Why Canada
The country is almost as large as the whole of Europe for forty million people, almost all of them within three hundred kilometres of the American border. Beyond that begins a territory with no equal in terms of accessibility: forest, lakes and tundra all the way to the Arctic.
Three countries coexist. Quebec, French-speaking, with its own culture and its own law. Ontario and the Maritimes, English-speaking and dense. And the West — the Rockies, Vancouver, the Yukon — which is the reason for most trips.
Getting around
The distances make flying necessary between regions: Montreal–Vancouver is a five-hour flight. The transcontinental train exists and takes four days, which makes it an experience rather than a means of transport.
In the West, a car is essential and the roads are beautiful. You have to reckon the distances between gas stations in the North, and know that many secondary roads close in winter. The large cities have decent public transport; Vancouver and Montreal are the only ones where you can do without a car.
Money
As in the United States, the displayed price excludes tax: the federal tax and the provincial tax are added at the till, and their total varies from five to fifteen per cent depending on the province.
Tipping is expected in restaurants and taxis, between fifteen and twenty per cent, and the terminals offer it automatically. Everything is paid by card, including small amounts.
Before you go
Winter is not a difficult season, it is a different climate: minus thirty in Montreal or Winnipeg is nothing exceptional, and you do not get through it in a European coat. The cities are equipped — underground networks, heated walkways — but personal equipment has to be prepared for.
The national parks charge an entry fee per person per day, and an annual pass pays for itself from the third day. Booking a time slot is now common at Banff and Jasper in summer.
The wildlife is real and not decorative: black bears and grizzlies frequent the trails of the Rockies, and the rules on food storage when camping are obligations, not recommendations.