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Explore itineraries grouped by geographic area
Planning a trip to Canada? Here you'll find our 2 day-by-day itineraries (Ontario, Quebec, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Alberta, Niagara Falls), plus all the practical info to organise your journey: currency, visa, e-SIM, health, plugs and useful numbers.
Summer (June-September) is the best season for most itineraries: long days, parks and boats open. Autumn (late September-October) brings the East's famous red-orange foliage. Winters are long and very harsh (down to -30/-40°C inland), spectacular but demanding. The Pacific and Atlantic coasts are milder.
Updated: June 2026
Canadian dollar (CAD). Cards (Visa/Mastercard, contactless) are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts; cash is rarely needed. ATMs are widespread. Note: displayed prices are almost always shown WITHOUT tax, which is added at the till.
The official languages are English and French. French is dominant in Quebec (Montreal, Quebec City) and common in parts of Ontario and New Brunswick; the rest of the country is English-speaking. In Quebec, signs and menus are often in French only.
EU citizens need no visa for tourism up to 6 months, but an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is MANDATORY for every air entry or transit: apply online on the official Canadian government site (about CAD 7, valid 5 years); you need a valid passport, a credit card and an email, with a reply in minutes. Beware of unofficial sites. Other nationalities should check their own entry rules. Passport valid for the whole stay.
No mandatory vaccines. IMPORTANT: healthcare for foreigners is paid and very expensive (an emergency-room visit can cost thousands of dollars): travel insurance with broad medical and repatriation cover is effectively essential. Carry medicines in their original packaging with the prescription (generic name) in English. EU citizens should note the EHIC is NOT valid in Canada.
The main carriers are Bell, Rogers and Telus (good coverage in cities and along main roads, poor in remote park areas). A travel eSIM (e.g. Airalo) or a local SIM is best: EU SIM roaming does NOT cover Canada and is very expensive; visitors from outside the EU should plan a local SIM or eSIM too. Wi-Fi is common in hotels and cafes.
Power is 120V / 60Hz, with type A and B sockets (the same as the United States). European plugs do NOT fit: you need an adapter. Also note the voltage is half that of Europe: non dual-voltage appliances (some hair dryers, straighteners) may not work properly.
Canada spans 6 time zones. Main destinations: the East coast and Great Lakes (Ontario, Quebec) are at UTC-5 (UTC-4 in summer); Alberta (Banff, Calgary) at UTC-7; British Columbia (Vancouver) at UTC-8. Daylight saving time runs from mid-March to early November.
Tipping in Canada is NOT optional as in some countries: in restaurants and table-service bars you leave 15-20% of the bill (card terminals already suggest it), and 10-15% for taxis. It is part of the staff's wage. Together with the tax that isn't included in the displayed price, the final bill is noticeably higher than the sticker.
Sums over CAD 10,000 must be declared on arrival. Recreational cannabis is legal in Canada (age 19, 18 in Alberta and Quebec), BUT it is a serious offence to cross international borders carrying it, even in tiny amounts: do not enter or leave the country with cannabis or CBD products.
💡 Two things to sort before you go: apply for the eTA online (mandatory to board your flight) and take out solid travel health insurance, because care for foreigners in Canada is extremely expensive. And if you rent a car, remember the distances are vast: plan your timings without overdoing it.
