What To Expect When Crossing The Border By Land
/Yesterday I spoke about the type of ID needed to cross the border or how much money can be spent shopping before duty charges kick in or your alcohol allowance coming back to Canada. Well today we will talk about what you can expect to happen upon arriving to the USA/Canada border crossing.
USA Border
Going into the USA is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be as long as you have your proper documents in order and no legal issues at home in Canada like a criminal record or behind in child support payments.
Once we arrive, everyone must exit the bus with their passport and personal belongings. Hats (or head gear of any kind), sunglasses and ear phones must be removed. Your cell phone is either left on the bus or you put it on airplane mode so it doesn’t go off while getting processed. Only speak when spoken to and do not offer any information. The reason is if you accidentally say something that peaks the interest of the border agent, more questions can follow and with more questions comes the possibility of being denied entry. No citrus fruits or raw meat can cross. (there are exceptions to this rule, but for the purposes of this blog let’s keep this simple)
You must know where you are going and if it is an overnight trip then you must have the address to where you will be staying. Also if you are carrying a passport that is not Canadian or United States then you may need a temporary visa to enter the USA called an I94. This is a form that gets filled out about where you are from and where you are going. It will cost $6 USD to process and will be good for 3 months after which you must return to customs and immigration upon leaving the USA unless you think you will be returning before the expiry date. This allows the U.S. government to confirm that you have left the country.
Canadian Border
Returning to Canada can be a toss up as to whether it will be easy or hard (at least for the driver). Meaning the bus could get searched having all the luggage removed from inside and underneath luggage bins. If this type of inspection happens, it could be 2-3 hours before we can be on our way especially if there are buses in line in front of us. Now this is not a common occurrence for most groups and usually happens when someone runs their mouth and says the wrong thing. With every word that comes out of your mouth is just one word closer to holding up the entire group.
Other situations that could take time is random searches which involves waiting for them to get a sniffer dog from another border to check for drugs being smuggled in or when you arrived at the border it is 15 mins from shift change so they will not process you until the next group of officers arrive as they don’t want to take the chance of running over their time as they can’t leave until the bus is processed. We have had agents not want to clear a bus that they had us waiting 30 mins for the next group of officers to arrive.
So no matter which border you cross at, the best course of action is to stick to the truth. The moment you start lying to save yourself a few dollars it is all downhill from there. If you are caught you pay duty along with additional fines for lying which quickly makes your purchase not worth it and time wasted at the border waiting. The other thing you can do to keep things smooth at either border is to keep your mouth shut and only speak when spoken to. Border agents don’t like doing more than they have to and when you open your mouth you just open yourself up to scrutiny and if they have to work more as a result then they will go through every last thing that you own.
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3 commonly asked questions about crossing the border
/I get asked a lot about what is to be expected heading into the United States on a bus trip from Toronto and back. People mostly want to know what kind of ID is needed, how much money can I spend shopping and how much alcohol am I aloud to bring back. So let’s get right to it…
What type of ID do I need to cross the border?
Easy answer is a valid passport, enhanced drivers licence and a Nexxus card are also accepted. For the purpose of this question we are going to stick with only a passport as your guaranteed way of crossing as long as everything else checks out. Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers, the border tightened up security so all passengers must disembark from the bus and have their passports scanned. They also randomly check luggage, bring a sniffer dog and run baggage through scanners but not always.
How much money can I spend shopping?
24+ hrs - $200
48+ hrs - $400
7 days+ - $750
Everything you buy is included in your above totals except for money spent on food, drink, lodging and recreational activities. Your final total needs to be converted into Canadian dollars when declaring your amount to the border agent.
How much alcohol can I bring back?
One liter bottle of alcohol OR one 750 ml bottle of wine OR one case of beer AND one carton of cigarettes. You have to be of drinking age to claim alcohol, going into the United States 21 years old and coming back to Canada 19 years old. Now going into the United States you can take as much alcohol as you please. Just make sure when coming home that you are only bringing back your allowed amount. Now you can certainly bring back more if you like, just be prepared to pay duty but no worries as the duty still has the bottle cheaper than the Liquor Store.
