It's essential to plan carefully how you'll get around. With VIA
Rail services becoming more skeletal each year, provincewide bus
companies provide the main surface links between major cities, though in
isolated areas you may be thrown back on more sporadic local services.
Flying is of course more expensive, but competition in the skies can
lead to some decent bargains.
On most forms of public transport there are discounted fares for
children under 12, for youths between 13 and 21, and over-60s. It has to
be said, however, that things are always easier if you have a car : even
if a bus can take you to the general vicinity of a provincial park, for
example, it can prove impossible to explore the interior without your
own vehicle.
By bus
If you're travelling on your own, buses are by far the cheapest way to
get around. Greyhound Canada runs most of the long-distance buses west
of Toronto, including a service along the Trans-Canada Highway from
Toronto to Vancouver. The major centres in the east of the country are
served by a network of smaller lines and by a wide range of different
companies. Long-distance buses run to a fairly full timetable (at least
during the day), stopping only for meal breaks and driver changeovers.
Nearly all are nonsmoking, have toilets and coffee-making facilities and
are less uncomfortable than you might expect - it's feasible to save on
a night's accommodation by sleeping on the bus, though you may not feel
up to much the next day.
Any sizeable community will have a main bus station, but in smaller
places a gas station or restaurant will double as the bus stop and
ticket office - though often they are inconveniently situated on the
edge of town. Seats can be reserved but this is rarely necessary: only
those services between nearby cities like Montréal and Québec are likely
to get booked out, and even then you'll have to wait only an hour or so
for the next departure. Out in the less populated areas, buses are
fairly scarce, sometimes only appearing once or twice a week, and here
you'll need to plot your route with care.
Fares are pretty standard from company to company: as an example,
Toronto to Winnipeg, a distance of 2100km, costs $167 one-way. The free
Official Canadian Bus Guide , containing all Canadian (and northern US)
bus timetables , is produced bimonthly but is not made readily available
to travellers. Consequently you'll need to rely on free individual
timetables from the major bus stations or local tourist offices. Always
double-check routes and times by phoning the local terminal (we've
included telephone numbers for most cities), or the companies. For
Greyhound Canada, reservations are not necessary; if a bus is full,
another is automatically laid on. However, an increasing number of
services can make "seat selection" for a small fee which guarantees a
specific seat on the first bus out (useful for window-seat sightseeing).
By train
The railway may have created modern Canada but passenger trains are now
few and far between - at the beginning of 1990 more than half the VIA
Rail services were eliminated at a stroke and fares were increased
dramatically. Services are notoriously slow and delays common as
passenger trains give way to freight, though the city links between
Montréal and Toronto are still speedy and efficient. However, rail
travel can still be a very rewarding experience, especially on trains
with special "dome cars" that allow an uninterrupted rooftop view of the
countryside.
One of the saddest losses of the VIA cutbacks was the legendary Canadian
train which followed the old Canadian Pacific lines daily from Montréal
to Vancouver. Today's Canadian departs three times a week from Toronto
and uses the more northerly old Canadian National lines, through the
monotonous muskeg of northern Ontario, stopping at Winnipeg, Saskatoon
and Edmonton before hitting Jasper. However, the scenery between there
and Kamloops, the last big station before Vancouver, is some of the
Rockies' best. The trip is scheduled to take three nights but usually
runs late; it costs a minimum of $418 per person one-way in low season,
$615 in high.
The other major VIA trains still running are the Western Canada services
from Winnipeg to Churchill, Jasper to Prince Rupert, and Victoria to
Courtenay; Ontario has services linking Toronto with Windsor, Ottawa and
Niagara Falls; Québec has trains between Montréal and Québec City - as
well as Ottawa; and the Eastern Canada network runs between Montréal,
Halifax and the Gaspé.
By air
The complexity of Canada's internal flight network is immense, and
throughout this guide we have given indications of which services are
most useful. Now that Air Canada has bought Canadian Airlines, it has
the most prolific domestic service, with planes serving more than 125
destinations, linking up with numerous minor lines - like Labrador
Airways in Labrador - to reach the farthest-flung recesses of Canada.
One company to look out for is Canada 3000, an economical, international
carrier that also serves Canada's big cities and links Whitehorse with
Vancouver. However, no one could pretend that flying around Canada is,
in general terms at least, a low-budget option. For special bargains,
look in the travel sections of local newspapers, especially on Sundays,
or splash out on one of the many varieties of airpass , each of which
brings hefty discounts. If you're set on exploring the deep north, there
is no alternative to air transport, as these zones are unpenetrated by
rail line or road, with a few rare exceptions, such as Churchill in
Manitoba.
By car
Travelling by car is the best way to see Canada, even though a vehicle
can be a bit of a liability in the big cities, with their stringent
parking areas and rush-hour tailbacks. Any US and UK national over 21
with a full driving licence is allowed to drive in Canada, though rental
companies may refuse to rent to a driver who has held a full licence for
less than one year, and under-25s will probably get lumbered with a
higher insurance premium. Car-rental companies will also expect you to
have a credit card; if you don't have one they may let you leave a hefty
deposit (at least $300) but don't count on it.
