Canada

Canada
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Canada🇨🇦

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Traveling to Canada? Land Connected.

Canada rewards a charged phone: Rockies road trips plotted mile by mile, city transit, restaurant finds and park passes all run on data — across distances that surprise first-time visitors. Install your CGOO eSIM before you fly, and you connect the moment you land — no airport SIM queue, no roaming bill, and your own number stays reachable for calls and texts back home.

Choose the Plan That Fits Your Trip

  • Fixed data: 1 GB to 50 GB, valid 3 to 90 days — from a city break of maps and messaging to long stays, road trips and heavy hotspot use.
  • Unlimited & Unlimited Plus: 1 to 30 days at full 4G/5G speeds. A fair usage policy applies — in rare cases speeds may be reduced after 1 GB of use in a day, and full speed resumes the next day.
  • Networks: plans run on major local carriers including Bell Canada (5G), Rogers Canada (5G), Telus Canada (5G) and SaskTel (5G). The exact carrier and speed for each plan are listed in its Plan details, right on the plan.
  • Instant delivery: your QR code and installation link are emailed within minutes of checkout. Install before your flight; validity starts on the day you activate.
  • Good to know: your phone must support eSIM (dial *#06# and look for an EID), and your 15-digit IMEI is required at checkout so your eSIM can be provisioned.

Travel Highlights

  • Banff & Lake Louise: turquoise lakes under the Rockies, the Icefields Parkway beyond them — Canada's postcard, and it earns it.
  • Vancouver & Whistler: a harbor city of mountains and food, then one of North America's great ski-and-summer resorts up the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
  • Toronto & Niagara Falls: the CN Tower and Canada's biggest city, with the falls an easy day trip away.
  • Montreal & Quebec City: cobbled old towns, French-inflected food and festivals — the closest thing to Europe without crossing the Atlantic.
  • Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia's Cabot Trail, red cliffs and seafood shacks — a slower, saltier Canada worth the detour.

Getting Around

  • Airport to city: From Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the SkyTrain Canada Line runs directly from the terminal to downtown Waterfront station in about 25 minutes. From Toronto Pearson (YYZ), the UP Express train runs directly to Union Station downtown in about 25 minutes, and Montréal–Trudeau (YUL) is served by the STM 747 express bus to downtown.
  • City transport: Toronto's TTC runs subways, streetcars and buses, and Vancouver's TransLink runs SkyTrain, buses and the SeaBus ferry to the North Shore. Pay with a PRESTO card in Toronto or a Compass card in Vancouver, or by tapping a contactless bank card or phone where accepted; a single fare typically includes a transfer window for connecting services.
  • Ride-hailing: Uber and Lyft operate in major Canadian cities, including at Vancouver and Toronto airports from designated pickup areas, and traditional taxis queue at airport taxi stands. Ride-hailing regulations vary by province and city, so availability outside major centres should be checked locally.
  • Walking and winter travel: Downtown Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal are walkable, and Toronto's PATH network of underground walkways links downtown buildings and Union Station in winter and bad weather. In winter, allow extra time for snow and ice, wear footwear with grip, and check transit service alerts before travelling.

Safety and Practical Tips

Canada is generally very safe, and cities call for the usual common sense — keep valuables out of sight in parked cars and take normal care at night. In an emergency, dial 911.

In national parks, follow the wildlife rules: keep a real distance from bears and elk, and never leave food out. In winter, respect the cold and the road conditions, and on long rural drives download offline maps first — coverage thins out between towns.

Entry and Visa

Entry rules depend on your passport. Depending on your nationality you may need a visitor visa, or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if you are flying in — some visa-exempt travelers need nothing more than a valid passport. Check the latest requirements for your passport before you book, and apply well ahead of your flight.

Official information: Visit Canada — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Weather and Climate

  • Climate zones: Canada has no single climate: the Pacific coast is mild and rainy, the interior prairies are continental with hot summers and very cold winters, the east is continental and humid, the Atlantic coast is maritime, and the far north is subarctic and Arctic. The same week can be spring in Vancouver and deep winter in Yellowknife, so always plan by region, not by country.
  • Toronto temperatures: Toronto, used here as the main-city example, has warm summers and cold winters. Daily highs average around 26–27°C in July and around 0°C or just below in January, with overnight lows around 18°C in July and around −7°C in January. Vancouver, by contrast, is milder: highs around 22°C in summer and around 7°C in January, with rain rather than snow most winter days.
  • Rainfall and snow: Toronto receives roughly 964 mm of precipitation a year, spread through the year, with snow in winter and rain and summer thunderstorms in warmer months. Vancouver receives roughly 2,282 mm a year, mostly as rain from October to March, with dry, sunny summers — the opposite seasonal pattern from much of eastern Canada.
  • Best months and what to pack: June to September is the best all-round window for most first-time visitors, with September often the best balance of weather, crowds and value, while December to March is best for skiing and northern lights. Pack layers year-round, a waterproof jacket, and for winter, an insulated coat, warm hat, gloves and waterproof boots; summer evenings can still be cool, especially in the mountains and on the coasts.

Money and Payments

  • Currency: The Canadian dollar (CAD, C$) is the local currency. Banknotes are polymer, and there are no 1-cent coins, so cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5 cents, while card payments are charged to the exact amount.
  • Cards and cash: Card acceptance is very high across Canada, and contactless tap is standard everywhere, including for transit in major cities. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, American Express less so at smaller merchants, and cash is rarely needed in cities — but carry a small amount for small vendors, markets and rural areas, and prefer ATMs from the major banks over white-label convenience-store machines, which charge higher fees.
  • Multi-currency cards: Wise and similar multi-currency cards are well supported in Canada: you can hold Canadian dollars, spend by tap or with Apple Pay or Google Pay, and withdraw from bank ATMs. Interac, Canada's domestic debit network, is for Canadian bank accounts and is not a network a foreign card joins, so visitors should rely on Visa or Mastercard acceptance rather than expecting Interac.
  • Tipping and paying in local currency: Tipping is expected in Canada: 15–20% in restaurants is standard, and card terminals usually suggest tip amounts by default — check the total before confirming, as the suggested percentage is applied to the post-tax total on some terminals. Round up taxi fares or add around 10%, and tip hotel porters per bag. Always pay in Canadian dollars when offered a choice, never in your home currency. Interac Flash contactless debit payments are limited to C$250 per tap, after which a PIN is required; credit-card tap limits vary by issuer.