out of towner tips

I’m from out of town! What should I know?

Hey folks! This is Oliver, I’m writing this bit of the website since all my guests are coming from far and wide and so I thought I’d put together a little guide for your benefit! Calgary is a really cool city, with so much to see and do.

Planes, trains, & automobiles

Flying & arrival

Since all of you are flying in, this is a good time to remind you, Canada is the 2nd largest country on earth! The nearest airport and the one you should fly to is Calgary International Airport (YYC).

Any other international airport will be a multi hour or even multi day(!) drive away. For example:

Edmonton, Alberta International Airport (YEG): 3.5hrs driving
Spokane, Washington International Airport, WA (GEG): 5hrs driving
Vancouver, British Columbia International Airport (YVR): 10.5hrs driving
And just for fun, Toronto, Ontario International Airport (YYZ): 35.5hrs driving

Driving tips

Driving in North America is really quite different from what you’re used to back home, so here’s a few things to remember:

Everyone drives an automatic! You will be too, no car hire will have a “stick” as we call manuals here. That means a few things you’re used to back home won’t happen here, for example no amber before green, traffic lights turn green immediately and only show amber directly before a red, and almost no “give way” junctions. Stop signs rule here!
Calgary is arranged in a mostly “one-way” system meaning left and right hand turn lanes are fully segregated at junctions. In Calgary and across the whole continent, you may only park your vehicle facing in the direction of traffic, you will get a ticket for not doing this (ask me how I know).
You can’t park within 2m either side of a fire hydrant, you’ll get a $500+ dollar ticket for doing this (again, ask me how I know).
You will not need any special permits or licenses to drive or hire a car here, your regular full British drivers license will suffice, and you do not need to bring the paper counterpart license.
The price of petrol (gas) can vary wildly from location to location and brand to brand. The cheapest gas is sold by Costco (and if you’re a member back home, you can use your Costco card here!), otherwise I recommend the “GasBuddy” app, it can route you to the cheapest fill up near you. Even small economy cars here will take much more petrol in a tank than you’re used to, and will go further on that tank too.

Customs & passport control

All British Nationals and Citizens of the EU must be approved for a Canadian ETA before they can be permitted to board an aircraft to Canada. It costs approximately 3 quid.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/apply.html

On arrival you can speed up your immigration and customs experience by using ArriveCAN to submit your passport, a photo and customs declaration up to 72 hours in advance of your arrival in Canada. Most people who use ArriveCAN on a British passport will have no need to interact with a border patrol officer, and will be able to use a special skip-the-queue lane at the airport.

https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html

Cash and cash-like securities such as cheques and domestic or foreign currency are NOT declarable as a gift to Canadian Immigration Officials, however any physical objects that were purchased for the purpose of gift giving must be declared and will be subject to import tax, VAT and tariffs.

If you’re planning on visiting the US from Canada, you will need an ESTA from the Department of Homeland Security. If you already have one that is not expired, this will be valid for entry at both land borders and airport pre-clearance.

IMPORTANT: If you fly into Canada and depart from Canada but visit the US, YOU MUST report your exit from North America to Customs and Border Patrol via their app, otherwise the Americans may assume you never left and record a visa overstay against your name, which will render you inadmissible to both Canada and the US for 10 years.

This does not apply if you depart North America by air from the US, or if you stay only in Canada.

https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1330?language=en_US

What to do downtown

As mentioned in our FAQ, Calgary has a really easy to navigate downtown that’s compact and laid out in an easy numerical grid system. There’s also a tram (locally named the C-Train) system that can take you further inside city limits. There’s plenty to see and do downtown; grab a drink in an Overlook Hotel inspired bar, shop the local markets, or just enjoy some great food.

What to do further afield

You’ll be very near the Rocky Mountains, and if you’re able to, I’d highly recommend hiring a vehicle to explore the surrounding world heritage sites and natural wonders.

I can provide a discount code for Enterprise/National car rental. If you go with National it will permit you to use the Emerald Lane at YYC airport, which means you can simply walk into the carpark and select a car to drive away in. Minimal hassle!

If you’d like to experience the wide open spaces of Banff or other rocky mountain destinations, but don’t wish to or can’t drive, the Rocky Mountaineer train can whisk you in luxury to Banff, Jasper, Vancouver, Whistler, and more. It’s bloody expensive, but a once in a lifetime experience:

https://www.rockymountaineer.com/

Can’t spare a kidney to sell for the train? Buses (coaches) are an affordable option! Regular departures from downtown to destinations across the region are offered by Greyhound, FLIX, and Megabus. Additionally, regular shuttles from Calgary Airport to Banff and Lake Louise also run.

Being at ease

As a society, Canada is significantly more “laid back” than you might be used to, it’s not uncommon to see people in fancy eateries rocking shorts and a t-shirt. There is just a lot less pretence. In other words, it’s hard to be under dressed here, but that said we are aiming for a bit more glam for our big day. Otherwise, be yourself!

Keeping on top of your budget for a foreign vacation can be hard so a few more tips from me to help you on your way:

Sales tax! This is a bit of a learning curve, the price you see on the shelves here is usually not the final price you pay. Sales tax is calculated at a rate of 5% at the checkout in Alberta, so be sure to factor that in while shopping. The rate of tax you pay changes from state to state, province to province.
Card payments: No matter if your British plastic is credit or debit, always tell the cashier it’s credit when asked “how would you like to pay”.
Additionally, unless you have a great foreign exchange credit card, I strongly recommend signing up for Wise.
Fees, charges and tipping: Your hotel booking will also likely not be an “all in price”; municipal taxes, fees, and surcharges will be added at check out, and are mandatory. Some hotels will add a fee known as a “resort fee”, which can usually be waived if you’re a hard nose about it (ask me how I know). Finally, some hotels may charge a “destination marketing fee”, which must always be waived when you ask.
Tipping culture will be starkly different from your experience back home, while all gratuities and tips are covered by us for the big day, you will find you’ll be asked by payment terminals pretty much everywhere for a tip. Do not feel pressure to do so unless you wish to reward exceptional service. At restaurants, however, no matter how mediocre your experience was, 10-15% is still considered the minimum.