JulyTourist

Canada has stated it intends to open its borders from Sept 7th, but there is no guarantee. I have a close relative in Ontario with cancer. I plan to book return tickets for my sister and myself, LHR to Pearson for the 13th, return 22nd. I need to book a car. Adding a car to the flights changes the booking into a holiday. As I understand it this would be unwise as if the border did not open on the 7th I would be unable to cancel and switch to vouchers. Am I correct? Hiring a car independently brings its own risks on cancellation!! Many thanks in advance for any advice...... JT

LE2

Also keep in mind:

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to Canada based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks.

So you are unlikely to get travel insurance to Canada from your usual insurer until the FCDO change their advice.

mikeyfly

I've got this with Mexico. I can get insurance on Battleface covering travelling against FCDO advice for two for �55 for a week

LE2

Yes�Battleface appears to be one of the few offering travel insurance to �high risk� areas.

However, they will only cover up to a maximum trip of 30 days. And they will not cover any pre existing medical conditions.

I have pre existing medical conditions and have not found any insurance providers who will cover Canada at the moment.

But if you�re healthy and only doing a couple weeks holiday than Battleforce should work�but should confirm that they cover Canada (as Canada is now lumped in with the USA as expensive medical costs for foreigners).

mikeyfly

Yes you're totally right, I am not thinking about the wider cover here, but they are very suitable and reasonable for a smaller section of travellers

JulyTourist

Thank you for replies on travel insurance, I had not thought of that. Both of us have pre existing medical conditions and do not have current insurance cover. Does this mean we should not book until the UK Govt advice changes, presumably on the 7th September if the Canadian border opens..... JT

RJBP

As an aside - the UK FCDO travel advice against non-essential travel to Canada makes no sense. Canada now has a higher percentage of its population double vaccinated than the UK and there are very few cases including with the Delta variant there. In fact, you are much safer in Canada than the UK! Hopefully the travel advice will get updated soon.

LE2

The FCDO advice is independent of the England Traffic Light system. And has no link to Canada opening up its borders (other than possibly politically motivated).

And there�s no common sense way of figuring out when the FCDO will change their advice.

I�m desperate to go back to visit my elderly parents in Vancouver. But holding off making any plans until the FCDO changes their advice.

LE2

You�re correct�it makes no sense�especially for the reason you stated above�and the fact that the FCDO allows non-essential travel to the USA (but not Canada). It�s frustratingly bizarre.

Thrifty Scotsman

A question If I may re travel to Canada?

I'm looking at GLA-LHR-YYZ in late Septmber. (Assuming Canada opens up on 7th September)

As it stands, what would I be required to do in terms of testing (either pre departure or post arrival)

Thanks in advance

RJBP

Assuming you are double vaccinated you would need a PCR test 72 hours before your flight to Canada and you would have a PCR test done on arrival (at no charge). No hotel or home quarantine.

Thrifty Scotsman

On arrival at YYZ or LHR? (Sorry if a silly question)

Finkface

Post-arrival testing in Canada is stopping as of August 9. There will still be testing of randomly selected arriving passengers but not everyone.

RJBP

Right you are. The other thing we should point out is that there is an app (ArriveCan) that needs to be downloaded and completed before travel to Canada.

RCyyz

We have enough Delta infections over here that it's a concern. Delta is certainly in the Canadian news on a daily basis.

That said, it's worth noting that Canadians are currently forced to serve 14d quarantine on arrival in UK, unlike our American and European friends. It's possible (who knows how these things really work these days ...) that Canada may impose 14d on Brits in a tit-for-tat like countries do with visas and other such nonsense.

I'm sympathetic to the OP and hope you're able to come here to see your relative while there's still time to do so. I'm unfamiliar with the car = holiday thing; hopefully you can find a creative way around this. I don't know what the car rental situation here is like right now, but I assume that like the US, there's a shortage of cars to rent.

Our chief public health officer has recently commented that Canada is possibly in the very beginning of a 4th wave. The modelling generally supports this. So it may come that restrictions will continue as opposed to a loosening / opening. One just cannot tell right now.