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Tips for Travel to Canada
Getting to Canada
Getting around Canada
Where to Stay
Visas and Officialdom
The Seasons
Money |
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Information and Services
TOURIST INFORMATION
Almost every town and city across
Canada has an information center. They are generally open daily
June-August, each with its own hours. When these centers are closed, head
to the chamber of commerce (year-round, Monday-Friday only) for
information.
Tourism Offices
Start planning your travels
to Canada by contacting one of the following provincial/territorial
tourism offices. You will find the websites packed with up-to-date
information on accommodations, attractions, and events. Use the website or
call for free information packages which include maps.
COMMUNICATIONS
Postal Services
All mail posted in Canada must have
Canadian postage stamps attached. First-class letters and postcards are 49
cents to destinations within Canada, 80 cents to the United States, and
$1.40 to all other destinations. Post offices are open Monday-Friday only.
If you would like mail sent to you while traveling, have it addressed to
yourself, c/o General Delivery, Main Post Office, in the city or town you
request, the name of the province, Canada. The post office will hold all general delivery
mail for 15 days before returning it to the sender. The website of Canada
Post is www.canadapost.ca.
Telephone
Except for local calls, all numbers
must be dialed with the area code, including long-distance calls from within
the same area code. The country code for Canada is 1, the same as the United
States. Public phones accept five-, 10-, and 25-cent coins. Local calls from
payphones are usually 35 cents and most long-distance calls cost at least
$2.50 for the first minute from public phones. Pre-paid phone cards, which
are available from gas stations and drug and grocery stores, provide
considerable savings for those using public phones. They come in $5-50
amounts.
Internet
It will probably surprise no one
that public Internet access is available across Canada. The best
place to try first are local libraries, where more often than not, you only
need to show some identification to use a computer. Internet booths can also
be found in airports, cafes, and some shopping malls. Most larger hotels
either have in-room Internet access (for a small charge) or a communal
business center.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Like every country in the world
except the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar, Canada is on the metric
system, although many
people talk in miles and supermarket prices are advertised in ounces and
pounds.
Electricity
Electrical voltage is 120 volts, the
same as the United States.
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