Hopefully these tips helped to clear up some of your common questions. These tips also apply to cars, trucks and basically any vehicle arriving to the border by land. If you liked this post then be sure to sign up for our mailing list to receive alerts about future blog posts and upcoming trips.
All information provided in this post is based on my over 20 yrs experience as a bus driver, however, please contact your respective border agencies for up to date and factual information.
Tour Operator Topdeck changes return policy, applies it retrospectively and then promptly denies all refunds
/As a tour operator myself, I sympathize with Topdeck going from being liquid to cash strapped in a matter of weeks. This seems to be the story of businesses across the world and unfortunately most may not survive. Having said that this does not give Topdeck the right to rewrite their refund policy AND then promptly refuse to refund trips that they previously communicated to customers as approved. Now what Topdeck is offering in it’s place is a full credit plus an additional $100 that expires December 2021.
After cancelling her trip because of the Covid-19 outbreak a New Zealand lady was told by Topdeck via email that she would receive a 100% refund. A few weeks later she received another email telling her she would only be receiving her refund in the form of a travel voucher plus an additional $100 that expires December 2021. Topdeck did say that they are flexible with the expiry date. A complaint has since been filed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). A review was also left on the Topdeck facebook page expressing her concerns that has been promptly removed.
ACCC has said that giving refunds in the form of vouchers is allowed and normal practice amongst tour operators, however applying a policy change retrospectively is not. Now while all this is happening, the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) posted an advice via their website for tour operators to issue vouchers instead of cash refunds. The reason is so operators can remain liquid throughout the travel supply chain during this pandemic.
There seems to be a lot of confusing information that is coming out of different camps, but I guess that is to be expected when you are navigating a pandemic. That doesn’t give any business the right to change a policy and then apply it retroactively in their favour over the customer. If anything the customer should benefit on any changes made retroactively not the business. This is what our federal government is for, isn’t it enough that the people will be paying for these bailouts to begin with via their tax dollars but to punish them again and get help from the government is almost criminal.
I think Topdeck is going to get crucified in the media, especially since one of their main competitors Contiki has changed their policy the same way except they will not apply it retroactively. The smart thing to do would be to ask each client individually if they would like to take a travel voucher plus 10% towards a future trip in lieu of cash. I guess we will see what develops over the next few months. Let’s hope that Topdeck changes their position under all the media attention and does the right thing.
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Buffalo Shopping Trips
/Yesterday we spoke about getting away from your little tyrants with a bus trip from Toronto. Having considered those options maybe you were looking for something a little shorter, something to break up the monotony of everyday life. Well Buffalo, Erie and Michigan shopping trips are exactly what you need.
Buffalo Shopping Trips
This trip sells out fast and it is by far our most popular one as you get a full day of shopping from 6am - 8pm. You will visit places like Walmart, Target, Fashion Outlets, Boulevard Mall, Sav-A-Lot Grocery, Burlington plus more. It is an easy and relaxing day spent just across the border. When heading back we usually get through with no issues and even if someone has to pay, the amount of duty charged still makes the trip well worth it.
Erie Shopping Trip
This trip runs about 4-5 times during the spring, summer, fall season and sells out every time because it is not offered as much. The reason for the scarcity of this trip is it is a long day with even less time for shopping than Buffalo. This trip runs from 5am - 9pm and stops at places like Gabe’s, Target, Marshalls, Walmart, Burlington, Mill Creek Mall, Hobby Lobby, Kohl’s plus much more. This trip is a little more rushed, but our clients seem to like the no sales tax on most items purchased. Same dealing with the border as in the Buffalo trip.
