Canada

Blue & White

Ok, here goes.

I think we're going to Chicago for our summer vacay this year, so Canada is PROBABLY out of the question - but you guys make it sound so cool (duh, there are ketchup and gravy chips?  ok, that's weird.)  So here are some questions about Canada.  Just in case we go next year.

1) My grandma is from Montreal.  So is Montreal pretty cool?  Actually, she's from Hicksville near Montreal.  Her cousins are tobacco farmers up there somewhere.  Except I think they're like 80 years old these days.  So they might be retired.
2)  Where's a cool place to go in Canada?  Is it "near" the US?  Because we'd probably be driving there.
3)  What's crossing the border like?  It sounds a little intense.
4)  What are absolute MUST SEE things to do in Canada?
5)  Is it better to use Canadian dollars in Canada or US dollars?  For some reason, I think you can use both but that may be my lack of Canada knowledge.

For the record, no, I have not even been to the US side of Niagara Falls.  So I'm pretty much a Canada virgin, I'd say.  Except that my gma really did grow up there.

Beads921

Can you narrow down a little bit? Canada is gigantic, so it'd be easier to answer your questions if you could give us a couple of provinces to go off of. I'm guessing Quebec might be one, and probably Ontario since you're considering Montreal (and it's closer to Ontario than the Maritimes)?

heyimbren

Montreal is really cool. There's tons to see and do there, and it isn't too far away from the border.

There are lots of cool places to go in Canada, it all depends on what you're looking for. Quebec City is one of my favourite places, but it really isn't near the border.

I also love Vancouver/Victoria out in BC and Banff in Alberta.

You'd find lots to do in Ontario, and I find most of it to be pretty bunched up together. Toronto would be one place, but Stratford's a really pretty town (IMO) too.

Crossing the border really isn't that bad. But maybe I'm just used to it? It's more intense than it is crossing into some other countries, but it isn't that bad. Most of the time they just swipe your passport and ask you where you're going and what you'll be doing and you're on your way. As long as your passport isn't flagged for some reason.

Again, currency depends on where you are. Some of the bigger, more popular places and places near the border will take US currency but I think there are a lot of other places that would prefer Canadian. You can use your credit cards and maybe even debit? I know I used my debit in the US a couple years back, but I think it had an extra charge or something.

But like Beads said, you'd need to give us more info on what sort of vacations/scenery you really like to give us a better idea.

Blue & White

ok, how about like the east half?  I always thought Prince Edward Island would be cool to go to.  And I like outdoorsy stuff too, but I think I could get that in a lot of Canada.  And we'd be going in the summer, because snow and I are NOT friends.

And I like mountains.

History is pretty cool too.  And I'm in love with aquariums.  I'm pretty easy to work with, frankly.

alanna91

BF and I went to Toronto in January. Corssing the border into Canada was easy as pie. He asked where we were going, why, and where we were from.
We had passcards. They're much cheaper than passports and are used for entering countries by land. So, only Mexico and Canada. You should check into that if you don't already have a passport.

Getting back into USA was an ordeal! It was a huge line and the guy grilled us! He looked in our car, second guessed us, tried to trick us into tripping up our "story", and then was just like "Have a nice day, bye!"...it was weird.

We really liked the Canadian grocery stores, I know it sounds lame. You can buy cool things there!

A few places we went to took USD, but I think thats because Niagara Falls is very tourist-y.

Hazel_B

1. Montreal is beautiful and there is so much to do there. I would say it has a more European feel than North American feel, but that may just be me.

2)  Any place with a lot of Canadian living in it is "near" the US border, about 75 percent of Canadians live within 100 miles of the border. There are tons of cool places to do, what are you into?

3)  It all depends what crossing you go to.Some are quiet and some are really busy. I'm not going to lie there can be a wide range of experiences. As long as you have your proper documentation (you need a passport now to come here), an itinerary that doesn't sound questionable and no criminal record than you really shouldn't have a problem.

4)  Your must see list will change based on what is important to you. You'll have to give me ideas in order to make suggestions. If you are a city person I'd recommend completely different things than if you are a country or outdoorsy person.

