Trains, busses and flights in Canada

Depending on the distances you are traveling, there are many ways to get around. For local travel there are subways, buses, taxis or even by foot, bicycle or dogsled. Intercity travel implies much larger distances, for which there are planes, trains and buses/coaches.

Toronto: In Toronto, the public transportation service is called theToronto Transit Commission (TTC). This service covers the entire city of Toronto and uses a subway (metro) and a bus network. Regular fares effective July 2007 are as follows:

• Metropass - Transferable (MonthlyPass): $99.75
• Metropass - Discount Plan (Annual per month): $91.50
• Five Tickets: $10.50
• Ten Tickets: $21.00
• Cash Fare (1 trip): $2.75
• Day Pass: $8.50

Student/Senior and Child tickets are available at different prices. There is also a free ‘transfer’ ticket, which is used to move from the subway to the bus and vice versa without paying an extra fare for a continuous trip. This transfer must be obtained from red machine dispensers on the subway stations, and/or from the bus driver. If you do not obtain the transfer ticket you will be required to pay another fare.

Toronto’s subway consists of 3 lines. The Bloor-Danforth line goes from east to the west across the city. This line has an extension in the Scarborough area of the City of Toronto, operated with LRT (Light Rapid Transit) trains and it operates in the easternmost part of Toronto. Yonge-University line is a U shaped line that operates from Ontario Lake to the northern parts of Toronto in the north-south directions. Sheppard line is the latest addition to the Toronto subway system and it goes in the east direction from Yonge Street along the Sheppard Avenue. Full schedules and maps can be found on the TTC website. Get familiar with the TTC service in your area as it will be a big help for getting around the city.

Montreal: In Montreal, the public transportation authority is called the Société de transport de Montréal (STM). The subway network has 4 lines with pretty comprehensive coverage of the city. Regular fares effective July 2007 are as follows:

• CAM (MonthlyPass): $65.00
• CAM (WeeklyPass): $19.00
• Six Ticket Strip: $11.75
• Cash Fare (1 trip): $2.75
• Tourist Card (1 day): $9.00
• Tourist Card (3 day): $17.00

Children and students get discounts to ride the Montreal public transportation network.

Rules for Reduced Fares

• Children aged 5 and under ride for free.
• Children aged 6 to 11 pay reduced fare.
• Children aged 12 to 18 can pay reduced fare upon presentation of their Reduced Fare Access Card.
• Students aged 18 to 25 can travel with a reduced fare CAM (monthly pass) upon presentation of their carte Privilege.
• Senior Citizens (65 and over) can pay reduced fare upon presentation of their Reduced Fare Access Card.

Regional Trains

“ GO train” is the most used railway system in the southern part of the province of Ontario. This transportation system, connects many cities around the Greater Toronto Area such as Mississauga, Oakville, Woodbridge, etc. This system is separate from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), so you need a separate ticket. One of the cities adjacent to Toronto is Mississauga, which has its own network of buses called Mississauga transit. There is currently an initiative to try and make the all of the public transportation entities in the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto and surrounding cities) unite their charges. In the near future, it may be possible to travel from Toronto to say Woodbridge (which is 45 minutes north of the Toronto center), with one pass for all the transportation service you use to get there.

National Trains

Nationally, trains are operated by VIA Rail. You can travel from the easternmost to the westernmost coasts of Canada. Prices differ significantly depending on the time of year and the length of the trip. To get a notion of the time and distance the national train network might cover, take into account that a train ride from Toronto to Vancouver takes approximately three days and three nights for the distance of 2800 miles (4500 kilometres). See www.viarail.ca

Buses / Coaches

In Canada, the national bus network is extensive. There are connections to Canadian and US destinations. Different bus/coach operators exist, there a couple of big players and a number of smaller regional and national operators.

Taxi

Most cities have at least three different taxi companies, so it can help to familiarize yourself with them. Metered fares are usually regulated at the city level and are not negotiable. If you want a “flat rate” to your destination, you must agree one with the driver prior to the start of your trip. Taxi drivers in all major cities need to have an identification that issued by the city that certifies that their activity is legal and that the unit complies with safety regulations.

Flights - Airlines in Canada

The airline industry in Canada has changed noticeably in the last 10 years. After a hostile takeover bid for Canadian Airlines in 1999-2000, Air Canada became the largest airline in the country followed by WestJet and a series of smaller and charter airlines including CanJet, SkyService, etc.

To fly within the country you need a piece of government issued photo identification, or your passport if you are a foreigner. If you are a landed immigrant or a Canadian Citizen, you can show your drivers license or provincial health card. To fly in and out of the country you must have a valid passport and may be required to have a visa.

You may be eligible for certain guarantees regarding refunds due to cancellations originated by the airline’s fault (i.e. bankruptcy of the carrier), only if you purchased your travel through an agent/portal covered by the Travel Insurance Council. Not all merchants/airlines offer such coverage, however if you are flying with a discount airline the price of your ticket may be so cheap that the word ‘insurance’ may overrated. In Ontario, coverage is offered by the Travel Insurance Council of Ontario (an organization that seeks to protect travelers’ rights).

