Driving Across the Border from U.S. to Canada: Options & Experiences
Mar 30, 2022, 6:36 pm
#481
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 4
Mar 30, 2022, 7:34 pm
#482
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
Mar 31, 2022, 7:03 am
#483
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,190
Apr 2, 2022, 6:15 pm
#484
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 4
Went today and had a successful shopping trip! Got to the Rainbow Bridge at 10:30am and the line of cars was already to the Canadian side. Took about 40 minutes to get across, but it was just like pre-COVID.
The way back was completely different. There were only 6 cars in front of me so I thought it would be super quick, but the border guard was spending like 10 minutes with each car. I thought for sure that I would be "random" tested since almost everyone in front of me was getting a yellow slip. It ended up taking 40 minutes to go through 7 cars.
When I got to the front the border guard asked me for my passport and nothing else. It was also really odd that they asked you to put your mask on before talking to you. He didn't ask for the ArriveCan QR code or proof of vaccination but he spent like 5 minutes looking at things on his computer and then let me through.
The way back was completely different. There were only 6 cars in front of me so I thought it would be super quick, but the border guard was spending like 10 minutes with each car. I thought for sure that I would be "random" tested since almost everyone in front of me was getting a yellow slip. It ended up taking 40 minutes to go through 7 cars.
When I got to the front the border guard asked me for my passport and nothing else. It was also really odd that they asked you to put your mask on before talking to you. He didn't ask for the ArriveCan QR code or proof of vaccination but he spent like 5 minutes looking at things on his computer and then let me through.
Apr 3, 2022, 5:20 am
#485
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 1,506
It was also really odd that they asked you to put your mask on before talking to you.
My daughter crossed the other day and mentioned this as well. It seems to be a relatively new thing that they insist on masking when talking to the guard.
He didn't ask for the ArriveCan QR code or proof of vaccination
Apr 4, 2022, 4:43 pm
#486
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: AP 35K
Posts: 101
For some inexplicable reason, I decided to go through Peace Arch rather than my usual Pacific Highway, and it was a terrible decision. NEXUS line was longer than the regular line (only two lanes vs five for non-NEXUS, although a third one opened by the time we got to the border agent), and as expected, got sent inside to get a new I-94.
This is where Pacific Highway is so much better than Peace Arch: while there was a "NEXUS" line inside, it was absolute chaos. Agents were ignoring our line so it was down to "cutting" people off whenever an agent said "next". After about an hour, I finally got my I-94.
Time in the US was pretty nice, got to buy a bunch of stuff at Trader Joe's, Costco, Target, outlets, and of course cheap gas. We filled our ArriveCAN form while having dinner and we were back at Peace Arch at around 11:00 PM. NEXUS lanes were already closed by then (I thought they would still be closing at midnight like before but that wasn't the case), but they didn't put out any cones, so people were taking the NEXUS lane and then doing a weird u-turn to get back to the regular lanes. After waiting for about 15 minutes in line, it was our turn, we handed our NEXUS cards to the agent, got asked where's home and how much we had purchased while down there, whether we were importing any tobacco or alcohol, got our cards back and waved through. I wasn't randomly selected for COVID test.
All in all, it was nice to be back, and I will for sure take advantage of the 6 months I have with my new I-94
.
Apr 7, 2022, 12:06 pm
#488
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Quebec and Ontario, Canada
Programs: AC*E50, SPG/Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,917
Apr 7, 2022, 2:14 pm
#490
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,639
Time in the US was pretty nice, got to buy a bunch of stuff at Trader Joe's, Costco, Target, outlets, and of course cheap gas. We filled our ArriveCAN form while having dinner and we were back at Peace Arch at around 11:00 PM. NEXUS lanes were already closed by then (I thought they would still be closing at midnight like before but that wasn't the case), but they didn't put out any cones, so people were taking the NEXUS lane and then doing a weird u-turn to get back to the regular lanes.
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nex....html#where-ou
Looks like it is open 0700-1900.
Apr 8, 2022, 3:18 pm
#491
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,432
r it.
Apr 14, 2022, 7:32 am
#492
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,034
Quick question please. My dad is flying LHR-YYZ next week then driving back home to Detroit via Windsor. He won’t need a Covid test when he lands at Toronto and neither at US customs after he drives through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel correct?
thank you
thank you
Apr 14, 2022, 10:03 am
#493
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
As long as he's vaxxed, correct.
Apr 15, 2022, 8:34 am
#494
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 14
Went today and had a successful shopping trip! Got to the Rainbow Bridge at 10:30am and the line of cars was already to the Canadian side. Took about 40 minutes to get across, but it was just like pre-COVID.
The way back was completely different. There were only 6 cars in front of me so I thought it would be super quick, but the border guard was spending like 10 minutes with each car. I thought for sure that I would be "random" tested since almost everyone in front of me was getting a yellow slip. It ended up taking 40 minutes to go through 7 cars.
When I got to the front the border guard asked me for my passport and nothing else. It was also really odd that they asked you to put your mask on before talking to you. He didn't ask for the ArriveCan QR code or proof of vaccination but he spent like 5 minutes looking at things on his computer and then let me through.
The way back was completely different. There were only 6 cars in front of me so I thought it would be super quick, but the border guard was spending like 10 minutes with each car. I thought for sure that I would be "random" tested since almost everyone in front of me was getting a yellow slip. It ended up taking 40 minutes to go through 7 cars.
When I got to the front the border guard asked me for my passport and nothing else. It was also really odd that they asked you to put your mask on before talking to you. He didn't ask for the ArriveCan QR code or proof of vaccination but he spent like 5 minutes looking at things on his computer and then let me through.
Jul 4, 2022, 10:39 am
#495
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Canada
Programs: Aeroplan E50/MM, HH gold, Nat Exec Elite, Kimpton Karma
Posts: 2,354
Land border crossing — planning a crossing shortly. Nexus-only bridge Niagara area. Do I have to use Nexus as the ID on my ArriveCan submission or will passport suffice?