With a little planning and know-how, you can save money on your visit to Canada.
So, you want to go to Canada? Find out more about some of this vast country's most famous destinations and maybe discover a few places you never even heard of.
Monday, May 21th is Victoria Day across Canada (except in Quebec where the holiday is National Patriots Day).
Openings and closings depend on province and region and the best advice is to call ahead if unsure. But generally, it's a long weekend for most Canadians. Some businesses stay open to feed and water the crowds and tourist destinations operate as usual.
Niagara Falls and Buffalo are two of the most popular land crossings into Canada from the United States. Luckily, there are four border crossings in this area: three in Niagara Falls and one in Buffalo and all are convenient passages to Southern Ontario, including to popular destinations like Niagara wine country and Toronto.
Be sure to check wait times at the border as you get closer by way of roadside signs, listening to the radio and looking online.
Other factors to consider when choosing which border crossing to take may be whether you have a NEXUS card or want to do some duty free shopping (not all border crossings have these options).
With the arrival of warmer weather, the number of visitors heading to Niagara Falls has started to increase. The summer is definitely the busiest time for this natural wonder, but if you're looking to save money, other seasons can still make for an enjoyable visit. No matter what time of year you're visiting, you'll want to know what the weather will be like in Niagara Falls.
There is no U.S. bound NEXUS lane at the Queenston Lewiston Bridge; however there is a Canada-bound lane coming up from the U.S. Finding this information clearly laid out is a chore and I had to find it out the hard way. I arrived at Queenston Lewiston last Friday feeling pleased with myself that I was going to whisk by the hour and a half lineup with my NEXUS card. No such luck. No NEXUS lane to the U.S.
Canada Border Services states on its website that there is a NEXUS lane at Queenston Lewiston but it doesn't mention that the lane is Canada-bound only: Like we're supposed to know this!? Grrr. Don't get me started again.
So I'm giving it to you straight. If you are heading from Canada to the U.S. and want to use your NEXUS card, use the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, the Whirlpool-Rapids Bridge in Niagara Falls - which is a NEXUS card-holders-only crossing - or the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, which provides NEXUS service for only United States-bound travelers.
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