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Canada - Travel Guide

Canada is a continental country with a lush nature.

Its diversity of environment ranges from mountains, forests, lakes, prairies and bathed by the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.

With a colder and more rigorous climate, providing from the colder and desolate landscapes to abundance of life, in the summer months.

Due to its great east-west extension and its proximity to the north pole has unique landscapes. For those who enjoy adventures Canada is undoubtedly a must-see destination.

A little of history.

Canada has its first inhabitants the Aborigines coming from Asia, arrived about 21,000 ago, crossing the Bering Sea.

The French arrived in 1534, when Jacques Cartier (French – 1491-1557) entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At the same time, the British arrived in the South (United States), but soon wanted to conquer the lands of the north.

The Hudson Bay’s company was created by the British for the fur trade and the conflict spread.

In Netflix has a series called “Frontier” that tells the war for the skins that is worth watching.

July 1, 1867 (Confederation Day) is considered the foundation of Canada.

Culture

Language.

Canada has 2 official languages, English and French. There are approximately 60 Aboriginal languages and Cree, Inuktitut and Ojibway are the main languages.

Religion.

There is no official religion, although 60% of Canadians consider themselves Christians, but since it is a country of immigrants, all religions are tolerated.

Gastronomy.

It is very difficult to define a Canadian cuisine due to the great mixture of immigrants, but it has English / French predominance.

Maple Syrup.

It is a syrup made from Maple tree leaf (leaf is the symbol of Canada). Come up with pancakes.

Tourtière.

Pie stuffed with beef or pork and spicy. There may be variation in filling depending on the place.

Beaver tail.

Pasta flour, fried in oil and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. The filling can be: Nutella, apple with cinnamon, peanut paste, chocolate with almonds, among others.

Montreal smoked meat.

Montreal smoked meat is a smoked meat sandwich. The meat is prepared with herbs and spices, cut into thin slices and placed on a homemade bread.

What to do in Canada

Canada has a huge natural diversity in which each province has its wonders such as the rocky mountains, the wild beauty of the lakes and the prairies. It is a country situated in the northern hemisphere and therefore the climatic conditions are severe and change radically with each season.

Territory of Canada.

Alberta.

Banff National Park.

One of the parks best known for the majestic Canadian Rockies. In the summer, the great attractions are the almost 1000 km of trails and canoeing in the lakes of crystalline waters, already in the winter, the ski dominates the sport. It is a true paradise for nature lovers.

For those who like the city, Banff has many options, but if you want more excitement, Calgary is a better option.

Yukon.

Yukon is one of Canada’s wildest territories. The gateway is Whitehorse where 30,000 of the territory’s 40,000 inhabitants live here.
Both in summer and winter, outdoor sports are the best attractions, just be careful in the winter as it is very strict.
When I was in this area to do my training with dog sledding and hunting the northern lights I caught -20 degrees celsius on average. On the worst day it reached -30 degrees.

Northern lights.

In winter, one of the most attraction is the Boreal aurora and so from November to March Whitehorse becomes the tourist center hunting the northern lights.

Unfortunately I was not lucky enough to see them for 10 days without success.

My trip to dog sledding training

Dawson City.

Located well north on the banks of the Yukon River, the same as Whitehorse, Dawson City is a small town that lives off its history of the Klondike Gold Rush, when the race to find gold made the population explode.

British Columbia.

We have many attractions like the Rio Frase, which has the largest salmon migration.

City of Whistler, famous for winter sports and mountain biking in the summer.

Plus of course the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver.

The cities of Sooke and Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, are a paradise for mountain biking or the famous 75 km long, West Coast Trail (75 km).

Ontario.

Toronto.

Toronto is the main city in the country with options to please everyone with museums, restaurants, theaters, sports, the CN Tower, the Aquarium of the city and the Roger Center. The St. Lawrence Market is a splendid choice for dining in Toronto.

As it is very cold, they have created a real underground city that is called PATH, you can basically walk from one building to another, subway, shopping all downtown through underground.

Niagara Falls.

