Canada Overview

Fast Facts

Main Languages

Though English is the dominant language in the area with both English and French being widely spoken and understood, Quebec, which is the largest province of Canada, has French as its dominant language with Montreal having a huge population of people who are well-versed with both. The Federal Government too uses both languages for all its communications.

When to Go

A trip to Canada can be based on two factors; the weather and your comfort level and ability to handle crowds. The fall months, i.e. September, October and November are cooler and less crowded. While the picturesque autumns are similar, summer months offer the best weather and thus witness a surge of travellers from across the globe.

Local Transport

Area-wise, Canada is the second largest country in the world. Undoubtedly, the best way to move from a corner to another is by air.

Air

The nations’ largest network of planes operates under the name of Air Canada which serves close to 150 destinations all across. It also operates a regional airline by the name of Air Canada Jazz. Just out of a financial mess that almost led it to bankruptcy, Air Canada faces strong competition from the no-frills carrier WestJet.

Train

Canada has a large network of both intercity as well as transcontinental passenger carriers, most of which operates under the Via Rail network. Quebec and Ontario are efficiently serviced with a number of trains connecting to Montreal, Gaspe Peninsula and Ottawa, Niagara Falls, Windsor and Kingston. Train schedules are available at all Via Railway Stations.

Bus

The Greyhound Canada is the best and the most extensive of them all. The buses tread on the roads of the Central and the Western regions and make a number of trips to the United States as well. The east is serviced by the Acadian Lines and Orleans Express. With both services forming alliances with the big Greyhound, it’s easy to transfer from one carrier to another on a single ticket.   

Car

Traffic isn’t a problem here! But it’s better to have your own car to get around Canada than to rent one. You will be charged a high fee for leaving a rented car at a different location; your unlimited plans may change to different, limited ones on driving into other provinces; you cannot drive anywhere but on paved roads and there aren’t any manual transmission cars available.

Hitchhiking

Works here! Works well! Hitchhiking is a preferred way for youngsters to get around Canada. However, it seldom works in big cities such as Montreal and Ontario.
 
Currency

Canadian Dollar (CAD). 1 Canadian Dollar is approximately equal to 44.90 INR

Voltage

110/220 Volts

Time Zone

GMT – 6:00 Hours (Nunavut), IST – 11:30 Hours

Phone Code

+1