Travel to Canada
Here are a few tips for travel to Canada and travelling around Canada for skiing and snowboarding.
Flying to Canada
Here are the common gateway airports for the western Canada ski resorts. You can use one of our recommended flight search engines to help you compare travel times and prices for flights to Canada.
Vancouver International Airport:
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is a major hub with an abundance of daily direct flights to and from Oceania (e.g. Australia), Asia, Europe, USA, Mexico, and many airports within Canada.
Kelowna International Airport:
Kelowna International Airport (YLW) receives flights from other major Canada hubs such as Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, as well as direct flights from Seattle and Los Angeles (with United).
Kamloops:
There are daily flights to Kamloops Airport (YKA) from Vancouver and Calgary.
Calgary International Airport:
Calgary International airport (YYC) is another major Canadian airport, receiving flights from a range of Canada and US airports including Vancouver, Los Angeles and Denver, as well as Europe and Asia. The Calgary Airport serves as the base for WestJet.
Cranbrook Airport:
The Canadian Rockies “International” airport near Cranbrook has flights from Vancouver and Calgary.
Castlegar:
Castlegar Municipal Airport (West Kootenay Airport) is serviced by Air Canada Jazz with daily flights from Vancouver and Calgary. This airport in unaffectionately known as “Cancel-gar” because lots of flights are cancelled during foggy weather.
Spokane International Airport:
Spokane airport (GAG) in eastern Washington State (USA) receives flights from cities such as Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle and San Francisco.
Kalispell Airport:
The Kalispell airport (Glacier Park International Airport) in Montana USA has flights from Salt Lake City, Denver and Seattle.
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Visa Requirements
Many visitors to Canada do not require a visa for holidays up to 3 months. These include citizens of Australia, Austria, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and United States (this list is not exhaustive).
A valid passport for at least 3 months beyond the date you intend to leave Canada is required.
Travel Around Canada
Due to the long distances within Canada, internal flights are sometimes required. Regularly scheduled flights are offered by a number of airlines, with Air Canada serving the most cities.
VIA Rail offers train transport between most major Canadian cities. There are also rail tours such as the Rocky Mountaineer tour, to enjoy the picturesque views in style, but unfortunately this rail service only runs during summer.
Canada has various car rental companies including Hertz, Budget, Enterprise, Thrifty and Discount. The minimum age to rent a vehicle varies from 21-25 years old. Driver’s licenses from other countries are valid in Canada for up to 3 months, and proof of insurance must be carried at all times. Check out our car rental aggregators to search for a good deal on car rental in Canada.
All highway signs in Canada provide distances and speed limits in kilometres, but keep in mind that these speed limits are for dry conditions and heavy snowfalls and ice in the winter can make driving dangerous. Needless to say, drive on the right side of the road. For other tips (!) for winter driving, check out the Canadian Automobile Association website.
Greyhound is one bus company that serves many areas throughout Canada. Greyhound’s Discovery Passes are a cost effective way to travel.