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Vermillion Lake, Banff National Park

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Getting around in Canada

Air: 

Destinations throughout Canada are served by Air Canada (AC) (www.aircanada.com), with main hubs at Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver. It operates mostly on longer routes. Shorter, regional feeder routes are served by partner airline Air Canada Jazz (QK) (www.flyjazz.ca).

Calgary-based low-cost airline WestJet (WS) (www.westjet.com) serves around 30 domestic destinations from its main hubs of Calgary and Toronto and secondary hubs. Other carriers include Yukon-based Air North (4N) (www.flyairnorth.com) and a host of small outfits serving remote communities and wilderness areas.

Air passes: Air Canada offers a range of commuter, regional, national and international flight passes.

Side of road: 
Right
Road quality: 

The Canadian road network covers vast distances as the country is over 7,600km (4,800 miles) as the crow flies from west to east and 4,800km (3,000 miles) from north to south.

On country roads, visitors should be mindful of wild animals that may be roaming, such as deer or moose.

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) (www.caa.ca) is affiliated with most European organisations, giving full use of facilities to members.

Car hire: 

Car hire: Available in all cities and from airports to full licence holders over 21 years of age. For some car hire companies, drivers may need to be at least 25 years old.

Coach: 

Regulations: 

Regulations: Right turns on red lights are not permitted on Montréal Island in Québec. Generally, speed limits are 100kph (60mph) on motorways, 80kph (55mph) on rural highways and 50kph (30mph) in cities. Seat belts are compulsory for all passengers and child car seats must be used by small children. Radar detection devices are strictly prohibited in many provinces and studded tyres are illegal in southern Ontario. Many provinces require drivers to keep headlights on during the day.

Breakdown service: 

Emergency breakdown service: CAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357 or *222 from mobile phones).

Documentation: 

Documentation: Visitors may drive on their national driving licences for at least three months in all provinces.

Getting around towns and cities: 

Bus: Metropolitan buses operate on a flat-fare system (standard fares, irrespective of distance travelled). Fares must be paid exactly, which means that drivers do not carry change or issue tickets. Transfers should be requested when boarding a bus.

Rail: 

VIA Rail Canada (tel: (514) 989 2626 or 1 888 842 7245/VIA RAIL; www.viarail.ca) operates extensive services across Canada. Regional railways include Algoma Central (operates the Agawa Canyon Tour Train), Armstrong Group (operates the Rocky Mountaineer and Whistler Mountaineer), Ontario Northland (operates the Northlander, Polar Bear Express and Dream Catcher Express trains), and White Pass & Yukon Route.

VIA Rail operates a Western transcontinental service (The Canadian) between Toronto (Ontario) and Vancouver (British Columbia), running three times weekly east and west. Passengers are drawn to this route by the spectacular scenery of the many mountain ranges passed en route, including the Rockies. The journey takes four days.

Rapid intercity services are available between Québec, Montréal, Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa. VIA Rail also operates an overnight Eastern transcontinental service (The Ocean) between Montréal (Québec) and Halifax (Nova Scotia).

The Rocky Mountaineer service (tel: (604) 606 7245 or 1 877 460 3200 or 00 800 0606 7372, in the UK; www.rockymountaineer.com) runs from mid April to mid October and offers the opportunity to travel from Vancouver to Jasper, Banff and Calgary (and vice versa) during daylight hours.

For visitors seeking a route into the Canadian wilderness, the Polar Bear Express (tel: (705) 472 4500 or 1 800 363 7512 ext 0; www.polarbearexpress.ca) between Cochrane and Moosonee (with connections to Toronto), runs weekdays from late June to early September.

Rail passes: 

Canrailpass: Allows unlimited journeys on the VIA network for 12 days (up to three extra days can be added to the pass at any time) within a 30-day period.

Corridorpass: Gives 10 days of unlimited VIA Rail travel in southern Québec and southern Ontario.

Alaska Pass: Offers eight, 12 or 15 days' travel within Alaska and British Columbia, including travel on Alaska Ferry, Alaska Railroad, one-way car hire and White Pass & Yukon Railroad (www.alaskapass.com).

By water: 

Canada has many thousands of miles of navigable rivers and canals, a vast number of lakes and an extensive coastline. The whole country is well served by all manner of boats and ships, particularly the east and west coasts, where the ferries are fast, frequent and good value. The St Lawrence Seaway provides passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. For further details, see individual regional entries or contact the Canadian Tourism Commission (see Contact Addresses).

One of the largest ferry operators is BC Ferries (tel: (250) 386 3431 or 1 888 223 3779; www.bcferries.com). It runs a number of services linking British Columbia's mainland with its coastal islands, as well as a route to the Queen Charlotte Islands and another through the Inside Passage.

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