Staying Connected

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 "1" plus the area code.

For directory assistance: Dial 411 if you're looking for a number inside Canada or the U.S. Fees for these directory assistance calls range from C$1.50 to C$3.50. You can get the same service for free by dialing 1-800/FREE-411 (473-3411). If you're looking for a business phone number, try 1-800/GOOG-411 (466-4411), a free service from Google. For international directory assistance, dial "00" and ask for the international directory assistance operator. These calls cost C$7.95 plus taxes each. It is free to use Web-based phone directories, such as www.whitepages.com or www.anywho.com, to research phone numbers.

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

Cellphones

The good news for most U.S. travelers with cellphones: Your phones will probably work just fine in Canada. Call your service provider to make certain, but nearly all U.S. providers have reciprocal relationships with national Canadian networks. Calls on a U.S. phone using a Canadian network can be expensive, however, usually more than the standard roaming charges incurred within the U.S.

For cellphone users from Asia, Australia, and Europe, the situation is a bit more complicated. The three letters that define much of the world's wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. In Canada and the U.S., however, the typical cellular network operates on the CDMA protocol, which is incompatible with GSM phones.

However, visitors to the Vancouver and Lower Mainland with GSM cellphones are in luck. As part of the infrastructure build-out for the 2010 Winter Olympics, all three major Canadian cellular phone services providers (Rogers, Bell Mobility, and Telus) have unveiled GSM networks. So visitors with GSM phones should be able to make and receive calls and obtain data services anywhere in the Vancouver area and in other urban areas in B.C. GSM services are also available in much of Alberta, including Calgary and Edmonton. Cellphone service in general is sketchy in the Rockies.

If you have never used your GSM phone internationally before, you may want to contact your service provider in advance. Just call your wireless operator and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account. Unfortunately, per-minute charges can be high in Canada.

For some, renting a phone when visiting Canada may be a good idea. A quick search of the Internet reveals many cellphone rental companies that provide service in Canada, including Cellular Abroad (tel. 800/287-5072; www.cellularabroad.com) and Planet Omni (tel. 877/327-5076; www.planetomni.com). Cellphone rental charges begin at C$18 to C$24 a week, but fees can quickly mount as you'll also need to buy a SIM card and pay for outgoing calls. To rent a phone, you'll need to contact the rental company in advance of your departure and await the arrival of your phone.

Buying a phone once you arrive in Canada can be more economically attractive. Two of Canada's largest carriers, Rogers (www.shoprogers.com) and Telus Mobility (www.telusmobility.com) offer pay-as-you-go plans, which don't require users to sign up for lengthy contracts.

Internet/E-Mail

The vast majority of Canadian hotels, resorts, airports, cafes, and retailers offer Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) services. It's usually free, but sometimes a small fee is charged for usage.

To find public Wi-Fi hotspots at your destination, go to www.jiwire.com; its Hotspot Finder holds the world's largest directory of public wireless hotspots.

For dial-up access, most business-class hotels also offer dataports for high-speed wired access. If you're uncertain about Wi-Fi access, be sure to bring a connection kit of the right power and phone adapters, a spare phone cord, and a spare Ethernet network cable -- or find out whether your hotel supplies them to guests. (Both phone and electrical cables in Canada are exactly the same as in the U.S.)

If you're not traveling with your own laptop or mobile device, you'll find that most hotels will have a computer terminal with Internet access available for customer use. Cybercafes and public libraries are other options for computer access. To find a cybercafe, try www.cybercafe.com.