Canada Border Crossings

[DavidsonOverlander]

Regulations on some things (like firearms) are unlikely to change, but restrictions on taking food may change as threats come and go.

This page: What Can I Bring Into Canada in Terms Of Food, Plant, Animal and Related Products? will help you determine if there are restrictions on the food you want to bring into Canada.

Threads like this attract stories of bad experiences with border agents on both sides, but in over a thousand crossings in the 30+ years since I married an American I have found that situations where the agent is rude or unreasonable are by far the exception.

Just don't try to sneak anything through. If in doubt ask ahead of time or leave it at home. Anyone can be pulled over at any time whether it's due to suspicion or just a random check.

[JCWDCW]

Citrus going State side is always an issue. Other food depends on the US Border officer. Sometimes they take everything and dump it; other times it is just answer the question honestly ... and wait to see what happens
JCW

[Flygirl123]

We live in Bellingham Wa and belong to WBCCIunit 120- British Columbia Airstream Club. We cross frequently and take our dog with his vaccination records. Never any problems. I don’t take fresh produce or meats on either side. You can visit http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-vo...c-rnc-eng.html.
Have fun!

[GregU]

Many folks cross the Canadian border and have no problems at all. Our Texas plates must raise a red flag when we cross over. First I was asked if we have any guns- No sir. Have any guns at home? No sir. Do you have a rifle? No sir. Are you bringing in any bear spray. No sir. Where are your bullets? Why would I have bullets if I do not own any guns? I guess my answer hacked him off. We were pulled into a bay and every compartment and box was searched both in my tow vehicle and in my Airstream. Even the cereal boxes got a good shake. One hour later after finding no guns or other contraband I was told I could leave and to "have a nice day".

I guess they did not believe there is a Texan who does not own a gun. I have nothing against gun owners. I just happen to not be one. They never even asked me about food.

[sburrw]

Going in to Canada through Niagara Falls, they only asked if we had a gun. Going back into the US through Maine, they made us get rid of some vegetables and all citrus.

[sgttibbs]

I live on the border with the UP in Michigan, so I cross over on a weekly basis.


1. have vacination papers for the dogs.
2. Just about any food can come into Canada, but, you wont be able to being much back when you cross back into the US, even if it originated there. Meats and fruits are the items with most issues.


I know where you are going in New Hampshire. My grandparents live in Maine on the coast, so I know that route well. For a nice trip to the Maritimes/Acadia, Take Hwy 2 east and then head south around Farmingham to Hwy 1 and then follow it to New Brunswick Border. A nice scenic detour is head immediately north to Colebrook and take Hwy26 across to Hwy 2, you go through the Dixville & Grafton Notches.
For the return, head to Quebec and you'll have 4 lane interstate all the way back to Chicago. Hwy 20/Hwy401/Hwy402/I69. Cross at Sarnia/Port Huron and avoid going through Detroit, as crossing should be less busy.

[RTT]

Originally Posted by cwf

Boy aren’t you glad the food respects the border??!! Just kidding... sorta.

Returning you to your thread������

HI. We are Canadians and simply check the web for what is allowed into the USA a few days prior to entering the USA.

The list of the day is usually up to date, and changes often from place to place. Our dog was put on a no meat diet months before we travelled with her, and dog food was never a problem entering the US. Quantity allowances for beer and wine have limits both ways, and you are wise to stay below them to insure easy entry.

Canada has strict gun laws and they do not bend on that. We have never owned a gun of any kind. so never an issue there.

We recently got Nexus cards and the border crossing each way is now a breeze.
However, we make a point of knowing what not to bring to the border, how much of any questionable items etc. and it is a quick, stress free experience crossing both ways.

If you are bent on bringing things to the border you should have left a home, and insist on getting them through, you will likely have a problem, which is recorded and stays on you record. Every time you cross in the future, your record comes up and increases the questions they will ask you.

If they ask an open question like "do you have anything to declare?", be careful.
We always reply with "what sort of things are we talking about?", and they will list the items of concern, usually food etc. We then can answer correctly and honestly.