5)  Canadian dollars are better. Although some stores accept US dollars the exchange rate is likely outdated. You shouldn't have a problem using credit or debit cards.

Hazel_B

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_canada?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:69c26867-7c65-44d1-85b4-788ea718bbc5Post:a10ca5cd-5d61-45c2-8284-9831ced18837">Re: Canada</a>:
[QUOTE]ok, how about like the east half?  I always thought Prince Edward Island would be cool to go to.  And I like outdoorsy stuff too, but I think I could get that in a lot of Canada.  And we'd be going in the summer, because snow and I are NOT friends. And I like mountains. History is pretty cool too.  And I'm in love with aquariums.  I'm pretty easy to work with, frankly.
Posted by Blue & White[/QUOTE]

First, the east half is big, so you'll eventually want to narrow that down :) Or be prepared to a lot of driving because flying within Canada isn't cheap.

I have never been to PEI, but I've heard wonderful things about it. I've travelled in Nova Scotia though and absolutely loved it. Ask Paige for more info on that province.

In terms of mountains, the rockies are on the west coast but you'll still be able to find smaller ones on the eastern side of the country. Quebec is big for skiing so some areas there will work for you.

Hmm aquariums....the only ones I can think of are in BC but I can look into that for you.

Canada is full of history and you'll be able to get bits of that anywhere you go.

heyimbren

The Vancouver Aquarium is amazing, I love it! And Vancouver is definitely a big city with lots to do, plus you can drive over to Victoria which is more of a historical city. Beautiful architecture, great little boutiques. One of my favourite places ever.

The Rockies in Alberta are just stunning. I highly recommend Banff even though it is a tourist town.

The Maritimes are so pretty too. I do like PEI, but if you're looking for more things "to do" or "to see" there isn't a whole lot. It's much more of a scenery, walking around kind of place, IMO.

Do you want pictures? I've been to these places so I can post some if you like.

ETA: I agree with Hazel that places like Montreal and Quebec City are going to feel more European than North American. The language probably adds to the atmosphere too. Victoria is like that too, but in a British way.

Blue & White

Thanks for all the info so far   I really (obviously) don't know too much about Canada, but it sounds like a cool place to go and I guess I'd be able to see a bit of my family history there.  It's kinda weird because my grandma's mom was actually an orphan that ended up in Canada (somehow...she was originally from Belgium) but hey, that's some Canadian blood in me I think!

And yea...our trip to Chicago this year is like a 14 hour drive.  So we'll drive really far to get there but then chill in the city for a week or so.  Last year, we drove 10-12 hours to upstate NY and Boston.  It was kinda amazing.  So our trips have a lot to live up to.

Now, we do plan our trips around visiting baseball stadiums, so I guess we'd have to see the Bluejays while we're in the Canada area  

BUT, I just want to say, Canadians, you should really like the BlueJays now.  They have Corey Patterson, who is my favorite outfielder behind Hideki Matsui.  I was SO MAD the Orioles let him go.  I still am a bit bitter

Blue & White

Oh, and pictures are awesome.  I think that's my main draw to Canada  - the pictures are so awesome!

And how different is Canadian French from European French?  Is it twangy?  (For instance, I have a REALLY hard time with real southern accents in the US...I call them "twangy")  I can speak a fair amount of French, but the twang might throw me off if we were to visit a French area.

heyimbren

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_canada?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:69c26867-7c65-44d1-85b4-788ea718bbc5Post:84d4fae4-174e-4669-a080-123cdf674d63">Re: Canada</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh, and pictures are awesome.  I think that's my main draw to Canada  - the pictures are so awesome! And how different is Canadian French from European French?  Is it twangy?  (For instance, I have a REALLY hard time with real southern accents in the US...I call them "twangy")  I can speak a fair amount of French, but the twang might throw me off if we were to visit a French area.
Posted by Blue & White[/QUOTE]

Haha well, I wouldn't call it "twangy"... It is different though. They have different accents, but it's still French. I know some people tell me they can't understand them at all, but I've never had a problem with it or European French :)

I'll put some pics up in a bit, once I get a hold of some of them.