Close to Toronto and for the fun of it all, Niagara Falls offers everything from a simple tour to a helicopter tour, as well as casinos and restaurants.

The must-see attraction is the Hornblower Boat Ride, which comes close to the falls, so be prepared to take a bath.

Manitoba.

The most famous place is the city of Winnipeg and its history as a shopping center, its museums, great restaurants, entertainment stores and “The Forks” which is the most popular destination.

Churchill.

City located at the northern end of the territory on the shores of Hudson Bay, is considered the capital of the polar bear.

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When to go to Canada

The country has options for the whole year and for all tastes, but especially for nature lovers, both heat enthusiasts (July and August) and the cold from November to March.

April

As it is still not very hot for the summer and very cold for the winter, the best option is to visit the cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec etc.

Early May to end of June

The amount of tourist is very low, since many attractions are still closed, but the costs are very attractive, just have to be careful what you want to do.

July and August

July and August is the high summer, ie peak tourist season. Higher prices, need for booking etc.

September to November

At this time of year the landscape is very special with the red and golden colors of the trees. The weather is still hot during the day and cold at night. Few tourists, low cost and most of the summer attractions still working.

December to March

The weather is very cold, especially in the northern part. Winter sports flourish and the search for the aurora borealis intensifies. It is very important to be prepared because the temperature can reach 40 degrees negative.

How to get to Canada

Air

The easiest way is to get there by plane. Distances are very large and due to the relief, lakes and mountains. In some places (more remote) this is the only option. The country has 8 international airports and the largest of them is Toronto.

Car

There are several borders with the United States, but most have a lot of traffic and the distances are very large which takes a lot of time from one place to another.
Also have to be alert to documentation and rules of migration that are different from the air.
You can check on the Canadian immigration the documents and rules website.

Cost

What are the costs to visit Canada?

To stay up to date I like to use the Numbeo website which shows the cost of living in relation to your city and where you want to go.

This will give you an approximate cost of how much you will spend.
Costs can vary greatly depending on your travel style.

As a reference let’s define 3 styles and their costs:

Before defining which are the three styles of travel and their costs, it is worth remembering that in none of them was considered a high consumption of alcoholic beverages.

These drinks, especially when consumed in restaurants, may be responsible for increasing and greatly the cost of your trip.

For the sake of comparison, I considered low consumption, that is, only a few local beers bought out of restaurants.

Also, pay attention to the local rules of alcoholic beverages.

The canadian government control the sale (usually made in specialized stores) and in some territories the rules are quite strict and restrictive, so be sure to check before buying!

These costs are an average, it means, some days will be much lower and others higher.

3 styles and their costs

1 – Backpacker: Staying in hostels using a shared dormitory, making your food and / or local and inexpensive restaurants, using local transportation, explore the city on foot and make the rides for free or cheaper.

Daily expenses: US $ 50.00 to 70.00.

2 – Intermediate: hosted in hostel / budget hotels in private rooms, dine in medium restaurant, go on major attractions paid, use some taxis and uber.

Daily spend: US $ 130.00 to 150.00 USD.

See if the Uber is available in the city visited

3 – Luxurious: Hosted in the best hotels, go in all the attractions, hire more sophisticated packages like use of helicopter etc.

Daily expenses: $ 300.00 and above.

How to plan your trip around the world of your dreams.

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Total freedom of choice.
Lower cost because you do not have to pay anyone to do it for you.
You can change your plans at any time and for any reason.
You can cancel, change and simply do not pay fines or penalties.

How to get around?

To explore the country you will probably need several means of transportation.

Aerial allows you to travel distances quickly, since the buses have more quantity of destinations and affordable prices.

Renting a car gives you flexibility, and traveling by train and ferry reveals some of the most breathtaking scenery.

I like to use Rome2Rio to know the options I have for transportation.

Flying Around Canada

Air Canada is the country’s leading airline, serving major cities and with its partner Air rogue, covers the whole of Canada.

Westjet is the low cost operator with the best air network. Already the remotest places are covered by small local airlines.

Canada by train

Train is a way to see wonderful scenery, VIA Rail, run by the Canadian government, is the country’s leading passenger train operator.

