Page 381 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Canada

Vaccinations trains, but you must contact them in advance.
Car rental agencies offer hand-controlled
No inoculations are required to visit Canada. vehicles and vans with wheelchair lifts at
no additional charge.
Money Access to Travel
∑ accesstotravel.gc.ca
Major credit and debit cards are accepted The Canadian Institute for the Blind
almost everywhere, while prepaid currency ∑ cnib.ca
cards and American Express are accepted in The Canadian Transportation Agency
some shops and restaurants. ATM machines ∑ otc-cta.gc.ca
are widely available. US currency is accepted VIA Rail
in Canada, but you will get a better rate ∑ viarail.ca
exchanging US dollars at a bank.
Language
Reserving Accommodations
English and French are the official languages of
Canada offers a variety of lodgings, from luxury Canada. New Brunswick is the only officially
five-star hotels to budget hostels. Camping, bilingual province, but French is widely spoken
Motorhomes or RVs, and Airbnb are popular in the east, and the local tongue is known as
alternatives. In the summer months (June to “Québécoise”. You will hear more Chinese
September), accommodations are snapped languages and less French spoken in the west.
up fast, and prices are often inflated.
Provincial Sales Tax (PST) must be paid on Closures
accommodations (and on goods and other
services) and it varies from province to province, Mondays Some museums and tourist
as does an additional accommodation tax attractions are closed for the day.
(sometimes called Destination Marketing Fee). Sundays Most shops and businesses are open
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) charge of for limited hours.
5 percent is standard nationwide. These taxes Public holidays Banks, schools, government
are usually paid on top of the advertised rates. offices, and some beer and liquor stores close
A comprehensive list of accommodations to all day. A handful of shops and attractions
suit any budget can be found on Destination close early or all day.
Canada, Canada’s official tourism site.
Destination Canada PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
∑ destinationcanada.com
Travelers with Special Needs Jan 1 New Year’s Day
Mar/Apr Good Friday
Nearly all public buildings provide wheelchair Mar/ Apr Easter Monday
facilities with ramps and wide doors. However,
some lodgings in historic buildings may not Before 25 May Victoria Day
have these facilities so always check in advance. Jul 1 Canada Day
Accessibility information for public trans-
portation and travel are available from the 1st Mon in Sep Labour Day
Canadian Transportation Agency, which also 2nd Mon in Oct Thanksgiving Day
provides an online guide for disabled visitors
traveling by air. The Canadian Institute for the Nov 11 Remembrance Day
Blind also offers helpful information and advice. Dec 25 Christmas Day
Most transportation agencies can
accommodate people with disabilities if you Dec 26 Boxing Day
make your needs known at the time of booking. (except Quebec)
VIA Rail provide special assistance on their

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