Work with them not against them, and you will enjoy your trip.
Ross

[Overthere]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Every time we go over the boarder we get tripped up on food. That's been goin on for ....err ...60 years. You would *think* we would learn

Fresh fruit going either way is likely to be a no-go. Unpackaged meat ( = fresh meat in paper wrap) may be a no-go. I'm sure we will learn about yet another thing next time we take a trip .... In general if it's in a can or other sealed container, it's ok.

There are limits (duty wise) on how much booze you can "import". That's not so much a restriction as a "pay the tax" issue.

Bob

We go back and forth between Canada and Washington State frequently. Most of your answers have been stated with regards to meat and fruits especially citrus and anything with a pit, as well as potatoes are prohibited. The most we've have had taken was a lemon we forgot, by US. One year the US didn't want any pork. Eggs are a big problem each way. Liquor for both countries is one bottle of wine or hard liquor per person. I think it is up to a case of beer per person.
Only answer questions asked, without offering additional information. Rehearse what you are going to say with all traveling with you. Sometimes they have separated us to see if the answers have been the same. It's not bad if you are cooperative and polite.

[featherbedder]

I crossed 2 times. One was in 60s, no prob. into Can and coming back, us searched AS had 2 oranges, told no no then inspector promptly ate 1 saved other for later thanked me, free to go. I will say both sides very friendly last in late 90s when racing in NY. Vermont and Can. w/enclosed trailer w/racing motorcycles, going over just waved thru, coming back Can. asked what is in trailer, told racing motorcycles no other Q. but some small talk about racing and bikes, never asked to look inside trailer just told have nice day thks for visiting Can. this was niagra falls, Us just waved thru. When I lived in Ger. visited all countries [except Scands]. this side of iron curtain, only one time was asked was at small French border sta. asked if Gasoline [10 gal.] told no go I was ready to dump on ground he stated no no go on. That was only time as all countries had open borders, and this was miles from any where in Ger. and France border. Only thing I fig. may be smugglers route.

[yellowcake]

I took all the advice - no fruit, veggies or fresh meat. No weapons, had pets vaccination records and my passport. It was super easy going in to Canada at Port Huron. 4 questions: are you from Illinois? Do you have any weapons? What is the purpose of your trip? Do you know your license plate number? Have a nice trip!

At Vermont border it seemed well until there was some issue between my passport and my global entry card. I had to pull over, park and come inside while they figured it out. Took about 15 minutes, they were very polite and finally said they figured it out and I was good to go!

Stopped at the first place I found to get some real “fresh” food! Lol.

Thanks for all the input- it was great to know before travelling!

[Isuzusweet]

Awww! You could have at least told them your username just for sh!ts and giggles.

Glad your crossing was for most part uneventful.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[Overthere]

Originally Posted by Overthere

We go back and forth between Canada and Washington State frequently. Most of your answers have been stated with regards to meat and fruits especially citrus and anything with a pit, as well as potatoes are prohibited. The most we've have had taken was a lemon we forgot, by US. One year the US didn't want any pork. Eggs are a big problem each way. Liquor for both countries is one bottle of wine or hard liquor per person. I think it is up to a case of beer per person.
Only answer questions asked, without offering additional information. Rehearse what you are going to say with all traveling with you. Sometimes they have separated us to see if the answers have been the same. It's not bad if you are cooperative and polite.

Correction; you may take 2 bottles of wine per person, not just 1.

[romaa.13]

Though this is about crossing the Canadian-US border, when one enters California from other states the Border Patrol at the check point asks if one has fruits, plants, firewood, firearms.

[Gene]

The size of the liquor or wine bottles may matter. Not sure you can take a case of beer. Best to check on alcohol rules beforehand. I think there is a limit of 200 cigarettes going into Canada because cigarettes are far more expensive in Canada, though that may be evening out because of higher taxes in some US states.

I have always filled up the gas tank before entering Canada since gas is a lot more expensive there. I sometimes have a gas can (5 gal) with me and that has never been a problem.