Michigan Shopping Trip
This trip is a little longer than the previous 1 day trips, being an overnight trip this trip is 2 days, 1 night in length. This trip is packed with stops at malls, outlet malls, stores of all kinds. All in a relaxed setting because we have 2 full days to complete our shopping experience. This trip started out as a 1 day trip, but the days were extremely long and you spent about equal amounts of time shopping as you did travelling back and forth from Toronto. So we turned it into an overnight experience and our clients loved it. So if you want a quick overnight shopping experience, then this Michigan Shopping Trip is for you. This trip runs on a Saturday and Sunday so no work days need to be booked off for this one. Same deal at the border as the first two trips.
So when this pandemic has come to a close and life has returned to our new normal, I am sure the getaway bug with be scratching it’s annoying self on you. When that happens be sure to check out our website for more info about our trips. Until then be sure to sign up to our mailing list and be the first to hear about new upcoming trips. Until then stay safe everyone!
3 Bus Trip Travel Destinations From Toronto
/In the good ole days you would be getting kids ready for school, summer camps, organized sporting events, recitals you name it. Then you would head off to work and some would say that is a good balance in life. Now fast forward to the new world order and you are spending your day juggling work remotely with trying to keep the kids from ACTUALLY killing themselves…rinse and repeat for time unknown. This seems like a good time for that old commercial “Calgon…take me away” as the moment would be quite fitting in our current circumstances…;-) So to channel our inner Calgon moment, close your eyes and let me take you away…
New York City
It is unfortunate what is going on in New York City and the surrounding areas with the outbreak and our prayers and well wishes go out to everyone involved for a speedy recovery. Now when things do get back to some sort of norm, New York is a place that during the summer it seems as if there is a festival going on every weekend. Street closures everywhere with mini pop up flea markets and food vendors. There are also marathons, bike rides and endless parades that are happening as well. Don’t forget Christmas and of course the infamous ball drop in Times Square on New Years Eve. The point I am trying to make is that this is a year round city that never disappoints.
You can go from seeing pop up skating rinks, to a massive Christmas tree (69-100 ft tall) or maybe this spring take in the Easter Parade, how about a nice walk above the city along the old railroad turned into a park walk, shopping at Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall with over 200 stores or maybe in the summer renting a bike and riding through Central Park, maybe some upscale shopping on 5th Ave and ladies you really wanna do the Sex and the City bus tour.
So no matter what your heart desires, if it involves fun and non-stop action then New York City is a definite to do on your list.
Chicago
I don’t know Chicago that well, but I can say that this place has a vibe about it that is hard to explain. It could be the undeniable imagery you are faced with once arriving to the downtown area near Millennium Park. You will notice in parts of the city waterways that weave throughout carry passengers on boat tours one of which is an architecture tour. This is because when you are looking at the downtown buildings it is an amazing mixture of old, new and even circular buildings with a circular parking lot at least 3 or 4 stories above ground. Not to mention all the Jazz bars, clubs and restaurants in the area, it is just a different vibe as a whole and a good place to just lose yourself in yourself. A great time to visit Chicago would be in my opinion in the summer during the the food festival “The Taste Of Chicago” held in Millennium Park. Food, drink, jazz and architecture. What more can you ask for?
Montreal/Quebec City
Both places are great in their own right, so with Montreal summer is a great time from the Grand Prix to huge beach parties, Night life to please all. Not to mention New Years Eve in Montreal is a an amazing experience. As you can see from my description of Montreal it is quite the party town.
Having said that, Quebec City has a bit of a different feel from the old cobble stone buildings or the city block on both sides of the street lined with restaurants, bars, nightclubs all with outdoor patio seating. The vibe there on a summer night is absolutely amazing. This city is rich in history and I won’t go into details but it may be worth googling for some.
So those are my favourite places that I have visited on bus tours, what are your favourite places to visit. Let me know in the comments below. Have a look around on my site and see if there is anything that you like. Don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list for first dibs on upcoming trips when all this madness ends.
A recap of the past 7 days posts
/If you were binge watching Netflix, battling friends or foe online or taking in some extra beauty sleep. You may have missed my first 7 blog posts ever! So here is your chance to catch up on any posts that you have missed and you may just witness some writing improvement along the way, but don’t hold your breath…;-)
My 1st post ever was about where I was and what I was doing during the breaking news of the corona virus outbreak. Follow our adventure both leaving and returning to the country, it was quite the ride.
