By bus
The Greyhound bus network extends into Canada from several points on the US East Coast and one from the West; prices below are for cheap
fourteen-day advance tickets.
Travelling overland from San Diego to Montréal, say, is an epic, three-day journey (with at least three bus changes), but if you’re on a tight budget, the US$180 fare is a bargain – though be sure to factor in three days’ worth of food and drink. Greyhound and Trailways buses compete on the busy runs from New York to Montréal and Toronto, offering half a dozen trips per day. Fares for the eight-hour journey to Montréal are around US$75 one way; the twelve- to thirteen-hour marathon to Toronto can be as low as $45 for advance tickets (US$75 regular). Trips from Boston to Montréal start at US$51 one-way and the journey takes around seven hours.
Other cross-border connections include from Burlington, VT to Montréal (4 daily; 2hr 30min–3hr; from US$21); and from Seattle to Vancouver (4 daily; 4hr 10min; US$15–26).
For real bargains, check out Mega Bus, which runs between New York and Toronto in eleven to twelve hours (fares can be as low as US$43 one way).
By train
For specific journeys, the
train is usually more expensive than the bus (and often the plane), though special deals, especially in off-peak periods, can bring the round-trip cost down considerably.
Two routes on Amtrak from the northeastern US have direct connections with VIA Rail, Canada’s national rail company: the “Maple Leaf” from New York to Toronto via Buffalo and Niagara Falls (1 daily; 12hr 30min; from US$125 one way); and the “Adirondack” from New York to Montréal via Albany and Plattsburgh (1 daily; 10hr 50min; from US$68 one way). In the Northwest, the “Amtrak Cascades” runs from Seattle to Vancouver (2 daily; 4hr; from US$63 one way). All these fares are for travel in economy class, where pillows are provided for overnight journeys.
Reserve as far as possible in advance, as it is compulsory to have a seat and some of the eastern-seaboard trains in particular get completely booked. Some rail passes for the US network are also valid as far as a Canadian gateway like Vancouver or Montréal.
By ferry
Several US–Canada ferry routes serve the West Coast, while two operate on the East Coast. Apart from the enjoyment of the ride, the boats can save you hours of driving. Always
book ahead where possible.
On the East Coast, tiny car ferries link Deer Island, New Brunswick, to Eastport in Maine (late June to mid-Sept hourly 9am–6pm; 20min; car and driver $17, foot passenger $4; no reservations). In 2014 the Yarmouth (Nova Scotia) to Portland, Maine (US) car ferry resumed after a five-year break, with services operated by Nova Star Cruises (w novastarcruises.com). One-way rates start at around US$104 per adult, plus US$104 for a standard car and various port and fuel surcharges (typically US$21 per journey). Ferries sail daily June to mid-October; rates are cheapest Monday to Wednesday and through June, September and October.
On the West Coast, the Victoria Clipper catamaran for foot passengers runs between Seattle and Victoria on Vancouver Island, three times daily from late June to August, twice daily in May, June and September and once daily for the rest of the year (2hr 45min; from US$90–107 one way). The most useful West Coast ferry is the Washington State Ferries service from Anacortes to Sidney, on Vancouver Island. The ferry travels twice daily in summer, and once daily in winter via the San Juan archipelago (average-sized vehicle with driver $51.80 each way, extra adult passengers $19 each; bicycles $6; 3hr). Further north, Alaska Marine Hwy ferries link several Alaskan towns with Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Agents and operators
Backroads US
t 510 527 1555,
t 1 800 462 2848,
w backroads.com. Cycling, hiking and multi-sport tours in the Rockies, Québec and Nova Scotia.
Cosmos US t 1 800 276 1241, w cosmos.com. Planned vacation packages with an independent focus.
ebookers UK t 0871 223 5000, Republic of Ireland t 01 431 1311; w ebookers.com. Low fares on an extensive selection of scheduled flights and package deals.
Ecosummer Expeditions Canada & US t 1 800 465 8884, International t 1 250 674 0102; w ecosummer.com. Wilderness expeditions and ecotourism focusing on BC, especially the Gulf and Haida Gwaii.
Exodus UK t 0845 863 9600, w exodus.co.uk. Adventure and action-oriented vacation packages focused on low-impact tourism, mostly in western Canada.
Frontier Ski UK t 020 8776 8709, w frontier-ski.co.uk. Leading Canadian ski holiday specialist, with trips to the Rockies and Québec.
Gap Adventures Real Traveller US t 1 800 708 7761, UK t 0870 999 0144, Australia t 1300 853 325, New Zealand t 0800 333 307; w gapadventures.co.uk. Adventure company taking small groups on specialist programmes that include walking, biking, overlanding, adventure and cultural trips. Québec, the Rockies and BC focused.
Go Fishing Worldwide UK t 020 8742 1566, w gofishingworldwide.co.uk. Fishing trips to Labrador, New Brunswick, Québec, the Yukon, Alberta, BC, Ontario and NWT.
Great Rail Journeys UK t 01904 521 936, w greatrail.com. Canada coast-to-coast by train.
Kuoni Travelt 01306 747 002, w kuoni.co.uk. Major tour operator running long-haul package holidays. Especially good deals for families.
Moose Travel Network Canada t 1 888 816 6673 or t 1 855 741 7318 , w moosenetwork.com. Outfit that runs backpacker mini-coach tours in BC, Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec.
North America Travel Service UK t 020 7569 6710, w northamericatravelservice.co.uk. Various itineraries cater to city breaks, cruises, spa vacations, guided tours and more.
North South Travel UK t 01245 608 291, w northsouthtravel.co.uk. Friendly, competitive travel agency, offering discounted fares worldwide. Profits are used to support projects in the developing world, especially the promotion of sustainable tourism.
Rod and Reel Adventures US t 1 800 356 6982, w rodreeladventures.com. Fishing holidays.
Ski Independencet 0845 310 3030, w ski-i.com. Wide range of ski packages, mostly to the Rockies.
Ski Safarit 01273 224 060, w skisafari.com. Tailor-made ski and snowboarding holidays to the Rockies and Québec.
STA Travel US t 1 800 781 4040, UK t 0871 230 0040, Australia t 134 782, New Zealand t 0800 474 400, SA t 0861 781 781; w statravel.com. Worldwide specialists in independent travel; also student IDs, travel insurance, car rental, rail passes and more. Good discounts for students and under-26s.
Trailfinders UK t 0845 058 5858, Republic of Ireland t 01 677 7888; w trailfinders.com. One of the best-informed and most efficient agents for independent travellers.
w travel.com.auAustralia t 1300 130 482, w travel.com.au. Itineraries, accommodation and car hire, as well as ski trips, adventure travel and family vacations.
Travel Cuts Canada t 1 800 667 2887, US t 1 800 592 2887; w travelcuts.com. Popular, long-established student-travel organization.
Travelplan Ski Australia t 1300 130 754, w travelplan.com.au. Holidays in the snow worldwide, plus extreme heli-skiing trips.
Travelsphere UK t 0800 567 7372, w travelsphere.co.uk. Wide range of options includes cruises, activity-based vacations and short trips.
TrekAmerica UK t 0845 313 2614, w trekamerica.co.uk. Offers small-group adventure vacations.
Wildlife Worldwide UK t 0845 130 6982, Ireland t 01 440 7477; w wildlifeworldwide.com. Trips for wildlife and wilderness enthusiasts, including whale- and polar bear-watching packages.