Save Time, Hassles And Money On Your Next Trip To Canada

Planning a trip to Canada this year? Here are some ways to save money and avoid hassles.

Tax refunds: A pamphlet describing Canada’s tax-refund program for foreign visitors can be found in most Canadian tourism offices, airport and border duty-free shops and at many hotels.

Inside the pamphlet, “Goods and Services Tax Refund for Visitors,” is a refund application form, which you will need if you apply for a refund by mail after leaving Canada. Travelers departing Canada by air or rail must apply by mail; travelers exiting by car or bus do not need to fill out the application form. They can claim a maximum refund of $500 (Canadian) at any of numerous border duty-free shops. Participating shops are listed in the brochure.

To qualify for a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), you must spend a total of at least $100 (Canadian) on accommodations and/ or goods that you are taking out of the country. For a GST accommodations refund, your stay must be for less than a month. Also, the lodging must be for personal use; you cannot claim an accommodations refund for a business trip. For a GST goods refund, the goods must be removed from Canada within 60 days of purchase.

If you are applying for a refund by mail, you must submit original receipts, since Revenue Canada does not accept credit card slips or photocopies of receipts - and the agency will not return the original receipts. At border duty-free shops, you must present receipts and the goods for inspection.

No tax refund is offered for alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, meals, car rentals and other transportation, tent and houseboat rentals, train berths, cruise ship cabins or any goods consumed in Canada.

For more information on the Visitor Rebate Program, contact Revenue Canada at 902-432-5608 (from outside Canada) or 800-668-4748 (from anywhere inside Canada).

More tax refunds: To confuse the tax-refund picture, some Canadian provinces and territories refund some sales and accommodations taxes, but these cannot be claimed through Revenue Canada’s Visitor Rebate Program. They must be claimed from the individual province or territory.

In most of Canada, no sales tax is levied on goods shipped out of the country to your home address. Be sure to weigh the cost of shipping against the tax savings you will get.

Entry documents: U.S. citizens do not need a passport for travel to Canada. But to speed your entry, you should carry some form of identification showing your citizenship, advises the Canadian Tourism Commission. The commission’s booklet, “Travel Information for Visitors from the U.S.A. 1995-1996,” suggests carrying a passport, a certificate of naturalization or a birth certificate along with a photo ID, such as a driver’s license.

In an effort to reduce parental or other forms of child abduction, Canada also requires parents to carry similar identification for children of all ages. If you are traveling with children not legally yours - for example, a grandparent with a grandchild - you should carry a letter of permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian. If you share custody of a child in a divorce or separation agreement, you should carry copies of legal documents regarding custody rights. Children under 18 traveling alone should bring a letter from a parent or guardian giving them permission to travel to Canada.

Traffic laws: As a safety measure, some Canadian provinces and territories require motorists to keep headlights turned on for extended periods after dawn and before sunset. And headlights must be on at all times on highways in the Yukon Territory.

If everyone around you is driving with their lights on, you’d better switch yours on too. Driving with only the parking lights on is against the law.

Possession and use of radar detection devices is illegal in Manitoba, Newfoundland, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Yukon Territory. The Canadian Tourism Commission suggests rendering the devices inoperable and placing them in a suitcase because Canadian police are allowed to confiscate them.

Tipping: Mostly it’s do as you would in the United States. In general, the Canadian Tourism Commission suggests a 15 percent tip on the total bill in a restaurant, barber or beauty shop or a taxi. For luggage help, tip bellhops, doormen and porters $1 (Canadian) per piece of luggage. Remember, that’s just 75 cents U.S. You’re saving already.