Fast Facts

American Express-- There are offices in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, and Edmonton; see the regional chapters that follow for addresses and phone numbers. To report lost or stolen traveler's checks, call tel. 800/221-7282.

Business Hours-- Standard business hours in Canada are similar to those in the U.S., usually 10am to 6pm. It is common for stores to be closed on Sundays, particularly outside of the larger cities and major tourist areas.

Drugstores-- Drugstores and pharmacies are easily found throughout western Canada and almost every major city has a 24-hour drugstore. As in the U.S., there are a number of national chain pharmacies, including Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall. In addition, most Safeway grocery stores in Canada also have in-store pharmacies. Many prescription-only drugs in the United States are available over the counter in Canada, and pharmacists are more likely to offer casual medical advice than their counterparts in the States. If you're not feeling well, a trip to see a pharmacist might save you a trip to the doctor.

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

Embassies & Consulates-- All embassies are in Ottawa, the national capital; the U.S. embassy is at 490 Sussex Dr. (tel. 613/238-5335; www.usembassycanada.gov). You'll find U.S. consulates in Alberta at 615 Macleod Trail SE, 10th Floor, Calgary (tel. 403/266-8962), and in British Columbia at Mezzanine, 1095 W. Pender St., Vancouver (tel. 604/685-4311; www.amcits.com).

There's a British consulate general at 777 Bay St., Suite 2800, Toronto (tel. 416/593-1290; www.britain-in-canada.org), and an Australian consulate general at Suite 316, 175 Bloor St. E., Toronto (tel. 416/323-1155; www.ahc-ottawa.org).

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

Liquor Laws-- In British Columbia, liquor sales are closely monitored by the government and stores are restricted in the hours they keep. Alberta's liquor laws more resemble those in the United States, and the minimum drinking age there is 18 (in British Columbia, it's 19), though you still need to go to liquor stores for all forms of alcohol, including beer and wine.

Mail-- Standard mail in Canada is carried by Canada Post (tel. 800/267-1177 within Canada, or 416/979-8822 from the U.S.; www.canadapost.ca). At press time, it costs C50¢ (US40¢) to send a first-class letter or postcard within Canada and C85¢ (US68¢) to send a first-class letter or postcard from Canada to the United States. First-class airmail service to other countries is C$1.45 (US$1.15) for the first 20 grams. Rates go up frequently. If you put a return address on your letter, make sure it's Canadian; otherwise, leave it without. Delivery time can be unaccountably slow between Canada and the States, and all U.S. letter mail travels by air: Expect a letter from Calgary to take a week to reach Seattle.

Maps-- Both provincial tourist offices produce excellent road maps. The Alberta map is free; the British Columbia map costs C$3.95 (US$3.15) and can be purchased from any travel information center or from Davenport Maps, Suite 201, 2610 Douglas St., Victoria (tel. 250/384-2621; maps@davenportmaps.com).

Newspapers & Magazines-- In addition to local newspapers, the Globe and Mail and the National Post, both based out of Toronto, are distributed nationally. Macleans is a Canadian weekly newsmagazine along the lines of Newsweek or Time.

Passports-- For Residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov. For general information, call the National Passport Agency (tel. 202/647-0518). To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center (tel. 900/225-5674); the fee is 55¢ per minute for automated information and $1.50 per minute for operator-assisted calls.

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a passport, visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service (tel. 0870/521-0410; www.ukpa.gov.uk).

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525) or at most main post offices.

For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

Pets-- To enter Canada, dogs and cats from the U.S. that are at least 3 months old need signed and dated certificates from a veterinarian verifying that they have been vaccinated against rabies within the last 3 years. The certificate must clearly identify the animal. For information on other pets, contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) Import Service Centre at www.ccra.gc.ca.

Smoking-- Smoking indoors is much more restricted in Canada than in the U.S. or Europe. Before you light up, check on provincial or city smoking laws, which are becoming more restrictive by the day. Restaurants are now nonsmoking, and bars will have no-smoking sections. Many inns and B&Bs don't permit smoking at all.

Taxes-- Throughout Canada, you will be charged a federal goods and service tax (GST), a 7% tax on virtually all goods and services. In all provinces except Alberta, there is an additional provincial sales tax added to purchases and financial transactions, and all provinces and some municipalities levy a hotel room tax. Other provinces instead levy a 15% harmonized sales tax (HST), which combines their provincial sales taxes with the GST. Some hotels and shops include the GST or HST in their prices; others add it on separately. When included, the tax accounts for the odd hotel rates, such as C$66 per day, that you might find on your final bill.

Telephones-- The Canadian phone system is exactly the same as the system in the United States. Canadian phone numbers have 10 digits: The first three numbers are the area code, which corresponds to a province or division thereof, plus a seven-digit local number. To call a number within the same locality, usually all you have to dial is the seven-digit local number. If you're making a long-distance call (out of the area or province), you need to precede the local number with a 1 plus the area code.

To call Canada: If you're calling Canada from the United States, simply dial 1 plus the 10-digit number, just as if you were dialing a domestic long-distance number in the U.S. Likewise, to call the U.S. from Canada, just dial 1 plus the number.

To make international calls: To make international (non-U.S.) calls from Canada, first dial 011 and then the country code (U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64). Next you dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the Australian High Commission in London, you would dial tel. 011-44-870-162-0822.

For directory assistance: Dial tel. 411. If that doesn't work, dial 1 + area code + 555-1212.

For operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making a call, dial tel. 0 (zero).

Toll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 800, 888, 877, and 866 within Canada are toll-free.

Time Zone-- Most of British Columbia is in the Pacific Time zone, 3 hours earlier than Eastern Standard Time. A sliver of British Columbia, stretching from Golden down to Cranbrook, and all of Alberta is on Mountain Time, an hour later than the rest of the province. So when it's noon in New York City, it's 9am in Victoria and 10am in Calgary. From the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, daylight saving time is in effect in both provinces; clocks are advanced by 1 hour.

Tipping-- For good service in a restaurant, tip 15% to 20%. Tip hairdressers or taxi drivers 10%. Bellhops get C$1 (US80¢) per bag; for valets who fetch your car, a C$2 (US$1.60) tip should suffice.

Useful Phone Numbers-- Canadian Customs and Revenue (tel. 204/983-3500); U.S Department of Customs and Border Protection (tel. 202/354-1000); U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory (tel. 202/647-5225; manned 24 hours); U.S. Passport Agency (tel. 202/647-0518); U.S. Centers for Disease Control International Traveler's Hot Line (tel. 404/332-4559).