Blue & White

I have major plans for visiting Vancouver & Seattle in the same trip, haha.  Just so you know.

And maybe Toronto & Montreal in another trip (I know it's a pretty long drive between them, but I've got family in upstate NY we could visit on the way back too)

But I'm pretty excited to maybe try out my French with these non-twangy people   I just have a very European French accent when I speak French so I'll have to work that out or something.  I also get a Southern accent in English if I listen to country music too long.  I'm special.

Beads921

OK, I'll stick to the Eastern half here
I think Montreal is pretty cool. By pretty cool, I mean very cool, although I've never been. I was planning to go about 4 years ago, but the plans fell through. There's a lot of history in Montreal, and is definitely worth seeing.

I think Toronto is really a must-see (CN Tower, for example), and it's not that far from the border. I really want to go out East as well (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and PEI) for the natural beauty, but that's a bit far from Montreal. Ottawa has the parliament buildings, which are kinda neat, but might only be neat to me cause I'm Canadian. Ottawa is a nice city as a whole as well, and is really close to Quebec. 

Crossing the border isn't bad at all. Just don't lie and you'll be A-OK. Oh, and have a passport. This is key. 

Best to use Canadian dollars. Some places (but not all) will take American, but they probably won't be thrilled about it, and will be really confused. You might also wind up paying a crappy exchange rate and additional fees. Best to carry Canadian cash, or use your credit card (you'll still pay fees, but it's convenient, and you won't get funny looks from cashiers...AMEX is not widely accepted, but VISA and MasterCard are).

Hazel_B

Living so close to Quebec, the French can be very different depending on who you talk to. The differences I have heard are Quebec uses an old French, basically some of the words from the original settlers still exist here but have died out in France.  I wouldn't call the accent twangy...some have a beautiful accent in French while others have an accent that is really rough, it really depends on the person and the region. Also, sometimes people speak so fast that no one can understand them, even other Francophones.

You won't have an issue being understood by them, but you will have an issue understanding them if you've never heard a Quebecois accent before. It's an adjustment. 

Also, Quebec is the only unilingual French province so signs are not in English like they are in other provinces. Montreal is a mess to drive in, not because the signs are in French but because they poorly mark exits and you can exit on the right or left, the inconsistency catchs people offguard.

heyimbren

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_canada?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:69c26867-7c65-44d1-85b4-788ea718bbc5Post:23ffc836-ae78-4b34-897c-43fdef54b49d">Re: Canada</a>:
[QUOTE]Also, Quebec is the only unilingual French province so signs are not in English like they are in other provinces. Montreal is a mess to drive in, not because the signs are in French but because they poorly mark exits and you can exit on the right or left, the inconsistency catchs people offguard.
Posted by Hazel_B[/QUOTE]

I just want to completely agree with Hazel on this. I perfected my highway driving in Montreal when I was 18. It really is <strong>that </strong>confusing. So just be prepared- but we made it out alive ;) You can take the train there as well.

Hazel_B

Bren - Maybe you can tell me what your experience is but 4 marked anes of traffic in Montreal is actually 5 lanes of moving traffic. Atleast, that is the joke around here.

Blue & White

Note to self: BF is driving or we're taking the train.  Oh holy heck.

I stink at driving in traffic, but I'm the best navigator in the whole world.

kellylove22

I went to Montreal back in Feb, and just so you can estimate driving times, it was about 5 hours from Boston with no traffic (we left at 6pm, eek!). The only issue we had at the border was entering Canada because they wanted to know why the heck we were driving so late (and through a minor snowstorm in VT). The bf blamed it on my irrational desire to go somewhere for the weekend and the guard kind of just rolled his eyes and asked to look at our hotel reservation.

