Home » Canada » Get around

Get around, Canada

Selena Hajduko
Rating 5/5

Rating: 5.00 out of 5.00. 2 members have rated this tip

Displayed: times.

Canada is big. The best way to get around the country is by air. Air Canada (http://www.aircanada.ca) is the main national carrier, but for travel between major centres, discount carriers like WestJet (http://www.westjet.ca), JetsGo (http://www.jetsgo.com) and CanJet (http://www.canjet.com) might have better fares. In general, airports are poorly connected to public transportation and railway transportation; expect to leave airports by road on a rental car, taxi or a privately operated bus.

You can also travel between most cities in Canada, small and large, by bus. Greyhound Canada (http://www.greyhound.ca/) provides much of the service, with smaller operators covering local routes. For some popular tourist routes, guided bus tours are also available. Of course, many people choose to rent a car. Although somewhat expensive if you are travelling alone, this can be an economically reasonable alternative if you are sharing the costs with others. However, beware of the high surcharges associated with dropping off the car at a different location than where it was picked up.

Passenger rail service in Canada, although very safe and comfortable, is often an expensive and inconvenient alternative to other types of transport. The corridor between Windsor and Quebec City is a bit of an exception to this generalization. Also, if natural beauty is your thing, the approximately three-day train ride between Toronto and Vancouver passes through the splendour of the Canadian prairies and the Rocky Mountains, with domed observation cars to allow passengers to take in the magnificent views.

Travellers planning to travel by train may find making arrangements ahead of time is advisable in order to find lower fares. VIA Rail (http://www.viarail.ca/) is the main Canadian passenger rail company.