I think Manitoba does not allow propane to be on while traveling in the province. Since I have never entered Manitoba from the US (only from Ontario), I don't know if that rule is enforced at the border. That may be a problem to anticipate. If traveling to Nova Scotia by ship from the US, I think they also may not allow propane to be on in NS (surely on the ship). I have not towed a trailer in NS, but have in Manitoba and never saw any notice on propane, but just be aware. The US does not require inspection of the propane tanks until 12 years, Canada, 10. If going to Canada, make sure you have updated inspection at 10 years, or you may have problems getting propane until you find someone qualified to inspect your tanks in Canada.

Once you enter Canada, it appears Canadians don't drive as fast as we do (except parts of Ontario). Speed limits are a bit lower and there are fewer four lane highways. Sometimes Americans ask where the interstate highways are—Canada does not have "states", they have provinces. The TransCanada Highway (TCH) stretches from Newfoundland to British Columbia, but is often two lanes and sometimes has spurs. I guess that is their "interstate". We get pretty good at converting kilometers to miles, but temperatures and how much rain there might be defeat us. I have no idea how many centimeters means the dam has burst, run for the hills. There are a lot fewer road signs, so sometimes you may get lost. There is less news on TV and radio—maybe that's why Canadians seem calmer. Sometimes Canada feels like the US 50 years ago—that is a very good thing.

One time we were stopped at the Canadian side. The person asking the questions seemed to be a newbie and was very hesitant in asking questions just as most people would be if they were very new to the job. Newbies seem to have to prove themselves anywhere, and so we were told to go into a building where they looked at our ID (this was before passports were required). They ran them through computers for a while and then thanked us. Except for the newbie, they were exceptionally nice. There is a story (myth?) that if you tell the Canadians you are going to Alaska, they are concerned you are suspicious and may just run out of money before you get there and need help from the government. That says something about some Canadian attitudes about Alaska. There has been a rule for decades that you have to each have $300 to enter Canada—rarely have I been asked that, maybe decades ago. I guess that is in Canadian money, not US. The number may have increased by now, but with credit cards, many people do not carry much cash and the question makes less sense.

I guess we are in the US computer as fruit offenders and have been stopped several times since we have had an RV. Some ICE people are nice, most are cold, unfriendly and suspicious—and that bad attitude kept increasing as the years went by. The other extreme entering Canada was when the border guy and I got into talking about 1950's and '60's popular music and having a great time with memories—how we got to that I can't remember, but suddenly the Canadian remembered he had a job to do and we parted as new friends and we entered New Brunswick. I have crossed the border many hundreds of times and entering Canada takes seconds, the US is always problematical. Usually they ask you if you have $10K cash or more because they think anyone with that much cash is a drug dealer (not always true). Most everyone laughs at them.

On October 17, marijuana is legalized in Canada. In many provinces, it has been available for years. So you can buy it in some border states and all of Canada, but I would not chance taking over the border, even if you have a medical card from a US state.

In Canada, there are fewer bank branches. That's where we goto get some Canadian money (their dollar is now 77¢ US). While credit cards work most everywhere, you can't always anticipate that. Trying to park a trailer where a bank is—if you can find one—can be quite a challenge. When we asked if we could change money at our local bank, they barely knew where Canada was. Some credit cards have a surcharge of 1 or 2% for changing money. We got a Capital One card years ago because they did not do that. Some other cards may not charge extra now, but be careful about that.

Phones are quite challenging. Canadian cellphone companies are as bad, or worse, than US ones. When we had Verizon, we could sign up for extra minutes in Canada, but now we have another provider and aren't sure what to do. You can get a local chip (spaced out on the cellphone name for the part that makes the it work for a specific provider) once you enter Canada for one of the Canadian cell companies. We use our phones as a hot spot for internet on other devices and don't know what to do about that yet. So check that out too.

Traveling between Canada and the US used to be very easy. Not any more. It is worth it, of course.

[rmkrum]

"SIM card" for getting phone service in Canada...

[DavidsonOverlander]

It's hard to make generalizations about Canada (or America) because both are large, diverse countries and your experience will vary depending on the part of the country you visit.