Montreal was great. There's a ton to do (and it's not an aqualrium, but the Biodome was fantasitc). Also I'd highly recommend going to either Quebec or Montreal during a festival! We went during the High Lights Festival, and there was a Ferris Wheel, good food stands and live bands outside. Yeah, we froze our butts off, but it was so lively and there were tons of free things to do.

heyimbren

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_canada?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:69c26867-7c65-44d1-85b4-788ea718bbc5Post:526cde24-75bf-453c-a837-0e89206b2cf9">Re: Canada</a>:
[QUOTE]Bren - Maybe you can tell me what your experience is but 4 marked anes of traffic in Montreal is actually 5 lanes of moving traffic. Atleast, that is the joke around here.
Posted by Hazel_B[/QUOTE]

Besides that (oh that's a joke everywhere I'm pretty sure) I really did find the exit signs confusing. I never knew when I was supposed to get off, and my grandpa (who was supposed to be navigating) only made things worse. He couldn't figure out the signs either. And it wasn't reading and understanding them that was the problem, it was that you never knew where to get off and when.

Blue & White

Thanks for the info, girls!  Sure, it's still in the future but I love planning our trips, I can never have too much info.  We're off to Baltimore for the weekend, though, so I'll be out until Monday or so!

alanna91

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_canada?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:69c26867-7c65-44d1-85b4-788ea718bbc5Post:c29fa144-3871-4b4c-977c-f7a3cdba98a6">Re: Canada</a>:
[QUOTE]I went to Montreal back in Feb, and just so you can estimate driving times, it was about 5 hours from Boston with no traffic (we left at 6pm, eek!).
Posted by kellylove22[/QUOTE]

We drove to Toronto from the Boston area...it was about ten hours with breaks D-:

SopChick

For the record, I hate driving in Montreal... Too many one way streets, crazy exits, etc.

I'm a huge fan of the Maritimes, I just love how welcome I always feel. That could be because we always visit family when we go, but it seems that most people are pretty welcoming and easy going - in NS at least.

I have lived in the Toronto area my whole life so I'm sort of "over" it, but there are definitely many things to do. CN Tower, Jays game, Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, Bata Shoe Museum, shopping, St. Lawrence Market, etc.

As PPs have said, you are best to use Canadian dollars or you will probably get crappy exchange rates and weird/confused looks from merchants.

PaigeMcC

DAMMIT! I missed a chance to plug Canada! I'm failing in my unoffical ambassador role...thanks for picking up the slack, ladies.


Andplusalso: Nova Scotia is way cooler than PEI.  Just FYI;)

rasp.berry

Canada is a HUGE country, and it takes over a week to drive from one side to the other, and you still miss all of the northern & southern parts. You'll find some sort of outdoor activity no matter where you go, it'll just vary depending on the part of the country.

I'm from the South Eastern portion of NB which is part of the Maritimes. There is lots of culture here since we're the only officially bilingual province in the country and tons of history relating to the Acadian settlers. You'll hear 3-4 different dialects of french just within our small province. Northern NB is mostly all french as you get closer to the Quebec border. One of my favorite things about my area is Hopewell Rocks. It's part of Fundy Park (provincial park) and has the highest tides in the WORLD. Upwards of 30+ feet. When the tide is out, you can literally walk on the bottom of the ocean.

If you're thinking more central Canada, Quebec and Ontario are popular provinces to visit. Toronto is one of the most well known cities and I've been there a few times. It's nice if you like the city life. I much prefer somehwere like Quebec City, which is a bigger city but still has a small city feel to it. Downtown QC is amaaaaaaaaazing. It's the only walled city in North America and has a great charm to it. It's like a miniature France. There's also an aquarium there which we visited when we went on a camping trip last summer (plus wayyy more cool stuff to see including waterfalls, horse drawn carriage rides, etc. that i can't even think of off the top of my head). Tons of street merchants as well.  Montreal can be fun as well, again im not huge on the city feel, but there's sooooo much culture. Tons of little bistros and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.  There is also a place called the Biodome which is pretty cool too.

Canada is such a huge country, I've lived here for 23 years and haven't had time to explore it all! your best bet is to choose 2-4 places that are within a few hours drive of each other and plan to visit. By the way, Montreal isn't all "that" far of a drive from Toronto. I did it back in November and I think it took us about 3-4 hours which is not a bad drive at all.

Good luck, and I hope you find our vast land as beautiful and diverse as we do!