Source: justlanded.com

Importing your car & driving in Canada

Importing your car & driving in Canada

 

Canada has a large network of highways that unite the large majority of the population. In order to drive a motor vehicle in Canadian highways, you need a valid drivers’ license, a vehicle that can be owned, rented, imported, etc.

An International Drivers License obtained in a foreign country can be used in Canada to drive. If you are spending under a year in Canada, an International Drivers License is sufficient. If you intend to obtain permanent residency in Canada or stay for several years, you need to get a Canadian drivers license.

There are different rules for getting a drivers license in different provinces. In most provinces, there is a Graduated Licensing System, where 3 tests have to be done over a certain time period (usually 2 years) to obtain 3 levels of license in order to qualify for the full driver privilege. For instance, in Ontario, there are G1, G2 and G levels for automobile drivers. G1 is the written test, G2 is the 15 minute (approximately) test on the city streets and G is the final, city streets and highway test that lasts approximately 45 minutes. There is also a time limit during which a full G license must be obtained. It is 5 years in Ontario (other provinces it may vary). To obtain any level of license, you should go to the provincial Ministry of Transportation.

If you come from the USA and have held a full driver license (not for minors) for a period of two years, you may be eligible to swap your USA license for a Canadian one. Note that in this case, you will need to surrender your American license in order to obtain the Canadian one.

If you are from another country, you may be eligible for an automatic G1 or G2 license depending on the Ministry of Transportation policy. In Ontario, contact the Ministry of Transportation Ontario for more information.

Cars

Canada is a large country, so residential and commercial areas tend to be spread out over relatively large distances. For many areas outside of the centre of town, it is likely that you will require a car to travel to and from wherever you want to go. Before purchasing or renting one, consider other transportation options and evaluate your budget in order to determine how much you can spend.

Buying or selling

There are several different options for buying a car: new/used, for cash or leased. You can purchase from a private seller, a dealer, an auction, or from companies selling vehicles form their fleet. To purchase a new car, go to a major dealer (i.e. VW, Toyota, Acura, GM) and find the car you like, negotiate the price, buy then register it. A dealer will usually register and deliver a car to you for a fee (around C$1,000 – expensive, consider picking up and registering yourself). You can either pay for cash, get finance, lease or lease buy-back (a form of rental that allows the lessee to purchase the car after the lease contract expires for a predetermined value). Dealers offer flexible financing terms for new vehicle purchases. Recent university and college graduates can get discounts on the purchase price of C$500 and up if the dealer has a Graduate Discount Program.

If you want a used car, you can buy it privately from another individual and save some tax. In Ontario, sales tax on private sales of vehicles is 8%; 15% for dealer sales. However, you will probably need to pay in cash or draft from a private seller, so there are no financing options. You will be able to get finance from most used car dealers (be careful as the interest rate can be very high rates). Local banks also offer car loans and the rates tend to be better than you will get from a dealer.

To register a vehicle you have purchased, you need the following:

• Drivers License
• Emission Test (Drive Clean in Ontario)
• Safety Certificate (confirming that the vehicle is fully operational for driving and road-worthy)
• Vehicle ownership paper that is signed, dated and has all the other information filled in
• Ontario Used Vehicle Information Package (required only if private sale)
• Valid Insurance for the car that needs to be registered
• Sales Tax (8% of sales price in Ontario for a private sale)
• License Plates
• Validation Sticker (available for periods of 1 and 2 years in Ontario)

Most dealers will complete the entire registration process for you for a fee.

Renting

Sometimes renting a car can be an option that is worth considering. There are several large national rent-a-car companies with a wide choice of vehicles. In addition, there are smaller, local rental companies that are generally cheaper, but have older vehicles.

If you rent, ensure that you inspect the vehicle for any damage prior to renting it. Check the mileage corresponds to what is on the contract. Get insurance. Driving a rent-a-car without insurance places the burden of liability on the renter.

Importing a car

If you wish to import a car, first you have to contact the provincial ministry of transportation to see whether the vehicle can be imported into Canada under the current transportation regulations. In Ontario, visit the Ministry of Transportation website to find out more about importing regulations. In brief, if you wish to import a vehicle to Canada, it has to be of certain age and it has to conform to the Canadian transportation safety standards. Import taxes in addition to provincial and federal sales taxes must be paid.

Insurance

Under the Traffic Act, insurance is mandatory for all vehicles. Not having insurance is punishable by strict financial penalties. For example, in Ontario, driving a vehicle without insurance may result in a penalty of $5,000 for the first offence and more for a second or third offence.

Insurance can be obtained from numerous insurance brokers. Some financial and other institutions also offer insurance plans. Many employers have group insurance plans for their employees. For foreigners, it is usually more expensive to get insurance since they do not have insurance history with a Canadian insurance carrier. Sometimes, letters confirming that a foreigner had car insurance in the country of origin can help save some money when obtaining insurance in Canada. However, this practice varies across insurers.

Maximum alcohol levels

Drinking and driving is a BIG “no-no” in Canada. Each province has a different alcohol level allowance in the bloodstream of drivers. If you are caught driving above such level, you may end up in jail. Check each province authorities or with the Canadian Auto Club of your preference (i.e. www.caa.ca) to find out about legal maximum alcohol levels in your blood while driving. The best thing to do is stick to soft drinks if you’re driving!

Source: justlanded.com