If you live in an American city and you travel to the Prairies or the Maritimes you might think that Canada is more sparsely settled than America and has fewer services. Visit Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver and your experience will be very different.

I find it far easier to find news on Canadian radio than I do when I'm in the states, and as a bonus, in Canada you'll actually get American news as well as Canadian. (OK, maybe not a bonus if you're on vacation and want to get away from the news!)

I haven't noticed a difference in the number of bank branches, but a number of American banks have been bought up by Canadian banks since the financial crisis so you may see some familiar names (RBC, BMO, TD).

Gas and diesel are more expensive, but there is usually less difference with diesel.

Not sure about cell phones, but when we have visitors from America it seems like their phones work fine here. It probably varies by company.

The speed limit is generally lower in Canada, but in Ontario we don't seem to worry much about exceeding it on the freeways, so the overall speed is not much different.

One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is to make sure you have health insurance for travelling. It may be part of your regular coverage as mine is, but if not, you might need to purchase insurance.

As an added bonus, Canadians have a longer life expectancy than Americans, so the more time you spend here the longer you'll live!

Originally Posted by Gene

The size of the liquor or wine bottles may matter. Not sure you can take a case of beer. Best to check on alcohol rules beforehand. I think there is a limit of 200 cigarettes going into Canada because cigarettes are far more expensive in Canada, though that may be evening out because of higher taxes in some US states.

I have always filled up the gas tank before entering Canada since gas is a lot more expensive there. I sometimes have a gas can (5 gal) with me and that has never been a problem.

I think Manitoba does not allow propane to be on while traveling in the province. Since I have never entered Manitoba from the US (only from Ontario), I don't know if that rule is enforced at the border. That may be a problem to anticipate. If traveling to Nova Scotia by ship from the US, I think they also may not allow propane to be on in NS (surely on the ship). I have not towed a trailer in NS, but have in Manitoba and never saw any notice on propane, but just be aware. The US does not require inspection of the propane tanks until 12 years, Canada, 10. If going to Canada, make sure you have updated inspection at 10 years, or you may have problems getting propane until you find someone qualified to inspect your tanks in Canada.

Once you enter Canada, it appears Canadians don't drive as fast as we do (except parts of Ontario). Speed limits are a bit lower and there are fewer four lane highways. Sometimes Americans ask where the interstate highways are—Canada does not have "states", they have provinces. The TransCanada Highway (TCH) stretches from Newfoundland to British Columbia, but is often two lanes and sometimes has spurs. I guess that is their "interstate". We get pretty good at converting kilometers to miles, but temperatures and how much rain there might be defeat us. I have no idea how many centimeters means the dam has burst, run for the hills. There are a lot fewer road signs, so sometimes you may get lost. There is less news on TV and radio—maybe that's why Canadians seem calmer. Sometimes Canada feels like the US 50 years ago—that is a very good thing.

One time we were stopped at the Canadian side. The person asking the questions seemed to be a newbie and was very hesitant in asking questions just as most people would be if they were very new to the job. Newbies seem to have to prove themselves anywhere, and so we were told to go into a building where they looked at our ID (this was before passports were required). They ran them through computers for a while and then thanked us. Except for the newbie, they were exceptionally nice. There is a story (myth?) that if you tell the Canadians you are going to Alaska, they are concerned you are suspicious and may just run out of money before you get there and need help from the government. That says something about some Canadian attitudes about Alaska. There has been a rule for decades that you have to each have $300 to enter Canada—rarely have I been asked that, maybe decades ago. I guess that is in Canadian money, not US. The number may have increased by now, but with credit cards, many people do not carry much cash and the question makes less sense.

I guess we are in the US computer as fruit offenders and have been stopped several times since we have had an RV. Some ICE people are nice, most are cold, unfriendly and suspicious—and that bad attitude kept increasing as the years went by. The other extreme entering Canada was when the border guy and I got into talking about 1950's and '60's popular music and having a great time with memories—how we got to that I can't remember, but suddenly the Canadian remembered he had a job to do and we parted as new friends and we entered New Brunswick. I have crossed the border many hundreds of times and entering Canada takes seconds, the US is always problematical. Usually they ask you if you have $10K cash or more because they think anyone with that much cash is a drug dealer (not always true). Most everyone laughs at them.