Most of Canada's vehicles - and almost every rental car - run on
unleaded fuel, which is sold by the litre; prices vary, but are
generally around 70-80¢ per litre. Fuel is readily available - there are
literally hundreds of gas stations, though they thin out markedly in the
more remote regions, where you should exercise some caution by checking
locally about the distance to the next one.
Roads, rules and regulations
The best roads for covering long distances quickly are the straight and
fast multilane highways that radiate for some distance from major
population centres. These have a maximum of six lanes divided by a
central causeway and are marked
The best roads for covering long distances quickly are the straight
and fast multilane highways that radiate for some distance from major
population centres. These have a maximum of six lanes divided by a
central causeway and are marked on maps with thick lines and shields
that contain the highway number. Outside populated areas, highways go
down to one lane each way and, though paved, the hard shoulder consists
of gravel - which you must on all accounts avoid hitting at speed as
this will throw you into a spin, a potentially lethal experience. Up in
the north and off the beaten track, highways may be entirely of gravel -
broken windscreens are an occupational hazard on some stretches of the
Alaska Highway, for example. Note also that after rain gravel and dirt
roads are especially treacherous and indeed if you're planning a lot of
dirt-road driving, you'd be well advised to rent a four-wheel-drive. The
Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) travels from coast to coast and is marked by
maple-leaf signs at regular intervals along its length. Different
sections of the TCH do, however, carry different highway numbers and in
some places the TCH forks to offer more than one possible routing.
Lesser roads go by a variety of names - county roads, provincial routes,
rural roads or forest roads. Out in the wilds rural and forest roads are
rarely paved.
Canadians drive on the right-hand side of the road. In most urban areas
streets are arranged on a grid system, with traffic lights at most
intersections; at junctions without lights there will be either yellow
triangular "Yield" signs or red octagonal "Stop" signs ("Arrêt" in
Québec) at all four corners. In the latter case, priority is given to
the first car to arrive, and to the car on the right if two or more cars
arrive at the same time. Except in Québec, you can turn right on a red
light if there is no traffic approaching from the left. Traffic in both
directions must stop if a yellow school bus is stationary with its
flashing lights on, as this means children are getting on or off.
Roundabouts or rotaries are almost unknown.
Exits on multilane highways are numbered by the kilometre distance from
the beginning of the highway, as opposed to sequentially - thus exit 55
is 10km after exit 45. This system works fine, but gets a little
confusing when junctions are close together and carry the same number
supplemented by "A", "B", etc. Rural road hazards include bears, moose
and other large animals trundling into the road - particularly in the
summer, and at dawn and dusk, when the beasts crash through the
undergrowth onto the highway to escape the flies, and in spring, when
they are attracted to the salt on the roads. Warning signs are posted in
the more hazardous areas. Headlights can dazzle wild animals and render
them temporarily immobile.
Driving laws are made at provincial level, but the uniform maximum speed
limit is 100kph on major highways, 80kph on rural highways and 50 kph or
less in built-up areas - though there has been some provincial tinkering
with the maximum limit on the highways, experiments which may result in
permanent change. Canadians have a justifiable paranoia about speed
traps and the traffic-control planes that hover over major highways to
catch offenders - if you see one, slow down. On-the-spot fines are
standard for speeding violations, for failing to carry your licence with
you, and for having anyone on board who isn't wearing a seat belt .
Canadian law also requires that any alcohol be carried unopened in the
boot of the car, and it can't be stressed enough that drunk driving is a
very serious offence. Bars in some provinces now have designated driver
schemes whereby the driver of a group gives the keys to the head
barperson and is then given free soft drinks all night; if the driver is
spotted taking a sip of alcohol, he or she must pay for all the soft
drinks consumed and leave their keys in the bar until the following
morning. On the road, spot checks are frequently carried out,
particularly at the entrances and exits to towns, and the police do not
need an excuse to stop you. If you are over the limit your keys and
licence will be taken away, and you may end up in jail for a few days.
In cities parking meters are commonplace, charging 25¢-$1 or more per
hour. Car parks charge up to $30 a day. If you park in the wrong place
(such as within 5m of a fire hydrant) your car will be towed away - if
this happens, the police will tell you where your car is impounded and
then charge you upwards of $150 to hand it back. A minor parking offence
will set you back around $25; clamps are also routinely used in major
cities, with a fine of between $100 and $150. Also, when parking, ensure
you park in the same direction as the traffic flows.
If you're using your own vehicle - or borrowing a friend's - get the
appropriate insurance and make sure you're covered for free breakdown
service . Your home motoring organization will issue an appropriate
insurance and breakdown policy with all the appropriate documentation.
The Canadian Automobile Association, Suite 200, 1145 Hunt Club Rd,
Ottawa, ON K1V 0Y3 (tel 613/820-1890), is the biggest recovery and
repair company in Canada, and has offices in most major cities.
By bike
Cyclists are reasonably well catered for in environment-friendly Canada:
most cities have cycling lanes and produce special maps for cyclists,
and long-distance buses and trains will allow you to transport your bike,
perhaps for a small fee. The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA), 1600
James Naismith Drive, Gloucester, ON K1B 5N4 (tel 613/748-5629,
www.canadiancycling.com ), can offer information on cycling throughout
the country and publishes several books, including the invaluable
Complete Guide to Cycling in Canada ($24 including postage and packing).
Standard bike-rental costs are around $15 per day, plus a sizeable cash
sum or a credit card as deposit
|
