How long do you think I would need on a Sunday evening at YUL?

First time flying to Canada: does the same idiocy apply there as it does here?
 

I read your title but I too am confused. As noted the speed signs are in different units as well as the distance markers. The money looks funny, the canucks seem to ask questions when they say they dont, the bacon tastes funny, the french fries are usually undercooked, most things are costlier than in the USA, Tim Horton has the best donuts and their coffee sucks. I would summarize by saying Canada has the same idiocy as the USA but it is slightly different.

MisterNice

Same idiocy re: airport security.

I had to take my shoes off last fall at YYZ - maybe they stopped that silliness by now.

As for alarming, there is no secondary-with-patdown. If you alarm the WTMD, the screener does a quick but thorough handwand and sends you on your way.

Absent the periodic shoe carnival and liquid-ban crap, it's pretty much what security used to be before 9/11 as far as time and stress.

Remember to leave plenty of time to clear US Immigration on the way back - depending on the day/time of travel, the lines could be quite long, although I know for a fact there is a special line for US Citizens and Permanent Residents at YYZ T1 to the immediate left as you enter the inspection hall.

Because everyone is backlogged at the immigration/customs lines, there is usually little to no line for security - and unlike the TSA, they will immediately open and close screening lines in real-time as the passenger load fluctuates.

That's so they can better soak up the cheese curds and gravy from the poutine :)

Many Costco locations in Canada sell fries, and they are considered some of the best tasting fries anywhere. As a second choice, I suggest Harveys (also for the custom-topped burgers) and then KFC.

When I was growing up, the award for best tasting (and least healthy) french fry was split between H Salt Fish and Chips (a chain, long since deceased) and Kentucky Fried Chicken, where they would pack the fries into a tight box and the heat and grease would mold them into a huge mass of potato heaven. Also, the KFC chicken in Canada tastes much better, as I believe they still use the original recipe that was the standard before KFC was bought out and became just another ho-hum fast food joint.

OK...back to your original thread topic :)

Especially if you hit the clique there that hates Brazilian visas. :D

At YYZ, Terminals 1 and 3 didn't have shoe carnivals on any of the five days I've been there this month. I can't compare it to last fall as thoroughly, although I do recall taking them off at YYZ in November. (That my have been my being "conditioned", but I don't recall exactly.) If shoe carnival was systematically in full play at YYZ last fall then we have an improvement. :)

I go into Canada on a semi-regular basis. If you will be doing the same, I highly recommend looking into CanPass Air.

However, CPA only expedites your entry into Canada, and not at any "security" facilities.

Here are the differences in Canada:

• Most of the screeners have English as a second language (that's not a French-Canadian joke, either).
• Shoe removal is mandatory.
• Liquid lunacy in full effect.
• There is random WANDING, not pat-downs, even if you don't alarm the WTMD.
• You will have to show your boarding pass prior to entering Customs Hall, to the ICE person AND to the bag-feeder at the x-ray.

And yes, as pointed out earlier, you clear Customs in YUL, not having to go through the hell...er, hall at IAD.

I haven't transited YUL in awhile, but they used to have a podium where you had to give $10 CAD cash for the airport improvement fee upon departure. YVR had the same thing before, but they but that into the ticket price, but I don't know if YUL has done that yet as well.

Shoe carnivals are limited to the transborder areas. For int'l (non-US) and domestic, it seems to be on a case-by-case basis (ie. thick heels, or boots, or shoes that alarm).

Thanks for the clarificaton as that goes a large way into explaining why I experienced what I did. :o

aka; the way it should be in the US.

Are you flying back to IAD or DCA? (Air Canada flights (and pre-flight screening) to DCA, from Toronto at least, have stricter than usual security procedures.)

Which is also stupider than usual. I noticed the special inspection tables for DCA bound flights, but I couldn't tell if they were for carry-on or checked-bags.

Since the checked bag drop slots are often un-supervised, how would they know if your DCA bound bag got its special extra look or not?

If the tables are for carry-on, how would they enforce compliance with the inspection?

Was the focus on DCA requested by US authorities or did YYZ management pull yet another cup of stupidity out of their ears? I have a long history with that airport doing things that are just waaaay out there. Why stop at DCA? Why not add LGA too? How about ORD? What is their logic based on?

Doing IAD both ways. I was able to somewhat avoid the CRJ's in favor of E75's so I took IAD over DCA, even though DCA is closer to where I live.

Would have went BWI-LGA-YUL, but I don't trust US and I wanted to avoid prop planes.

Some helpful hints when returning to the US:

1. Tell the taxi driver to take you to the transborder side of the terminal or simply tell the driver you are flying to the USA. This is where you will check in for your flight and clear (US) customs and immigration.

2. There is no curbside check in. After you check in for your flight, you need to take your bags through (US) customs in YUL for inspection. When you arrive at your destination, you pick up your bags at baggage claim as it you were on a US domestic flight.

3. Departure tax is included in the ticket price, so no need to save Canadian currency for the tax. They also raised the tax.

4. The airport is now called Trudeau but locals still fondly refer to it as Dorval.

And another thing, as a foreign guest:

1. Do not trash Celine Dion. Period.

2. Do not take sides, respond or get into discussions about independence.

3. And do not leave Montreal without trying the crepes (banana crepes with choco hazelnut sauce) at Chez Cora.