What's there to do in Canada?

2009-11-02 19:08:25 UTC

Just so you know all of Canada is English-speaking. Even in Quebec if you speak English they'll understand you and respond back in English, with the possible exception of Quebec City.

Also there's no way you'd learn French in a week LOL.

But as for reccomended cities... Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver (definitely this one since you'd be here around the Olympics), St. John's.

Each has a very different flavour, Toronto and Montreal being the closest. I guess I just like Montreal because I live in Toronto and I don't find it particularly interesting anymore, hah.

I'd reccomend renting a car unless you're staying in a big city. Toronto for example has a fairly reliable transit service, the TTC, that will take you from one ond of the city to the other actually FASTER than by car because there's no traffic.

But yeah - come visit us. We don't bite, honest! :)

Big River

2009-11-01 10:56:55 UTC

Hi Lily B:

From travel experience, only certain parts of Northern Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec are very French. New Brunswick is actually the only "officially" bilingual province. Most people everywhere will try to speak with you in your own language. We love visitors!

Fun places? What's fun to you? Exploring? Be sure to see Quebec City. It's rich with beautiful sites and history. Amusements Parks in Montreal and other cities are huge and can take a whole day. Toronto-depending on the time of year, has three: Canada's Wonderland, The C.N.E. and Ontario Place. How to get around? Train, plane, bus. It depends how much of the country you want to see. There are very good bus trips from Toronto to Niagara Falls for example. I wouldnt rent a car in Montreal or Toronto (traffic and crazy drivers!) but elsewhere may be a good idea. We are the second largest country in the world. You cannot water-ski in Ontario in the morning and visit the Rocky Mountains at lunchtime, unless you have a personal jet.

Spring break time is very very busy at Canadian airports with people coming and going to Florida, Cuba etc... and it's still kinda cold here.

I suggest coming in the summertime. Be sure to look into "family passes" everywhere you go (the transit system in Toronto for example) since they can save you a lot of $$.

All provinces and the Canadian government have very good websites. Maybe they will help you get ideas. There are hundreds and thousands of things to do in Canada. Come for a week or two and you'll have to come back again:) Bon voyage and good luck.

Edmonton E

2009-11-01 14:18:04 UTC

Loads.

For cities there are many options, I'll give you a run down

-Victoria, BC. Cute little city of 120,000 on Vancouver Isle with lots of pretty architecture and nice natural beauty. It's more scaled back than Vancouver, but Vancouver is a short ferry ride away!

-Vancouver, BC. Loads of culture, entertainment, media, and beauty. It feels very international/cosmopolitan, a city of 4-6 million maybe, but it's only got 2.5 mil. There is a lot of nice new and old architecture, and the Skytrain goes to many places, and if it doesn't take you somewhere, you can take buses I guess. There are a lot of neat neighborhood strips like Commercial Drive, W 4th, Denman, Robson, Broadway, Granville Street, and Gastown. The city is very eco-friendly and there is a lot of outdoorsey activities from sun tanning to the snowboarding. Unfortunately, the prices are crazy in most areas and east of Gastown is one of the worst slums in Canada (ironically next to Gastown; a uberchic district). The city has good rail connections to the States.

-Calgary, AB. It has one of the most extensive train networks in North America, so you can get most places using it, or a short bus ride. It's a big corporate city, but is near the fun of the mountains. There's a lot of crazy construction and there are some really neat parks down there, plus the Calgary Zoo. The Beltline district is amazing (sometimes grouped with Downtown core).

-Edmonton, AB. It's got a bad rap but it's not an awfully bad city. It's slower paced and less of a good first impression than Calgary, but it has it's own. It's got stunning cultural facilities that Calgary could only dream, and one of the best universities in Canada. It also has an extensive parkland network that cuts right through the City in the river valley. The public transportaiton is somewhat lacking, but improving.

-Winnipeg, MB. Also has a bad rap, but as long as you stay away from the North End and parts of Main Street then you're fine. Winnipeg has some of the best architecture in Western Canada in terms of history, but not near as much modern stuff. Mostly bus-orientated.

-Hamilton, ON. Kinda rusty/gritty vibe to it compared to nearby Toronto, but a cool city nonetheless. It's got a lot of nice old urban style neighborhoods and natural beauty with the escarpment. It's a blue-collar town, but it's near Niagara Falls & Toronto if you need something a little different even though it's a fine city (but it's more a place for certain people, it's no Toronto or Montreal, it wont be just any person falling in love with it).

