Visa and entry requirements Canada:
Passport required
The Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is required

Information from the Foreign Office about your trip to Canada:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/kanadasicherheit/204874

Canada is a country in North America with around 37 million inhabitants and is also the second largest country in the world in terms of area. Canada has one of the lowest population densities in the world and is geographically located between the Atlantic in the east and the Pacific in the west.

The only national borders are in the south with the USA and in the northwest with Alaska. In addition, there is Greenland, which is only separated from northeastern Canada by the 30 kilometer wide strait. Finally, the French colony of St. Pierre and Miquelon, south of Newfoundland, also exists as an immediate neighbor.

Canada is a parliamentary monarchy, with the two official languages English and French. The official national currency is the Canadian dollar, with 1 euro equaling around 1.45 CAD.

The largest north-south extent of the country is around 4,600 kilometers, while the stretch from east to west is around 5,500 kilometers long.

The state of Canada is located in six different time zones. The highest peak in the country is Mount Logan at 5,959 meters in the Rocky Mountains, Yukon Territory. There are around two million lakes in Canada, covering almost 9% of the entire area.

The country of Canada is divided into ten provinces: Manitoba, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan. There are also three other territories, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.

The largest cities in Canada include Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Quebec, Halifax, Victoria, London, Kitchener and Hamilton.

The country has one of the highest immigration rates of any country in the world, most of them from China.

Canada is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, ranking 10th in the world in terms of nominal gross domestic product.

The territory of Canada has the largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia, has over 10% of the world's forests, as well as significant deposits of zinc, uranium, potassium carbonate, tantalum, iron ore, copper, coal, gold, aluminum, sulfur and lead. There are also significant reserves of natural gas off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

An important part of Canada's economy is tourism, with almost 30 million visitors from around the world, half of them from the United States.

The most important sights in the country include Niagara Falls, the "CN Tower" and Canada's "Walk of Fame" in Toronto, the Parliament building and the House of the Supreme Court in Ottawa, the "Moraine Lake" in Alberta, the skyline of Edmonton, the Calgary Tower and the associated skyline, the polar bears in Manitoba, the Grand Beach in Winnipeg, the “Cape Enrage” with its lighthouse in New Brunswick, the old clock tower and St. Paul's Church in Halifax, the Quebec City Hall, the skyline , the historic Olympic Stadium, the old town and the Canadian Formula 1 race track in Montreal, the "United Church of Canada" in Regina, the Halifax City Hall, the Signal Hill and the "Cabot Tower" in St. John's, the Confederation Bridge in New Brunswick, Old City Hall in Fredericton, Historic District in Winnipeg, Olympic Park in Calgary, Rocky Mountains, New Arena and West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Harbor Front in Toronto, Stanley Park, Historic District " Gastown” and the Vancouver skyline, Mount Robson in British Columbia, the Whistler Mountains ski resort near Vancouver and the “Air Canada Center” in Toronto.

So far I have traveled to Canada twice, in 2004 and 2017.

In March 2004 I spent a week in Toronto and the surrounding area. Of course, the first thing I did was visit the famous Niagara Falls, which were a unique experience despite the bitter cold. In the city of Toronto I looked at all the main tourist attractions and had a super interesting day. The highlight was certainly entering the viewing platform on the 553 meter high CN Tower.

On the way from the Niagara Falls to Toronto, I made a stopover in Mississauga, another but very cozy city.

On my second visit to Canada in July 2017, I traveled to Halifax, Montreal and Prince Edward Island. While Montreal is actually a beautiful and very culturally conscious city, the constant begging for tips really got on my nerves. Whether it was the taxi driver, the waiter, at the hotel reception or the tourist guide, everyone was really insistent about asking for tips.

The city tour with the red double-decker bus through Montreal also turned out to be quite difficult. Despite a really high volume of visitors, the city only ran two buses per hour. Finally, there was the greatest chaos I had ever experienced on these city tours anywhere in the world.

After I couldn't get on the first bus at the starting station because it was completely overcrowded, I was at least at the front of the next one. In the meantime, so many people had gathered behind me at the station that I was lucky to have started from the hotel so early.

Finally, after a 30-minute wait, my bus set off on the roughly two-hour loop through Montreal. There were already around 20 to 30 people standing at the second stop. Of course, because no one wanted to leave my bus, no new guest could get on. This strange situation then happened at almost every subsequent stop.

I don't think this was the first time this had happened to Montreal. In the end it just showed the entire incompetence, the indifference towards tourists and the previously repeatedly experienced unfriendliness of the city. At the end of my stay in Montreal, I have rarely been so happy to have left a city again. Nowadays, when I'm asked about my worst experiences in a major global city, Montreal is at the top of my list.

However, it was completely different and much more comfortable in English-speaking Halifax. The small port town in Nova Scotia has a very beautiful promenade on the water and you will receive a very friendly welcome everywhere. The small barbecue stands at the harbor in particular were a daily stop for me.

Finally, I took a day trip to the cozy Prince Edward Island. I used a morning flight from Halifax that brought me back late in the evening. In the wonderful sunshine, I was able to really enjoy the island tour and the city tour in the capital Charlotte Town, where the country of Canada was founded 150 years ago.

Canada is guaranteed to be a fantastic holiday destination for nature lovers. Apart from Montreal, I always felt comfortable everywhere and would fly there again at any time. Since, as a German, I have already had several problems in French-speaking countries, I would avoid Montreal and the province of Quebec next time.