Colorful mountain vistas of lakes, trees and flowers at Sunshine Meadows near Banff, AB
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Thinking about a trip to Canada, our neighbors to the North? These Canada Facts will highlight a few differences from traveling in the US.

Traveling in Canada is pretty similar to traveling in the United States. But a few things are different that might throw you off at first. Knowing these Canada Facts will help improve your experience!

I’m also passing along some Kari’s Travel Tips that I’ve learned over the years of traveling the world, hoping you may find them helpful for your trip.

You can use the Table of Contents below to find the specific pieces of info you’re looking for, or take your time scrolling through all the information.

Moraine Lake is an iconic Canadian stop for many travelers. Located in Banff NP. Alberta
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#1 – Currency

In Canada, the official currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD) and it also uses the $ sign, making it easy to forget that there is a difference.

Credit and debit cards like VISA and Mastercard are widely accepted at all places. We also were able to use Apple Pay on our phones in many places.

The only time we needed Canadian cash was for tipping our tour guides who don’t have any method to take a credit card payment. We took that out at an ATM.

Many of the websites that cater to America tourists will display prices in both currencies. Sometimes, they even ask you to choose which currency you’d like to see displayed. But when shopping in stores, the prices are always displayed in CAD.

Be forewarned: things are quite a bit more expensive in Canada than in the US. We paid a lot more for lodging, meals, and tours than we normally do.

And Liquor, oh my goodness, that was WAY more expensive. Like the cheapest 175 ml bottle of rum was $55 USD at the municipal liquor store, compared to the $15 I pay in the US – a different brand, but still!!!

Currency Conversion

We use the Xe app on our phones to find the most current exchange rates. But when we are out and about, I usually use “ballpark math” to do it quick in my head.

During our time in Vancouver, the US equivalent was approximately 72.7% of the Canadian Dollar. For a quick conversion, I used 3/4 or 75% to do the conversion.

Canada Fact - the Xe app can help you see conversion rate from Canadian to US dollars (or vice versa).

Kari’s Travel Tip: Be sure to let your bank know that you will be using your debit or credit card in Canada on these specific dates so they don’t block you for suspected fraudulent activity.

Kari’s Travel Tip: When you use your debit or credit card, you want it to be charged in the local currency so you don’t get charged double conversion fees. Even if a credit or debit card has no foreign transaction fees, you will still benefit by not having the money converting twice.

#2 – Tipping Culture in Canada

Tipping in Canada is just like in the US, meaning it’s “expected” at a 15-20% rate. We wish the US and Canada could be more like the rest of the world where tipping is not so much part of the culture, but I’m afraid it’s just too ingrained here to ever go away.

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#3 – Metric System Conversions

Canada uses the metric system, just like most of the world does, for measurements like distance (meters and kilometers), temperature (Celsius), weight (grams and kilograms), and volume (liters and milliliters).

This causes us American’s to have to do constant converting when we visit Canada. Here are some helpful guides when you need it at a quick glance.

Temperature: Celsius to Fahrenheit

  • 0 C = 32 F
  • 10 C = 50 F
  • 15 C = 59 F
  • 20 C = 68 F
  • 25 C = 77 F
  • 27 C = 80 F
  • 30 C = 86 F
  • 40 C = 104 F
  • 45 C = 113 F
  • Formula for calculating: C x 1.8 + 32 = F

Weight: Kilograms to Pounds

This is useful for staying within checked and carry-on luggage limits on different airlines.

  • 7 kg = 15.4 pounds
  • 10 kg = 22 pounds
  • 15 kg = 33 pounds
  • 20 kg = 44 pounds
  • 25 kg = 55 pounds
  • 30 kg = 66 pounds
  • 32 kg = 70 pounds
  • 35 kg = 77 pounds
  • Formula: kg x 2.2 = Pounds

Kari’s Travel Tip: Keep this in mind at the grocery store. Buying 1 kg of Chicken breasts is quite a LOT more chicken than buying 1 pound is!

Distance: Kilometers to Miles

  • 100 meters = roughly a football field length
  • Precise calculation: km x 0.621371 = miles
  • Rough calculation: km x .6 = miles  or km x 2/3 = miles

Kari’s Travel Tip: At first, we were always trying to convert the kilometers over to miles. But after a while, it was easier to just start thinking about distance in terms of kilometers.

Area: Square Meters to Square Feet

This is helpful when you are looking for accommodations to know how big the space is. A standard hotel room in the US is about 300-350 square feet.

  • 20 square meters = 215 square feet 
  • 25 square meters = 269 square feet 
  • 30 square meters = 323 square feet 
  • 40 square meters = 430 square feet 
  • 70 square meters = 753 square feet

#4 – Time Zone

Canada’s time zones mirror the US’s, just farther north. Most of Canada observes Daylight Savings Times on the same dates as the US. But the province of Saskatchewan and the territory of Yukon do NOT observe daylight saving time

#5 – International Phone Code

Canada’s country code is +1, just like the US (followed by the 10-digit local number).

Airalo eSim

I always use the Airalo eSim to stay connected while traveling because my at-home provider does not work outside of the US.

Airalo offers the Canada Mobile eSim in different amounts of data and number of days. I bought 3GB for 30 days for $9 USD.

It’s easy to install, activate, and use. You can designate which apps have access to your eSim data. I typically turn off apps I won’t need while traveling, like local weather or news apps or my hair salon from back home.

Kari’s Travel Tip: Install and activate your eSim before you leave home. When you get off the plane in Canada, connect to the free airport Wi-Fi and access the eSim network. That way, you’ll have data available as you leave the airport and navigate to your first destination.

Kari’s Travel Tip: Make sure your phone is unlocked and set up for international service. Check with your cellular provider if you aren’t sure.

#6 – Visa Requirements

According to the US State Department, US citizens do not need a tourist visa to travel to Canada, as long as your stay is less than 180 days. Your passport must be current and non-expired.

Canada Fact: US Passport holders do not need a visa to travel to Canada as long as they stay less than 180 days.

Kari’s Travel Tip: Upon arrival at Immigration, you may be asked to tell them where you will be staying in Canada so have the hotel name or Airbnb address of your first stay ready.

Kari’s Travel Tip: You may also be asked to show your return ticket or proof of onward travel to prove you will not stay in Canada more than 180 days. So have that opened on your phone or printed out on paper to show in case they ask.

Our full-time traveling nomad friends were denied entry to Canada because they hadn’t yet booked their exit travel. They “plan-as-they-go” and weren’t certain how long they wanted to stay there.

#7 – What’s the Same as in the United States?

Lots of things are the same between the US and Canada:

  • English is the official Language
  • They drive on the right side of the road and all the road signs are the same.
  • They use the same electrical plugs as we do and the same current – so you can plug in all of your appliances and electronics without needing a converter.
  • You can drink the tap water and flush the toilet normally.
  • Dates are formatted the same as the US – MM/DD/YYYY
  • Time indicators are the same as in the US – Two twelve hour periods designated by AM and PM
  • Canadians use their phones to call and text just like we do. The rest of the world (Europe, Asia, South America, Australia/New Zealand, Africa) use the WhatsApp application for all of their communication.

Conclusion: Canada Facts

I hope these quick Canada Facts and Travel Tips will help you feel more prepared and excited for your upcoming Bucket List adventure! There are so many amazing places to visit in Canada – Vancouver, Banff and Jasper, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec and more!

If you think of any other Canada facts that should be included, I’d love to hear your suggestions!

More Info on Canada

Here are some more posts about Canada, British Columbia and Vancouver, including some that I’m still working on. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the site, please complete the short form above.

Vancouver:

Vancouver Island:

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