-Toronto, ON. The city everybody knows. If you're American this one will feel the most close-to-home for you, which may be good. It's got a lot of American sports & stores but it's obviously Canadian. It's a media hub and corporate hub with the best public transportation (alongside Montreal) in the country. I won't go too much into it because it's already wellknown.

-Ottawa, ON. The national capital. Filled with museums and cultural artifacts that are sure to please. It's a nice livable city but engulfed in Politics as I'm sure you can imagine. The Centretown and Byward Market areas are extremely nice. There is the O-train for rail & numourous buses. It's got a lot of great national institutions, and it's a Bilingual city cause it's right on Quebec & easy distance to Montreal, PQ.

I'll leave Quebec.

-Halifax, NS. The great thing about this city is that for the most part you dont even need public transport, you can get to everything within relatively walking distance of the Central area. Everything is close in and tight knit fabric. Loads of beautiful architecture and Ocean scenery. Also great university.

Hope that helps.

Hey You

2009-11-01 10:29:28 UTC

Toronto.Very cosmopolitan.English is the main language everywhere in Canada.They choose to speak French in many parts of Quebec but they must pass English to graduate.You can go almost anywhere in Toronto by a very good public transport system.The subway goes from one end to the other east and west as well as north and south.At any stop you can continue on the bus of your choice.Known as the Toronto Transit Commission or TTC.Google it for more information.The intersection of Jane St and Finch Ave is bad.Jamaicans killing each other over drugs but that is a long way from downtown.There are great museums and the Eaton center mall is huge and right downtown too.If you like camping and the outdoors than Northern Ontario is one of the best on the planet.The drive from Thunder Bay Ontario to Sault Saint Marie is one of the most scenic you will ever live to see.Canada is huge.I was raised there but live in Florida now.

2009-11-01 09:04:26 UTC

Ok, so I'm only 15 years old but I'll try and do my best to answer your questions. First off there are no "French" speaking cities, unless you go to certain places in Quebec. And even if that's so, most places where people speak French, they speak, perfect English too. It also depends on what you want to go see. If you want to visit museums, and other buildings, Toronto is a very nice place to go, if you are looking into a more scenic view, go through the Rockies. I've never been though, but my family has said it was magnificent. Again, sorry I couldn't help completely, but I tried.

Your Canadian Friend,

Brandon

2009-11-01 10:30:33 UTC

Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton are vibrant cities with great culture and lots of stuff to do. Montreal and Quebec City are also beautiful cities with lots of History. Toronto is also a great city with lots of stuff to do but it is quite a generic city. If you've gone to any other big city, you've gone to Toronto.

J.J.'s Advice / Avis de J.J.

2009-11-01 11:40:08 UTC

The only place where French might be an issue is in small-town Quebec and Northern New Brunswick. Everywhere else in Canada is English, for the most part, and in the larger cities of Quebec almost everyone is bilingual.

It's still a good idea to learn French, though. Very useful language.

If you don't plan on renting a car, I think the best way to see Canada is by train. I've taken the trains all over from Halifax N.S., to Churchill, MB, to Vancouver, B.C.! Compared with luxury tours, the train is very affordable. For only $923 ($831 for youth under 26 and full-time students) you get 12 days in a 30-day period of unlimited travel on any trains in Canada! This means that you can explore Canada at your own pace without worrying too much about reservations or schedules, and you get to see the country from the best point of view! Riding the rails will bring you right into the downtown core of each city you visit, so there won't be any additional transportation costs for taxis, etc. unless you fly in at the beginning of your trip.

If you're on a tight budget, you could also opt for a Greyhound Discovery Pass which gives you unlimited travel over various time periods. For example, a 15-day pass is $299. The bus isn't as pleasant or memorable as the train, though!

If you're coming from Eastern United States, below is a suggested itinerary for you. If you live in the Western United States, you might prefer to do this in reverse:

1- Take an Amtrak train (or Greyhound bus) from your town to Portland, Maine.

2- Take the Cat ferry from Portland to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. ( www.catferry.com/ )

3- Take a shuttle bus from Yarmouth to Halifax. ( www.thecloudnineshuttle.com/ ).

4- After spending a few days in Halifax, take the VIA Rail train all through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Quebec City. ( viarail.ca ). The stop you will get off at is called "Charny".

5- Spend some time in the glorious old city of Quebec. If you have the means, I highly recommend staying at the Chateau Frontenac ( www.fairmont.com/frontenac ). If not, there are plenty of other cheaper hotels around.

