Travel Guides to Canada

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE • ON TOURISM/DANSON P rovincial and territorial agen- cies provide material describ- ing every aspect of tourism in their region including lists of visitor accommodations and specialty services along with places to eat, so touring visitors can plan their stops accordingly. currency, BAnKinG And credit cArds Canada's currency is dollars and cents. Bills in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1,000 dollar denominations are the same size but dif- fer in colour. Coins are in 1, 5, 10 and 25 cent denominations, as well as one dollar (loonie) and two dollars (toonie). The Canadian dollar is currently almost at par with the U.S. dollar (January 2012) and United States currency is widely accepted at the prevailing exchange rate. Most communities have branches of major national banks. Hours of operation are, at minimum, 10 - 3 p.m. on weekdays. In cities they may be the same as other retail outlets. Banks are closed on legal holidays, however exchange bureaus in cities, airports and at border crossings usually remain open. Automated teller machines (ATM) are numerous and accept bank cards issued by international bank- ing systems. customs, immiGrAtion And HeAltH reGulAtions For vacation purposes, citizens of the United States do not need visas to enter Canada. U.S. citizens travelling between the U.S. and Canada by air, land or sea are required to have a valid passport when entering the U.S. A NEXUS card is accept- able in place of a passport at participating airports when travelling between the United States and Canada by air. A U.S. Passport Card, Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or a Trusted Traveller Program Card is acceptable in place of a passport when travelling between the U.S. and Canada by land or sea. Details of these programs and some additional exceptions are available at: www.knowyourborder. gov. If in doubt, consult Citizenship and Immigration Canada: www.cic.gc.ca or the Canadian Embassy. There is no restriction on what per- sonal effects you bring into Canada. Duty free limits for adults are 50.1 ounces (1.5 l) of wine, 40 ounces (1.14 l) of liquor or 24 containers of 12 ounces (355 ml) each of beer or ale (8.5 l total). As well adults may bring up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 7 ounces (200 g) of tobacco. For animals, plants and foods, please contact the Canada Border Services Agency for possible restrictions (www.cbsa-asfc. gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5082-eng. html). For information on declarations and duty free exemptions on returning to the U.S., contact the American Consular Services (www.amcits.com). driVinG American driver's licences are accepted in Canada for up to three months. All driv- ers must have accident liability insurance, which can be arranged when renting a car. If travellers are driving across the bor- der they should obtain a Canadian Non- resident Inter-province Motor Vehicle Liability Card, commonly known as a yel- low card or Canadian ID card, (available from their insurer in the U.S. only) before they leave. Drivers are also advised to bring their vehicle registration card, a let- ter of permission from the registered owner of the car, or a car rental contract traVELLErs' tiPs 24 2012 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CANADA TRAVELLER'S TIPS

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