

“Canadians have been so busy explaining to the Americans that we aren't British, and to the British that we aren't Americans that we haven't had time to become Canadians.”-Helen Gordon McPherson

Since my wife and I will be driving to Canada to visit my sister for her 40th birthday, I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about driving and traveling in Canada:

• U.S. driver's licenses are valid in Canada but you’ll need proof of auto insurance. My insurer provides a yellow card upon request showing that I’m covered in Canada.


• Effective June 1, 2009, Passports are required for all cross border travel.


• Distances and speeds are posted in metric units. 100 kilometers equals 62 miles. The maximum speed limit in Canada is 50km/hr in cities (31mph), 80km/hr on urban highways, and 100 km/hr on rural highways.


• Many highways do not have merge lanes for entering traffic.


• Emergency vehicles frequently enter the oncoming traffic lane to avoid congestion.


• Some signs, particularly in Québec, may be in French.


• Distances will be measured in metric units. 1 kilometer is .62 miles.


• Gas is sold in metric liters where four liters is just over one US gallon. So when you see a gas price, multiply by four and adjust for the currency conversion rate to get a US equivalent price.


• On the Island of Montréal, right turns on red are prohibited.


• At intersections, signs will indicate which turns are allowed; any other turns are prohibited.


• Seat belts are mandatory for everyone. Child car seats are required for children less than 40 pounds.


• Some provinces require drivers to keep their headlights on during the day.


• 911 works in Canada for emergencies.


• Many ATM cards, such as the PLUS or CIRRUS system, can be used throughout Canada to obtain Canadian funds on your U.S. bank account. US credit cards can also be used in Canada. The card company will charge you a 1-3% fee for handling foreign currency.
  Your US cell phone most likely will NOT work in Canada. The frequency used is different.

Bottom Line

A US plate in Canada just screams tourist. To avoid being ripped-off, keep your car locked and leave valuables at your hotel. When I lived in Italy, a friend had his car window smashed with a brick and the contents stolen while we had dinner in Rome. Canada is usually better behaved but during a trip to St. Johns, someone did steal our US flag Mickey Mouse antenna decoration. We don’t know if the thief was anti-American or wanted the decoration for him/herself.

P.S.
Happy Birthday Lisa!