Fast Facts

American Express-- See the individual city sections for the locations of individual American Express offices. To report lost or stolen traveler's checks, call tel. 800/221-7282.

ATM Networks-- The Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787; www.mastercard.com) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) networks are the most common ATM networks in Canada.

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 found throughout Canada. As in the U.S., there are a number of national chain pharmacies, including Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall. In addition, many 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 may 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., Ottawa, ON K1N 1G8 (tel. 613/238-5335; www.usembassycanada.gov). The mailing address for the embassy's consular services is P.O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, ON K1P 5T1.

U.S. consulates are in the following locations: Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island -- Suite 910, Cogswell Tower, Scotia Sq., 2000 Barrington St., Halifax, NS B3J 3K1 (tel. 902/429-2480); Québec -- 2 place Terrasse-Dufferin (behind Château Frontenac), PO Box 939, Québec City, PQ G1R 4T9 (tel. 418/692-2095), and 1155 St. Alexander St., P.O. Box 65, Postal Station Desjardins, Montréal, PQ H5B 1G1 (tel. 514/398-9695); Ontario -- 360 University Ave., Toronto, ON M5G 1S4 (tel. 416/595-1700 or 416/201-4100 for emergency after-hours calls); Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories -- 615 Macleod Trail S.E., 10th Floor, Calgary, AB T2G 4T8 (tel. 403/266-8962); British Columbia and the Yukon -- Mezzanine, 1095 W. Pender St., Vancouver, BC V6E 2M6 (tel. 604/685-4311). Visit the American Citizen Information Services website (www.amcits.com) for further U.S. consular services information.

There's a British consulate general at 777 Bay St., Suite 2800, Toronto, ON M5G 2G2 (tel. 416/593-1290; for more information see www.britain-in-canada.org), and an Australian consulate general at 175 Bloor St. E., Suite 316, Toronto, ON M4W 3R8 (tel. 416/323-1155; for more information see www.ahc-ottawa.org).

Emergencies-- Dial tel. 911 for emergency.

Etiquette & Customs-- Canadian cultural norms are very similar to those in the U.S. While Canadians may have slightly more formal manners than some Americans, the steady diet of U.S. TV will soon take care of that.

Internet Access-- You'll have no trouble keeping up with e-mail and surfing the Web while on the road in Canada. Most Canadian cities have numerous cybercafes, and hotels will often have an Internet terminal available for guests. Public libraries also offer free access to the Internet.

Language-- Canada has two official languages, English and French. French is the dominant language in Québec; however, most Québecers can also speak passable English, particularly if they work in the tourist industry. However, it's a good idea to dust off your high-school French if you're traveling to Québec destinations outside of Montréal or Québec City. Not only is it a courtesy to address people in their native tongue, you'll be treated with greater respect if you don't start barking English orders to waiters and hotel staff.

Liquor Laws-- Laws regarding beer, wine, and liquor vary from province to province. In some provinces, all beer, wine, and spirits are sold only in government liquor stores, which keep very restricted hours and are usually closed on Sundays. Only Alberta and Québec have liquor laws that resemble those in the United States. In those provinces and Manitoba, the minimum drinking age is 18; in all others, it's 19.

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 or 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 may 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-- Standard mail in Canada is carried by Canada Post (tel. 800/267-1177 in Canada, or 416/979-8822 in 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¢ (US70¢) 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-- Most provincial tourism offices produce excellent and up-to-date road maps, which you should request when you call to ask for information. Official tourism websites also often have downloadable maps.

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. 877/487-2778).

For Residents of Canada: Passport duplications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency, or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a €12 3-year passport. 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.

Police-- In emergencies, dial tel. 911.

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. For instance, in Manitoba not only is smoking prohibited in any public building, including bars, but the city of Winnipeg is in the process of forbidding people to cluster and smoke in exterior doorways since tobacco smoke can drift back indoors.

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. Some provinces (the Maritimes) 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$66.05 per day, that you may 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 "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 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, 866, and 855 within Canada are toll-free.

Time Zone-- Six time zones are observed in Canada. In winter, when it's 7:30pm Newfoundland standard time, it's 6pm Atlantic Standard Time (Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia); 5pm Eastern Standard Time (Québec and most of Ontario); 4pm Central Standard Time (western Ontario, Manitoba, and most of Saskatchewan); 3pm Mountain Standard Time (northwestern Saskatchewan, Alberta, eastern British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories); and 2pm Pacific Standard Time (the Yukon and most of British Columbia).

Each year, on the first Sunday in April, daylight saving time comes into effect in most of Canada, and clocks are advanced by 1 hour. On the last Sunday in October, Canada reverts to standard time. During these summer months, all of Saskatchewan observes the same time zone as Alberta.

Tipping-- The rules for tipping in Canada parallel those in the United States. For good service in a restaurant, tip 15% to 20%. Tip hairdressers or taxi drivers 10%. Bellhops get C$1 (US70¢) per bag for luggage taken to your room; for valets who fetch your car, a C$2 (US$1.45) tip should suffice.

Water-- The water in Canada is legendary for its purity. You can drink water directly from the tap anywhere in the country. Bottled water is also widely available.