Travel insurance - Tips & Advice - Holiday destination guides
It’s the second largest country in the world but Canada has a relatively small population so there’s lots of space for everyone. If you love the great outdoors then you’ve definitely come to the right place, from eagle spotting in British Columbia to snowboarding or climbing in the Rocky Mountains. You can even enjoy a taste of France in Quebec.
Why go?
Outdoor sports
Thundering down a white-water rapid, trekking through the tundra, skiing on snow-capped peaks, golfing in grasslands or fishing on peaceful, inland lakes or lagoons – if it's an outdoor pastime then you’ll find it in Canada. At the end of an active day you can enjoy soothing your tired limbs in a natural hot spring – British Columbia, the Queen Charlotte Islands and Banff in Alberta have a plentiful supply. To check how taking part in activities like this can affect your travel insurance, read our article on adventure holidays.
Natural wonders
Canada is home to 42 National Parks, covering as much land as would take up the whole of New Zealand. Wildlife and fresh air are also in abundance. Natural wonders include the mighty Rocky Mountains; Niagara Falls; the Great Lakes of Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Superior; the extensive St Lawrence River; the Bay of Fundy; the Canadian Arctic and Quebec’s Percé Rock.
A taste of France
Around seven million people claim to be of French Canadian descent with 85 per cent of them residing in Quebec. Montreal has a 50:50 French/British culture split but is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, with a real joie de vivre: sway to the sultry sounds during the famous jazz festival in June and July, dine in gourmet restaurants, snack on traditional poitine (chips, gravy and melted cheese) and breakfast on divine French pastries and croissants.
Past to present
‘First Nations’ is a widely accepted term of ethnicity used to describe the indigenous Indian community in Canada. They lived here for thousands of years before European colonisation and include hundreds of groups such as the Acadia, Iroquois and Cree. Inuit aboriginals also spread into Arctic Canada about a thousand years ago.
In 1497 Italian-born navigator John Cabot reached the coast of North America from Bristol, claiming Newfoundland for England’s King Henry VII. It officially became an English colony in 1583. Meanwhile, the French explorer Jacques Cartier claimed the shores of the Gulf of St Lawrence for France in 1534. Sparked by the lucrative fur trade, the 1600s saw rivalry among the French, English and the Dutch who exploited existing rivalries among Indian nations.
In 1756 the Seven Years’ War began between New France and the larger and economically stronger British colonies. Quebec fell in 1759 and Britain acquired all French colonies east of the Mississippi. In the years to follow, various acts would be signed, creating, joining or splitting provinces to form what is Canada today. In 1931 Canada gained autonomy from Britain. It declared complete freedom with a new constitution in 1982 although it still remains part of the Commonwealth. First Nation, French, British and other European cultures plus Métis (a mix of American Indian and Euro-American) influences all remain strong.
Lie of the land
Canada occupies most of the northern portion of the North American continent. It spans an immense territory between the Atlantic to the east and the Pacific to the west, with the US to the south, the Arctic to the north (the magnetic North pole lies in Canada), Alaska to the north west and Greenland to the north east. It has the world’s longest coastline of 202,080 kilometres.
The Appalachian Mountains extend through the Atlantic Provinces and part of southern Quebec. Between these and the Canadian Shield – a vast rock base with hilly terrain – lie the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River. Canada’s interior is made up mostly of plains with the Rocky Mountains forming a natural east-west divide. The Saint Elias Mountains in Yukon Territory provide the highest point with Mount Logan rising to 5,959 metres. Western Canada also includes volcanoes that make up part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
When to go
Temperatures can range from 40ºC to -40ºC with spring arriving on the west coast as early as February and up to April elsewhere. Summer brings warm to hot weather from June to August, ideal for trekking, golf and water sports. Autumn is pleasant and brings spectacular golden leaves in eastern Canada, while much of the Canadian landscape is blanketed in snow from late October and temperatures can fall well below zero. The west is relatively milder but the skiing season can run from December to June up in the hills and in the east.
Getting there
Visitors to Canada can find frequent flights to Toronto from London and Manchester plus Cardiff, Exeter and Belfast. Direct flights also run from London to Ottawa, St Johns, Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. It’s also worth checking for cheap flights with Zoom and FlyGlobespan (possibly via the US) and tickets to Quebec with Air France (via France).
See www.flightmapping.com/Canada for more details and flight searches.
Red tape
British passport holders do not need a visa to visit Canada. If you want to reside or work there you will need a residence or work permit although UK students between 18-35 may be eligible for a 3-12 month Working Holiday Visa. See www.canada.org.uk for more information.
Travel insurance considerations
Crime and health risks are present in Canada, especially if you are participating in adventure or winter sport activities, so don’t go without the correct travel insurance. Check the FCO travel advice guide on Canada at www.fco.gov.uk for country-specific tips on travel health and avoiding crime.
Find out more
Find more holiday ideas at www.explore.canada.travel. Or pick up a copy of Lonely Planet’s Canada travel guide or The Rough Guide to Canada to take with you.
With Direct Line it’s quick and easy to sort out travel insurance for Canada. Our Discoverer policy is perfect for student travel, backpacking holidays and longer trips to Canada. You can also add winter sports cover. For shorter or frequent travel try our single trip or annual policies.
Apply for a travel insurance quote online today.
If you only do three things…
- Take a three-day hike through the mountains south of beautiful Banff for picturesque peaks, exciting river crossings and Alpine lakes. One of the most popular activities in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, there are trails for all ages and skills.
Remember to follow local advice before setting off.
- Strap on your skis in the world-class resort of Whistler near Vancouver, which will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, It has a huge ski area with challenging verticals and a pedestrian-only resort village with over 50 bars, nightclubs and restaurants for exciting après ski.
- Keep things sweet with an early spring visit to a maple syrup ‘sugar shack’ on the St Lawrence River in Quebec. Eat a homegrown feast to the sounds of thigh slapping bluegrass. Then head into the province of Ontario for a sightseeing tour of Ottawa and Toronto before marvelling at Niagara Falls.
Canada at a glance
Country name:
Canada
Capital
Ottawa
Population
33,000,000
Language (official)
English and French
Currency
Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Dialling code
+1
Time zone
GMT -3.30 to -8
Related information:
Advice on activity holidays –how more adventurous holiday activities can affect your travel insurance
Skiing holiday insurance – winter sports cover can be added to any of our travel insurance policies – read more about this type of cover
Staying secure abroad – advice on avoiding crime while you are away
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