On October 17, marijuana is legalized in Canada. In many provinces, it has been available for years. So you can buy it in some border states and all of Canada, but I would not chance taking over the border, even if you have a medical card from a US state.

In Canada, there are fewer bank branches. That's where we goto get some Canadian money (their dollar is now 77¢ US). While credit cards work most everywhere, you can't always anticipate that. Trying to park a trailer where a bank is—if you can find one—can be quite a challenge. When we asked if we could change money at our local bank, they barely knew where Canada was. Some credit cards have a surcharge of 1 or 2% for changing money. We got a Capital One card years ago because they did not do that. Some other cards may not charge extra now, but be careful about that.

Phones are quite challenging. Canadian cellphone companies are as bad, or worse, than US ones. When we had Verizon, we could sign up for extra minutes in Canada, but now we have another provider and aren't sure what to do. You can get a local chip (spaced out on the cellphone name for the part that makes the it work for a specific provider) once you enter Canada for one of the Canadian cell companies. We use our phones as a hot spot for internet on other devices and don't know what to do about that yet. So check that out too.

Traveling between Canada and the US used to be very easy. Not any more. It is worth it, of course.

[Gene]

Yes, it is SIM card.

When I lived in Buffalo and traveled often to Toronto, I did see that Canadian drivers on the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way), the expressway along Lake Ontario that links up with one branch of the NY Thruway, drive just as fast as New Yorkers. I've lived in the west for 40 years, and we drive even faster.

Canada has 1/10 the population and somewhat roughly the same area. Ontario is quite different (except for the northern part) and Canadians often say Ontario is like the US. Residents of Ontario may disagree, but it does seem to be more like the US than the other provinces, but "more like" is not "like". Actually Canadians and Americans share many things in common, but there are differences. For ex., Canadians would apologize for writing this, but Canadians apologize a lot.

A lot of the places we have gone to in recent years and pretty empty and the only radio was the CBC and it seemed to be in the 1950's and there wasn't that much in news. When we traveled to the far north, CBC radio was all there was and I recall little in the way of news there. There was nothing like NPR's news in the morning and later afternoon. I used to notice that I never saw newspaper boxes or newspapers much of anywhere. I was looking for a national newspaper like the Toronto Globe and Mail, but couldn't find it. There were one or two tabloids I'd see on occasion. TV had The National, a better national news program than the ones in the US. Lately, though I could get US newspapers on my iPad, so that was solved. It is true that Canadian media covers the US and US media rarely covers Canada. I notice the NY Times has stepped up coverage of Canada, but it is not anywhere near what I would like to see.

Despite what people think, not all Canadians end a sentence with "eh?" I think a majority don't.

And Grant is correct in suggesting checking health insurance. Some policies cover you in Canada, many do not. Just because Canada, like all advanced nations, has universal health care, it doesn't mean visitors get care for free. There are short term policies for a reasonable price.

And if you are staying near the border, your cellphone may work from US towers. I found that to be true on the south shore of Vancouver Is. when I was picking up towers in Washington state. Though I was more the 5 miles away, the usual limit, radio waves travel much further across water. Sirius radio will work near the border as will RV satellite receivers. How far, I don't know. I also found RV parks in Canada usually had better wifi than US parks, though not when I was on Vancouver Is.

Not only do Canadians have longer lives, but the middle class is richer than in the US. I didn't get any money for being in Canada, but am hoping that having some Canadian blood, I will live much longer.

We have always enjoyed our travels in Canada. The friendliness is obvious, but in many ways there is a sense of having figured it out and living well. I don't feel that in my own country. The difference at the border is telling—welcomed into Canada, treated with suspicion when we return to our country.

