 Canada
Canada Budget Travel Guide: Jasper National Park, Alberta
Author: Christianabend (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Canada is the second biggest country in the world in terms of area. Yet it shares land border with only one country, the United States. Canada is divided into 10 provinces, namely British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan; and three territories, namely Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Guide to Canada Hotels
Looking for the best hotel deals? Here's a list of hotels in Canada that you can book online, listed by city, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites. This helps you to make your room booking with the site that offers the best price.
More on Canada
Two official languages are recognised in Canada. English is spoken in most places in Canada except Quebec, which is predominantly French speaking. In such a huge country, there is certainly a lot to see in Canada, from its cities, towns to unspoilt wilderness.
Banff National Park, Canada
by Jirí Eischmann (GNU Free Documentation License)
Fast Facts about Canada
Official Name: Canada
Capital: Ottawa (852,000)
Population of Canada: 31,720,000
Languages: English (official), French (official)
Currency: Canadian dollar
Religions: Roman Catholic (46%), Protestant (36%), others
Size: 9,220,970 sq km (3,560,217 sq miles)
Region: North America
CN Tower and the Skydome in the foreground, Toronto, Canada
by Joel Dinda (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
When to visit Canada
Canada, generally speaking, is cold. Nevertheless, as the majority of the population stays in the southern parts of Canada, visitors are also likely to visit destinations within 2-hours drive from the US border. Hence, the climate in most Canadian cities are just a bit cooler than the cities in United States. There is a tendency for extremity in the temperature, with summers having temperatures that reach over 35 oC while winters being reaching as low as -40 oC. Coastal cities in British Columbia enjoy the mildest climate with very little snow, while on the Atlantic side, there is likelihood of blizzards in winter.
What to wear in Canada
A jacket is necessary at time of the year. Lightweight clothing for summer, mediumweight for spring and autumn, and warmer clothes for winter.
Getting into Canada
International visitors to Canada usually enter through Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Smaller airports also has international flights, mainly to US cities within their proximity. These include Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Moncton, Ottawa, Regina, Saskatoon, Victoria and Winnipeg.
Trees on an island on Kejimkujik Lake, Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada
by Andrew Bourke (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0)
Canada Entry Requirements
Nationals of the US, Britain and Australia do not require a visa to enter Canada. Citizens of EU, except for the nationals of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic, do not require a visa to enter Canada.
Where to stay in Canada
There is countless hotels available through out Canada that suits every budget and level of comfort. Click here to look for the best room rates in hotels in Canada with online booking facilities. If you are looking for budget accommodation in hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels, click on hostels in Canada to view list of establishments with online booking.
Keep in mind that there is also many time share resorts throughout Canada. If you are a frequent traveler to this country, a time share can save you a great deal on yearly visits. These resorts also tend to offer more on site amenities than many hotels, so they are good options for anyone who wants a little pampering.
Budget Travel within Canada
The two most practical way to get around in Canada is by plane and by bus. Air Canada has an extensive network of domestic flights. Low cost carrier WestJet has flights between major cities. Generally Canadian airports do not have public train or bus connecting them to the city. You need to use a taxi or rent a car to take a privately operated bus.
Another option for exploring Canada is by bus. Greyhound Canada, operates the major routes supported by smaller local operators. In addition, you may also book a packaged tour to visit some of the major sights.
Tanquary Fiord, Nunavut, Canada
Author: Ansgar Walk (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
Money matters in Canada
The currency used is the Canadian dollar (CAD, symbol C$). C$1.00 = 100 cents. Banknotes come in denominations of C$5, C$10, C$20, C$50 and C$100 while coins are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 cents and C$1 and C$2. Banking hours are from 9:30am to 4:00pm, with extended hours to 5:00pm at some locations.
Please keep in mind that Canada does have tax implications in place. Therefore, if you are planning on moving to Canada, or staying for at least a year, look into obtaining and learning about Canadian income tax software, as you will be using this when tax time comes around. Just as with the United States and other locations, Canada does have certain deductions, credits, benefits and other implications that can be used in conjunction with your tax forms.
At time of writing (Oct 2007), US$1.00 = C$0.97, €1.00=C$1.28 For the latest exchange go to the Oanda Currency Converter.
Major Tourist Destinations of Canada
- Algonquin Park
The largest park in the Ontario Provincial Park System.
- Banff National Park
The first designated national park of Canada.
- Cape Breton Island
The northernmost island in Nova Scotia.
- Jasper National Park
The largest national park within Canada's Rocky Mountain Parks.
- Niagara Falls
The most famous waterfall in North America.
- Saint John River Valley
Valley with many historic sites of wooden covered bridges.
- Terra Nova National Park
The most easterly national park of Canada, located in Eastern Newfoundland.
- Yoho National Park
National park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, along the western slope of the Continental Divide.
St George's Cathedral, Kingston, Ontario
Author: Taxiarchos228 (Free Art License)
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada
Cultural
- L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (1978)
- Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (1981)
- SGang Gwaay (1981)
- Historic District of Old Québec (1985)
- Old Town Lunenburg (1995)
- Rideau Canal (2007)
Natural
- Nahanni National Park (1978)
- Dinosaur Provincial Park (1979)
- Kluane-Wrangell-St Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek (1979)
- Wood Buffalo National Park (1983)
- Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (1984)
- Gros Morne National Park (1987)
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (1995)
- Miguasha National Park (1999)
- Joggins Fossil Cliffs (2008)
Golden Ear Mountain, Langley, British Columbia
Author: The High Fin Sperm Whale (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Related Website
- Canada Travel Guide
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