UK citizen flying to NY, crossing border to canada in a car!!

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

Title kinda says it all!! lol

Basically, we're planning on flying into JFK, having a few days in New York with family...

Getting an internal flight from NY up to Buffallo, hiring a car and driving across the border to the Canadian side of the falls..

Am happy with the getting to the US bit as have done loads of times, but I'm having a bit of trouble getting concrete info as to what (if any) the visa requriements are for a UK person to cross from US to canada and back in a car?

The web turns up various options! I'm hoping you helpful peeps will either:-

a) be able to provide a link to some official candian website (all the links i have foudn so far are more interested in US people coming and going!)

b) let me have the findings of when you have done it yourself...

Cheers all!

mountainchrisriver

One thing is just to check you are allowed to take the hire car into Canada...

Hopefully someone else can help you with your other queries...

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

:-)

Yep. i checked that bit (although i might just ring again to triple check!) , just not that i would be allowed in! lol

I have found a candian page advising as long as i am a British Citizen then i am allowed in, but cant find confirmation that i can flit between the US and Canada freely..

alanrowell

1) check the car can be taken into Canada & what level of insurance you have

2) have written permission that you can take the car into Canada

3) do NOT give up your I-94W when leaving the US unless you don't intend returning before it expires

4) be prepared to queue, crossing the US / Canadian border is a major PITA and makes going through an airport seem preferable

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

Cheers alan... I am currently waiting for written confirmation of permission to take the vehicle across the border, so far they have only verbally confirmed...

on point 3 - Assume thats the form i get when getting of the plane arriving in the US? are they likely to want to take it from me and what are the consequences of either them taking it / me not giving it them?

Niagara is a bit of a bolt on to the trip really, we're in NYC for a wedding..... internal flights for about 50 quid return, but to Toronto it was big bucks by comparison... Read the odd horrow story this week and now worried about it being a big hassle!

dzug1

You can flit between the US and Canada freely - just check you can take the hire car. I've done it several times and it never has been.

And alan's 4) is a bit pessimistic. It does depend where you cross though - some can be very busy. I don't recall ever queueing for more than 2 or 3 cars - but that's off peak.

The longest it's ever taken me was 25 minutes - there was no queue, we were the only people who crossed in that time. They were friendly enough, not particularly thorough, just not used to non North American travellers. (It was in the middle of nowhere).

dzug1

On Alan's point 3 - they usually ask but you need to have your wits about you.

The worst case (well second worse) is that you have to fill in another form on return to the US and pay $6 for a fresh waiver. It will ba valid for the rest of the original 90 days, not a fresh 90 days. It will also take longer crossing the border

The worst case is they won't let you back in - providing you are within the 90 days the is VERY unlikely.

GrannyKate

Flew UK to Toronto a few years ago and entered US in my BIL's car (a US citizen) at Detroit - had to go through immigration but not too long - admittedly it was 2am. After a holiday in upper New York State we went to the Canadian side of Niagara before going back to sister's home in US. No problems at all crossing and recrossing the border. Thoroughly recommend Canadian side of Niagara - worth the trip.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

cheers guys... minds put at rest hearing first hand experiances!!

Have also spoken to Avis who i'm hiring from (hopefully you dont have horror stories about them!) and she confirmed that as long as i wasnt Canadian(dunno why???) i was allowed to take their US car across the border. I just have to ask the Avis desk on collection to issue me with a free card to show if challenged. Sounds straight forward enough!

Thanks again..

worrypants

so long as you have no criminal convictions, no scary diesease, can show a return ticket and proof of funds and have a valid uk passport then no prob
you are unlikey to be asked about these things but you can be so be prepared

lil_miss_sunshine

I stayed in Canada right next to the falls and went across to new york a few times, i just had to fill in a form, have a photo and they gave me a green slip. Took about 3 hours though as its quite busy, but didnt cost anything