Fast Facts

American Express -- American Express maintains offices in all four maritime provinces, including in Halifax, Truro, and North Sydney. To report lost or stolen American Express traveler's checks while in Canada, call tel. 800/221-7282.

Automobile Clubs -- CAA (the Canadian Automobile Association) extends member benefits (including maps and road service) to AAA cardholders. If you're a member, bring your membership card. For information about membership in CAA, call tel. 800/561-8807. For emergency road service, call tel. 800/222-4357.

Business Hours -- Business hours are generally similar to what you'd find in the United States. Most offices are open from 8 or 9am to 5 or 6pm Monday through Friday, and are closed on weekends. Boutiques and souvenir shops typically open up around 10am and stay open until 6pm or so, often later during the peak tourist season. Hours vary widely for general merchandise and grocery stores. In general, you can expect early and late hours in the larger cities (24-hr. groceries are cropping up), but more limited hours in the smaller towns and villages. Most general merchandise stores are closed on Sundays.

Drugstores -- Chain drugstore and independent pharmacies are located throughout Atlantic Canada. Check the phone book under "pharmacy." Stores in larger cities and towns are likely to be open later than those in more remote villages. One of the larger national chains is Pharmasave, with stores in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

Electricity -- Canada uses the same electrical current as the United States: 110-115 volts, 60 cycles.

Embassies & Consulates -- All embassies are in Ottawa, the national capital. The Australian High Commission is at 50 O'Connor St., Room 710, Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2 (tel. 613/236-0841). The British High Commission is at 80 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5K7 (tel. 613/237-1530). The Irish Embassy is at 130 Albert St., Suite 1105, Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 (tel. 613/233-6281 or 613/233-1956). The New Zealand High Commission is at 99 Bank St., Suite 727, Ottawa, ON K1P 6B9 (tel. 613/238-5991). The South African High Commission is at 15 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, ON K1M 1M8 (tel. 613/744-0330). The U.S. embassy is at 490 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, ON K1N 1G8 (tel. 613/238-5335). In the Maritimes, there's a U.S. consulate in Purdy's Wharf Tower 2, Suite 904, 1969 Upper Water St., Halifax, NS B3J 3R7 (tel. 902/429-2480); the British Consulate is at 1 Canal St., Dartmouth, NS (tel. 902/461-1381).

Emergencies -- In life-threatening situations, dial tel. 911.

Liquor Laws -- The legal drinking age is 19 years of age in all provinces. Restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages are said to be "licensed." If you want to tipple with dinner, look for a sign or ask whether the establishment is licensed. Do not drink and drive. Canadian law takes drunken driving seriously.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's U.S. emergency number is tel. 800/847-2911 or 410/581-9994. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 800/221-7282. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/307-7309 or 636/722-7111. For other credit cards, call the toll-free number directory at tel. 800/555-1212.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Identity theft and fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet, especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately; placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are Equifax (tel. 800/766-0008; www.equifax.com), Experian (tel. 888/397-3742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (tel. 800/680-7289; www.transunion.com). Finally, if you've lost all forms of photo ID call your airline and explain the situation; they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed.

Mail Letters (up to 30g) mailed within Canada are C50¢ (US40¢). Letters up to 30g mailed to the United States cost C85¢ (US68¢). For other international destinations, a letter weighing less than 30g is C$1.45 (US96¢). More detailed information on packages and other options is available at www.canadapost.ca.

Maps -- Excellent road maps are available from the provincial tourism authorities (ask at the welcome centers).

Newspapers & Magazines -- Publishers in the major cities of the province -- including Halifax, Saint John, Fredericton, Charlottetown, and St. John's -- all produce very decent daily newspapers filled with information about goings-on around the town and province. Most also maintain websites on the Internet, so you can scout out happenings before your departure. Canada's two national newspapers -- the Globe and Mail and the National Post -- are also widely available in most cities and many larger towns. U.S. papers such as the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times can be found in larger cities, but you shouldn't count on it. When available, they often sell out early. Newsmagazines such as Time and Newsweek are not difficult to find on newsstands.

Pets -- Traveling into Canada with your pet dog or cat should pose no difficulties. Be sure to have with you a certificate from your veterinarian certifying that your pet is currently vaccinated against rabies. (Puppies and kittens under 3 months are exempt.)

Police -- For police call tel. 911.

Safety -- The cities of Atlantic Canada are relatively small, well policed, and generally safe. Rowdies and drunks sometimes can be threatening, especially late on weekend nights in boisterous downtown neighborhoods, but serious crime is rather rare in this part of Canada. Nonetheless, whenever you're traveling in an unfamiliar place, stay alert and be aware of your immediate surroundings.

Telephones -- Pay phones are located throughout Atlantic Canada and are self-explanatory. Local calls are still often C25¢ to C50¢ (US20¢-US40¢). Calls to the United States or elsewhere abroad can be pricey, and you should check in advance whether your calling card works in Canada. (Some do; many don't.) Check at drugstores or convenience stores for prepaid calling cards, which usually offer a better rate than feeding in coins.

The United States and Canada are on the same long-distance system. To make a long-distance call between the United States and Canada (in either direction), simply dial "1" first, then the area code and number. It's no different than calling long distance in the United States.

Time Zone -- Most of Atlantic Canada is on Atlantic Standard Time, 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (as observed in New England and the U.S. East Coast). The exceptions are Newfoundland and southeast Labrador, which are a half-hour ahead of Atlantic Standard Time.

Tipping -- As in the United States, tips provide a significant portion of the income for waiters, bellhops, and chambermaids. It's standard to leave 15% of the presales-tax total for basic service at a restaurant, more if the service is exceptional. Plan to tip around C$1 (US80¢) per bag for assistance at your hotel and C$1 to C$2 (US80¢-US$1.60) per day to your chambermaid.

Toilets -- Generally called "washrooms" in Canada, public bathrooms are typically abundant and clean. Many towns have a visitor information center, and most of these have washrooms for visitors. In larger cities, washrooms can be found in public buildings, major hotels, some larger shops, and restaurants.