[JCWDCW]

Gene Quote ""In Canada, there are fewer bank branches. That's where we go to get some Canadian money (their dollar is now 77¢ US). While credit cards work most everywhere, you can't always anticipate that. Trying to park a trailer where a bank is—if you can find one—can be quite a challenge. When we asked if we could change money at our local bank, they barely knew where Canada was. Some credit cards have a surcharge of 1 or 2% for changing money. We got a Capital One card years ago because they did not do that. Some other cards may not charge extra now, but be careful about that.

The TransCanada Highway (TCH) stretches from Newfoundland to British Columbia, but is often two lanes and sometimes has spurs. I guess that is their "interstate". We get pretty good at converting kilometers to miles, but temperatures and how much rain there might be defeat us. I have no idea how many centimeters means the dam has burst, run for the hills"" end quote


To answer a couple of points in Gene's missive...and his understanding is really right on!

We don't have interstates or inter provincial highways. In Ontario the 400 series of highways is the closest you get to Interstate highway. The Trans Canada is a hodge-podge of really good 4 lane highways with separation barriers and lots of two lane connections that get us from one coast to the other. We are 1/10th the population so except for southern Ontario there is a lot less truck traffic.
When I travel in the US I use the bank of Walmart...except in Florida it seems. My debit card gets me cash at Walmart or Publix or Winn Dixie and I find the exchange rate is equal or better than my own bank at Walmart. All major grocery stores in Canada give cash back ( in CAD $$ of course). It is normal to pay 2 -2 1/2 % more than the posted rate for exchange...both ways.

Millimeters of rain is not so difficult. there are 2.5 mm in an inch so. 5 mm of rain is a lot (2"). Snow gets easier if you think in terms of 2 inch increments. 15mm of snow is 6 inches.
If you see an exchange booth at the border crossing my experience is you get a slightly better rate. At the busy border in Buffalo we would make private deals while standing in line since both Canadians and Americans were looking to exchange. That way we could do the actual exchange rate without the 2% fees. Go to one of the Canadian banks in the US ( TD Royal CIBC Harris/BMO) and you may find they have Canadian $$ on hand or can get substantial sums in 24 hours. I can't see where any credit card won't work in Canada..especially if it is VISA or M/C backed. Some places don't like American Express because of higher fees. Al of my credit cards always work in the US. My Debit cards suddenly became a problem several years ago after being totally seamless in Texas for the previous 6 years. I finally learned to Swipe the card in Florida, not use the chip and then I got the cash-back option at Walmart
JCW

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by JCWDCW

Millimeters of rain is not so difficult. there are 2.5 mm in an inch so. 5 mm of rain is a lot (2"). Snow gets easier if you think in terms of 2 inch increments. 15mm of snow is 6 inches.
JCW

Maybe you're just trying to scare our non-metric friends, but it's about 2.5 cm to an inch, or 25 mm to an inch. So 5 mm of rain is about 0.2"

15 mm of snow would just over half an inch. 15 cm would be 2".

[Gene]

JCW,

Thanks for the compliment. Millimeters and centimeters and centigrade (now Celsius) just are too much for my aged brain. I know about 2 1/2 to the inch, but I can't remember if that is mm. or cm. I can go through the conversion to fahrenheit: multiply by 1.8 and add 32, but by the time I am adding 32, i may have forgotten the number I am adding it to and then stick my hand out the door. I have noticed that carpenters in Canada are still using the inch system and that generally older people understand miles, but younger ones go blank when I say "miles". I think using the metric system makes a lot of sense, but wait until I am dead.

Canada has had chips for credit cards much longer than the US. When using a card at a restaurant, they bring the "machine" to the table and do the transaction right there. I guess it is wireless. Much more advanced than the US. If Canadian cards do not also have the magnetic strip, there may be problems in the US because not everyone has switched to chip readers. The transition here has been slow and painful.

One more thing about fruit. The fruit and veggies in Canadian supermarkets appear to be better quality than in the US. You are less likely to get mass produced tasteless produce that a certain western state in the US is famous for. I once told an ICE agent who was taking some fruit that I didn't see any dead Canadians on the sidewalk outside of a supermarket with half eaten fruit in their hands. What is galling is that they take better fruit than we can get in our own country, probably because of lobbying by US fruit companies.