Canada by car

Exploring Canada by car gives visitors maximum flexibility, especially when visiting isolated regions.

For travelers who rent a car after arriving in Canada, you will find all major companies represented, including Avis, Hertz and Thrifty. Local agencies such as PractiCar (based in British Columbia) and Routes Car & Truck Rentals

By bus

Due to being too large there is not a bus company that operates all over Canada but rather the regional ones. Megabus operates in Ontario and Quebec. Red arrow operates in Alberta.

The prices are very varied due to the distances and the quality of the buses, although all are of great quality.

Toronto to Ottawa costs $ 30.00 and Calgary to Vancounver US $ 110.00.

It is important to note that longer trips have the possibility of having the fly option being cheaper.

Security

Canada is considered one of the safest destinations in the world. Crime rates are low, police are reliable, easy to contact and quick to respond.

I’ve been to several cities and never witnessed any situation. The sense of security is total.

Recommendations for All:

Always keep your personal belongings under your supervision and care.
Do not leave valuables in view of a parked vehicle.
Take a copy of the passport, leave the original safe at the hotel.
Circulate with the money needed for the day, avoiding large amounts.

To get an idea of security, we need to compare with the ones we’re used to.

SafeAround has compiled and analyzed data from various public sources to create a security index that allows us to rank the countries of the world for security (100 = perfectly safe; 0 = very dangerous).

These sources take into account all types of threats, such as robberies, crimes, traffic fatalities, terrorist attacks and wars, to build your own ranking of the world’s most dangerous cities.

Grades:

An index of 100 means that the country is perfectly safe, while 0 means that it is extremely dangerous.

This classification is for indicative purposes only.

Position of the countries:

If you want more details you have the complete study on the website.

Documents and Vaccine for Canada

In general, to enter Canada as a visitor, student or temporary worker, a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is required. The only exception is if you come from a country that has a visa waiver agreement.

Passport

On any international trip the passport is the most important document and as a general rule it must have a minimum of 6 months of validity of the date you are going to enter the country.

In more extreme cases they can stop you to entry if the validity of the passport is less than 6 months.

Visa

Brazilians need a visa to enter Canada.
If you have a valid US visa or had a Canadian visa in the last 10 years, you can take the eTA Canada electronic version.
Otherwise you must have the full visa, ie the one that is pasted in your passport.

The process can be done on the Canadian immigration website

Currency and payment methods

The official currency is the Canadian Dollar. Other currencies may be accepted, especially the US dollar in the border towns, however it is always good to have the local currency.

How to be carefull about your money during the trip

ATM

They are available everywhere, you just have to be aware when going to very remote places.

Time Zone

Canada has 6 time zones, Pacific (PT), Mountain (MT), Central (CT), Eastern (ET), Atlantic (AT) and Newfoundland (NT).

See here the comparison of the time of your city

If you have an Iphone the clock itself has the world clock function that can help you. I myself have used a lot and it works very well. Mostly when you see more of a time zone.

Vaccines

There are no mandatory vaccines to enter Canada, but it is always good to have yellow fever. If you take the vaccine do not forget to ask for the international vaccination card.

Brazilians, see here at Anvisa Portal how to obtain.

Planing your Travel? Tips and Tricks

Here are tips and tools to make the journey more enjoyable.

If you still have doubt.

Check the blog area with the materials that will help you on your trip as:

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Book your flight.

Finding cheap air tickets can be difficult and stressful, but with my blog’s tips and using Skyscanner or Momondo the task can be even fun. Today are the most complete tools on the market . In my experience I have seen that even using others these two end up having the best prices.

Book your accommodation.

If you prefer Hostel a great tool is Hostelwold, If you want besides hostels, other options use the Booking.com. I have used both very often and always find the best prices.

Travel insurance.

Insurance is what we never want to use, but it is traumatic if we need and not have it.
It will cover the costs of any eventuality of illness, injury, theft and / or ticket cancellations, etc. It is extremely important to have as you never know what can happen.
I have used the WorldNomads, which always have the insurance coverage that travelers need, in addition to having coverage worldwide.