Drive-Canada

                                                                                                  Article by Ravi

CRD guys drive to Canada --

After having a longing desire to visit Canada and also keeping in mind that driving down to Canada can be made a lot easier only if you stay in North-East of US, we waited desperately for the right moment to come. It came finally on the evening of 11th May, when Sarath, Praveen, Abhijeet and I started off to Niagara in a full size Chevy Lumina.

Initially, we had a glimpse of the Niagara from the US side, but it is the Canadian view, which is a real picturesque location. The "Maid in the Mist" and "Journey behind the Falls" are worth seeing. Next, we moved on to the African Lion Safari (http://www.lionsafari.com), situated on the way from Niagara to Toronto.It is a really a great experience driving in your own car into the safari with all the wild animals roaming just beside you. Just a windowpane between you and them and absolutely nothing else. You can also attend the elephant shows and do boating in the safari. Next we moved on to Toronto, the city having 1/10 Th the population of Canada. Getting on to the top of the C.N tower is a wonderful experience. You can have a great view of the Lake Ontario and the downtown of Toronto. You can also spend some time on the banks of Lake Ontario. Next we started off to Montreal, the city dominated mostly by the French. The drive from Toronto to Montreal is really enjoyable with the beautiful scenery of Lake Ontario beside you. The city of Montreal is very famous for it's beautiful ancient buildings and nightlife. One can find a lot of street shows being performed, keeping the city very lively even at midnight. The trip is wonderful, but can be even more enjoyable if planned for a long weekend. You can plan for Ottawa, Quebec and 1000 islands also.

 So, are you guys planning for Canada?

Here are some guidelines..

VISA - Canadian Visitor VISA can be obtained for $50 USD (single entry) or $100 USD (multiple entry). You need to have
2 photographs, Bank statement and Employee identification (TCS identity card).

You can download the application from http://canada-ny.org/immigration/html/index.htm,fill it and go in person to New York.
You can also get it through post by sending the passport along-with the above mentioned documents.

You can find good information in the following websites.

NewYork - http://www.canada-ny.org.
Buffalo - http://www.canada-congenbuffalo.org.
Washington, D.C. - http://canadianembassy.org

CURRENCY - 1 USD = 1.548 CAD
Almost everywhere in Niagara and Toronto, US currency is accepted. But, it is better to have some Canadian currency in hand.
You can exchange at the border.

TRAFFIC RULES - Same traffic rules of US apply in Canada also except for the speed, which is mentioned in km/hr.
No right turns allowed on Red.

RENT-A-CAR - Northway doesn’t rent a car to Canada. You can get it from Budget, Enterprise or Avis

ACCO & FOOD – Econo Lodge and MacD

PLANNING - The following route can be opted for a complete round-trip to all the places

  1. Schenectady to Niagara -------------- around 300 miles (I-90 west)
  2. Niagara Falls to African Lion Safari ---- 100 km (http://www.lionsafari.com/directions.html)
  3. African Lion Safari to Toronto -------- 100 km (http://www.lionsafari.com/new-map.html)
  4. Toronto to Montreal ----------------- 340 miles (Route 401 East directly ends in Montreal)
  5. Montreal to Schenectady ------------ 220 miles (I-87 South)

Need more Details? Contact Ravi @ 370-2153 or Sarath @ 381-4533
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