6- Take a fast intercity VIA train to Montreal. You'll want to spend a few days here. If possible, stay at the Queen Elizabeth hotel ( www.fairmont.com/queenelizabeth/ ) but again there are other more affordable hotels, motels, and youth hostels all over.

7- Take another train onwards to Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Depending on how interested you are in politics, you may not want to spend the night here. It's possible just to arrive in the morning, spend the day, and catch a train out in the evening. Best hotel: The Chateau Laurier ( www.fairmont.com/laurier/ )

If you're into amusement parks, it's worth it to go to La Ronde ( laronde.com ) for a day. If you're 18 or older, then there is a huge club scene/nightlife on Crescent St., Saint-Catherine St., and Rue St-Denis. You should also check out the Casino de Montreal ( www.casino-de-montreal.com/ ).

8- Take a train to Toronto, Canada's largest city and the capital of Ontario. There's lots to see an do here. Ride on the historic streetcars, take the elevator to the top of the CN tower, and go to a play at one of this city's theatres. The best hotel is the Royal York ( www.fairmont.com/royalyork/ ), directly across the street from the train station. Another good option is the Courtyard by Marriott ( www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yyzcy-courtyard-toronto-downtown/ ) which is in a somewhat more happening and lively district than the Royal York, and is just steps away from a subway station.

8a- You might want to take a side-trip down to Niagara Falls. You pass will let you take the thrice-daily VIA train, or you can pay $15.90 single or $31.80 return for a ticket on a GO train ( gotransit.com/publicroot/en/schedule/lstserdt.aspx?table=12&station=&new=Y ). The advantage to these trains is their frequency, but they aren't as comfortable and don't have any on-board services.

9- From Toronto, take the VIA Rail "Canadian" all the way across the country. A few places you might want to stop are Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Jasper. Jasper in particular is a very popular tourist destination, right in the middle of a national park. You can stay at the Jasper Park Lodge ( www.fairmont.com/jasper ) if you have the money. If you're on a budget, Jasper probably isn't the town for you; everything's expensive there!

For Winnipeg, stay at any hotel in the French Quarter or around the Forks area. Their most luxurious hotel is the Fairmont Winnipeg ( www.fairmont.com/winnipeg ), but it's in the fairly boring Financial District.

For Edmonton, Fantasyland Hotel ( www.fantasylandhotel.com ). It's a very unique experience with amazing themed rooms. It's attached to the West Edmonton Mall, one of the largest indoor malls in the world, which includes an indoor theme park and water park

10- You'll arrive in Vancouver a few days after leaving Toronto, and you can spend a few days there. It's a wonderful city. Definitely check out China Town, the port of Vancouver, and take the "sky train".

11- From North Vancouver, take the ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. ( www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/hbna-current.html ).

12- From Nanaimo, take the VIA train to Victoria. Victoria has the best weather in Canada. I'd recommend either the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe ( www.deltahotels.com/hotels/hotels.php?hotelId=51 ) or the Fairmont Empress ( www.fairmont.com/empress/ ).

Take the "harbour taxi" to get around. Don't forget to visit the Royal B.C. Museum ( www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca ), one of my personal favourite museums in the country.

13- Once finished in Victoria, take the "Clipper" ferry to Seattle ( www.clippervacations.com/ferry/ ) and continue by Amtrak, Greyhound, or airplane back to your hometown.

Additional Notes:

- I don't recommend flying to Canada. It's much cheaper to fly to a city near the boarder (like Portland ME, Burlington VT, Buffalo NY, Detroit MI, Fargo ND, Seattle WA) and take a bus or train across the boarder.

- Of course there are other accommodations than the luxury ones mentioned above. An excellent resource for finding budget youth hostels is at www.hihostels.ca/ , the Canadian chapter of Hostels International. You can always trust the places listed on this website to be clean, safe, and cheap.

- If you prefer to take buses rather than trains for budget reasons, you can substitute each leg of this trip. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick there's Acadian Bus Lines ( acadianbus.com ), in Quebec there's Orleans Express ( orleansexpress.com ) among other various bus companies ( www.cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Canadian_Coach_Operators#Quebec ), in British Columbia there's Pacific Coach Lines ( pacificcoach.com ), and in the rest of the country there's Greyhound ( greyhound.ca ).

Many of these buses can be used with the Discovery Pass ( www.discoverypass.com/ ).

For more travel ideas in Canada, check out my website at http://sites.google.com/site/canadaodysseys . The site is currently a work in progress, but check back often for updates!