Canadian Border Crossings

[henryj]

Many Americans traveling between MI and NY take the 401 and QEW through ON. Just a heads up for Hutch, Hematite and other New Yorkers who might think of traveling through ON. The weekend before Memorial Day is always the long Victoria Day weekend in Canada. Expect campgrounds to be filled FSS and border crossings to be busy Fri. afternoon and evening leaving ON at Sarnia/Port Huron and Windsor/Detroit. Similarly coming back into ON, border crossings will be busy Mon. afternoon and evening.

Henry

[Hematite]

Originally Posted by henryj

Many Americans traveling between MI and NY take the 401 and QEW through ON. Just a heads up for Hutch, Hematite and other New Yorkers who might think of traveling through ON. The weekend before Memorial Day is always the long Victoria Day weekend in Canada. Expect campgrounds to be filled FSS and border crossings to be busy Fri. afternoon and evening leaving ON at Sarnia/Port Huron and Windsor/Detroit. Similarly coming back into ON, border crossings will be busy Mon. afternoon and evening.

Henry

Yes, thanks for bringing that up Henry. I ran a Mapquest and I think I'm going to avoid the border crossing, altogether. I'll take the Southern route through Penn, and Ohio. The last time I crossed the border a few years back there was a sizeable delay. I was thinking that all it would take is an incident of some kind and the border crossing could be a nightmare.

The Southern route is 50 miles longer and over 2 hours shorter for me! I'm sure those Mapquest times don't take into account any delay at border crossings, either. Again, thanks for the heads up Henry!

[PTHutch]

Hi Henry,

Thanks for the advice. We too probalby will take the souther US route to the M&G. But we plan to do some traveling through MI after the M&G to visit some college friends. So we probably will come back via Canada, but it probably will be mid week or mid week-end so we hope to avoid the Victoria Day and Memorial Day boarder jams.

When we've travelled through Canada, we prefer taking the Sarnia/Port Huron; 402; 401; Hwy 3; to Fort Erie then cross at the Peace Bridge. I've always found less delays at the Peace Bridge then the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.

Also - don't forget your passport, you may get into Canada ok, but you could run into problems getting back into the US without it.

Hutch

[Viking]

Hi all!
Border crossings can be a hazzle.
I have heard horror stories about people having their RV nearly torn apart.
Last year we crossed into Ontario at the Bluewater Bridge (Port huron to Sarnia) on our way to Killbear Provincial Park, ON. We were told to pull over for further inspection. They did not go through the trailer in much detail, but they seemed very interested in DW's laptop. They turned it on and wanted the password. Would not let us see what they looked at on the screen. Not counting waiting in line for the check point, the "detention" delayed us close to 3/4 hour.
Except for the long lines, coming back into the U.S. was no hazzle at all.
I have talked to a lot of people that say that getting into Canada is usually the worst part.
Roar

[Hematite]

My observation is the same getting into Canada is the hard part. I was towing an antique car, 15 years ago, into/ across Canada when I was pulled over at the border. Same thing, wanted to see my papers, the cars papers, the trucks papers, etc. Gave me a sinking feeling at the time, I can imagine what it would be like now.

I can't believe that they violated the privacy of your computer. Since you committed no crime I'd like to know what right they had to ransack your computer?

[henryj]

Viking, I think you caught a customs person on a bad day or on a power trip. There are several thousand people working the border and no doubt all kinds of personality types and disorders are represented. I'd be inclined to ask for a superior and get a badge number, but you know they can make life so miserable for you it's usually better to grin and bear it.

We crossed the border 12X last year in both directions without any incident although our trailer was searched a number of times. The Canadians went in once and searched through the inside, but not outside compartments. The Americans will go in if there isn't much of a line up, but the search is generally more casual and they have never opened the outside compartments either. I have no idea what either one of them is looking for because they rarely look into the truck, tinted windows and all, and I was only asked once, years ago to roll back the tonneau. About the only thing I can think of that they would find is a pet because they always ask if we have a dog before going in. So, make sure your pets have vaccinations and papers and expect your trailer to be entered in either direction.

We have 6 border crossings planned already for this camping season and I won't let any jerks spoil a trip for me. Almost forgot, one tip an American border guard gave me--although they don't mark RV lanes, the American side has at least one lane with tall posts that are an infrared scanner--for illegals and pets--that covers the height of an RV. The ones in the car lanes are much lower and if you go there you will almost certainly be searched.

Henry