Crossing the border (US-Canada)

Just planning a weeks trip around the NE of the US in May. One thing on the list is a trip to Niagara Falls and a stay at one of the hotels on the Canadian side.
Two questions, Firstly can I drive my hire car across the border (only be for one night and probably a Hertz car). Secondly has anyone had any experience of crossing the border, eg, are the queues long and the immigration/security strict?

Thanks in advance,
-Steve

Originally posted by Stevieboy
Just planning a weeks trip around the NE of the US in May. One thing on the list is a trip to Niagara Falls and a stay at one of the hotels on the Canadian side.
Two questions, Firstly can I drive my hire car across the border (only be for one night and probably a Hertz car). Secondly has anyone had any experience of crossing the border, eg, are the queues long and the immigration/security strict?

Thanks in advance,

-Steve

Hi Steve

I cant help specifically about Niagra, so unable to help on length of queues. However I drove across the border recently whilst I was working in Seattle, I had an Avis car and I think you will find that if you have rented in a state adjacent to the border you are allowed and insured to take it across, this applies to all of the major rental companies. Leaving the US and going into Canada is pretty painless, you will get asked a few standard questions and I dont recall filling any forms, your passport gets stamped and off you go. Coming back in to the USA is pretty much the same as landing at an airport, fingerprints questions etc etc. I actually came across the border by ferry and the US immigration was prior to boarding the ferry in Canada, which made leaving the ferry much quicker.

Hope that helps

Mark [:D]

Can't comment on the car but I have made the journey on foot the other way around from Canada into the US and back again.No queues as such but US immigration their usual charming selves.View from the Canadian side is much more impressive IMHO but Niagra itself is rather tacky and a bit of a dump. Where do you plan on staying?

Originally posted by DragonLady
[ Where do you plan on staying?

Not really decided yet seems alot of the big chains have 'falls view hotels'. As it's only one night I'm not too fussed but a view overlooking Niagara would be nice. Any suggestions welcome[y]

-Steve

Don't know if this is still valid, as this was a few years ago - come to think about it, it was in a black passport so that could have been 15 years ago, but we were told that travelling from Canada across to the US you required a visa. ie you couldn't do it on a visa waiver

(We had arrived in Canada so were visiting the US - those were the days when the visa was supposed to last a lifetime)

This could have and probably has changed.

David

Originally posted by David
Don't know if this is still valid, as this was a few years ago - come to think about it, it was in a black passport so that could have been 15 years ago, but we were told that travelling from Canada across to the US you required a visa. ie you couldn't do it on a visa waiver

(We had arrived in Canada so were visiting the US - those were the days when the visa was supposed to last a lifetime)

This could have and probably has changed.

David

The visa waiver program applies wherever you enter the US from ..... its dictated by the passport you hold rather than the point of entry...

Cheers

Mark[:D]

Originally posted by Stevieboy

Originally posted by DragonLady
[ Where do you plan on staying?

Not really decided yet seems alot of the big chains have 'falls view hotels'. As it's only one night I'm not too fussed but a view overlooking Niagara would be nice. Any suggestions welcome[y]

-Steve

We stayed at the Sheraton On The Falls ( as opposed to the Sheraton Fallsview which is further up). Amazing view of the falls (Superior Fallsview room) with full length picture windows with an opening door and balconette.[y]Great views of the light show at night too.

Originally posted by DragonLady

We stayed at the Sheraton On The Falls ( as opposed to the Sheraton Fallsview which is further up). Amazing view of the falls (Superior Fallsview room) with full length picture windows with an opening door and balconette.[y]Great views of the light show at night too.

Thanks for that currently $219 (canadian) for a fallsview room.

-Steve

Originally posted by Stevieboy
Just planning a weeks trip around the NE of the US in May. One thing on the list is a trip to Niagara Falls and a stay at one of the hotels on the Canadian side.
Two questions, Firstly can I drive my hire car across the border (only be for one night and probably a Hertz car). Secondly has anyone had any experience of crossing the border, eg, are the queues long and the immigration/security strict?

Thanks in advance,

-Steve

Steve,

Me and the present Mrs Treelo drove from Boston to Toronto last year using a Hertz car(then doubled back and did a tour of the Falls incidentally but that's another story) and there was absolutely no problem whatsoever. We had to stop at the border post and get our passports stamped on entry to Canada but not on the way out for some obscure reason. In fact had there not been a sign saying 'Welcome to Canada', we wouldn't have noticed the difference.

Do go to the Falls. To quote an often misused word in the US, they are 'awesome' [y]

When you pick-up the car you should inform the Rental Company that you intend to cross into Canada and they will usually note this down on the rental agreement. It's the exception rather than the rule, but I have been asked on occasions to produce the rental agreement at the border; and as I have always had it, I can't tell you what the consequence would be of not having it to hand.

Good Luck