Click here to read the post
My 2nd post is about how to stay on task during the pandemic. It can be so easy to lose time being lazy and doing nothing productive. These are just a few tips for keeping a little work ethic going while you work at home.
Click here to read the post.
My 3rd post is just some tips about how to save money to be able to travel. This post is for those who think they cannot travel because of money constraints, have a read as you never know what idea could be sparked as a result.
Click Here to read the post.
My 4th post contains tips for enjoying a weekend in New York City. It is a fast paced city with plenty of opportunities good and bad. Have a quick read if you want to avoid some of the pit falls of one of the most exciting cities in the world.
Click here to read the post.
My 5th post is about exercise ideas you can do at home during the pandemic. These tips will help to keep your mind and body in tune with each other while we are cooped up indoors all day long.
Click Here to read the post.
My 6th post is my top 3 Movies and TV shows of all time. What is your top 3?
Click here to read the post.
My 7th post is filled with tips on how to survive a long bus trip. There are some great tips that people overlook, so have a look and see what tips you can benefit from. Pssst…they work for long car rides too!
Click here to read the post.
So if you missed any of the past 7 postings then be sure to catch up here and if you would like to be added to our mailing list to be informed when our services start up again then be sure to sign up to our mailing list in the column above and to the right.
How To Survive A Long Bus Trip.
/As a motor coach driver for 20+ years, I have seen the things people have done to make themselves a little more comfortable on a long bus trip like from Toronto to New York City. A trip like that can take 10-11 hours to complete stops included. So here are some tips to help pass the time cooped up on the bus.
Most buses have wifi and power outlets and what better way to kill 10 hours than to surf the net till your hearts content.
Warm comfortable clothing is essential to being relaxed. A mini skirt and heels will leave you exposed and if your trip happens in the evening or over night all together, then your track suit and runners are looking pretty good right about now.
If your trip is an over night run then a thin 100% cotton blanket is perfect for those cold evenings that won’t get in the way of your seat mate yet still keep you warm.
Every bus trip needs a neck pillow. If you don’t want to be working out a kink for your entire trip then a neck pillow is a must to keeping you level headed.
This is one that many people overlook but earplugs and an eye mask can help you fall and stay asleep a little longer, which can be valuable rest depending on the time of day/night you are travelling.
Bring snacks and drinks…even though buses make stops along the way, you never know where or when those stops will occur. Not to mention rest stops can be pricey and unhealthy.
Wipes…no not because of the pandemic. Just in case you need to use the washroom on board, you may be happy that you have them. Trust in yourself and all will be as it should.
Read a book! You would be surprised at how much time you can lose by reading a good book. Try it on your next bus trip, it might surprise you at how much you enjoy it. It has become a lost art form.
If the situation permits, stretch your legs every so often to get the blood flowing throughout your body. It is surprising sometimes how good you feel after a good stretch.
Now these are just a few of the things you can do to help make a long bus trip a little more manageable in the future. All of the tips above are friendly in case you have a seat mate as we all have to respect our neighbours. Which brings me to the hot topic of reclining seats. Some people are like well I paid for my seat so I can recline my chair as I see fit. Others be like, this is my area and you cannot infringe on my area as I paid for it. Both are correct and for the sake of common sense and common decency for one another, a little give and take is warranted. So allowing the seat to recline a bit (like halfway) so both parties give a little and get a little will make a long journey go smoothly. If we just communicate our intentions instead of taking what we want, we all will survive a long cramped journey.
If you have any ideas of your own then by all means leave a comment below. Be sure to have a look at some of the bus trips from Toronto that TallPat Tours offers for after the pandemic is in our rear view.
Take care and Happy Easter To All!
Where were you?
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Just a little story as to where I was and what I was dealing with when the Covid-19 news was breaking worldwide.
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