[Travel] bureaucracy gone mad ?

[Dave the hatosaurus]

We have some friends in Canada who to avoid the worst of the winter drive their motorhome down to one of the southern states at this time of year .In the e mail they sent today they told us that although U.S. citizens are allowed across into Canada by any means of travel Canadian citizens can only cross into U.S. by air and after certain tests and paperwork completed .
So they had to drive their motorhome close to the border , go by train to vancouver for the tests and documentation ,then return to an "international " airport and board a 6 seater cessna for the 8 (eight ) minute flight to the states !
Whereupon they rejoined their motorhome which had been transported across by a haulage company !!
I didn't dare ask how much it all cost but guess those winters must be pretty bad .

 

[Juan Albion]

We have some friends in Canada who to avoid the worst of the winter drive their motorhome down to one of the southern states at this time of year .In the e mail they sent today they told us that although U.S. citizens are allowed across into Canada by any means of travel Canadian citizens can only cross into U.S. by air and after certain tests and paperwork completed .
So they had to drive their motorhome close to the border , go by train to vancouver for the tests and documentation ,then return to an "international " airport and board a 6 seater cessna for the 8 (eight ) minute flight to the states !
Whereupon they rejoined their motorhome which had been transported across by a haulage company !!
I didn't dare ask how much it all cost but guess those winters must be pretty bad .

Yes, that is exactly how it is. There are a few exemptions, though, such as nurses who can cross daily, which is lucky or Detroit's hospitals would be empty.

There is a rumour going around that the Yanks don't want to open the Canadian border any earlier than they have to, because if they do, they'll have to open the Mexican one as well. I have no idea if that has any truth to it.

But I was prevented from driving down to Ohio in my own little 4-wheeled bubble for a concert whereas I am allowed to fly to a gig in Colorado next month jammed in a tube full of people coughing and spluttering. Utterly illogical stuff.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Yey, when Scotland gets it's independence maybe England should impose similar?

 

[StonehamPark]

We have some friends in Canada who to avoid the worst of the winter drive their motorhome down to one of the southern states at this time of year .In the e mail they sent today they told us that although U.S. citizens are allowed across into Canada by any means of travel Canadian citizens can only cross into U.S. by air and after certain tests and paperwork completed .
So they had to drive their motorhome close to the border , go by train to vancouver for the tests and documentation ,then return to an "international " airport and board a 6 seater cessna for the 8 (eight ) minute flight to the states !
Whereupon they rejoined their motorhome which had been transported across by a haulage company !!
I didn't dare ask how much it all cost but guess those winters must be pretty bad .

Yep this is pretty common at the moment, and has been doing the rounds on the news.

I'd guess your friends are from my region, or closeby, where we have a lot of snow birds facing the same predicament.
A bit bonkers.

The winters here aren't too bad, pretty much the most reasonable winter climate in the country. But a lot of the older folk definitely like to head south for the sun and warmth, I don't blame them. I'll probably end up doing the same eventually.

 

[AZ Gull]

We have some friends in Canada who to avoid the worst of the winter drive their motorhome down to one of the southern states at this time of year .In the e mail they sent today they told us that although U.S. citizens are allowed across into Canada by any means of travel Canadian citizens can only cross into U.S. by air and after certain tests and paperwork completed .
So they had to drive their motorhome close to the border , go by train to vancouver for the tests and documentation ,then return to an "international " airport and board a 6 seater cessna for the 8 (eight ) minute flight to the states !
Whereupon they rejoined their motorhome which had been transported across by a haulage company !!
I didn't dare ask how much it all cost but guess those winters must be pretty bad .

Bloody northern snowbirds, coming down here, spending their money, using our sun, clogging our roads.

 

[Marty McFly]

I just chuck on a pair of skis, long johns and a good jacket and the winter is fine.

 

[Juan Albion]

I just chuck on a pair of skis, long johns and a good jacket and the winter is fine.

Long johns? You wimp Marty!

 

[B-right-on]

Yey, when Scotland gets it's independence maybe England should impose similar?

We're going build a wall. Who is going to pay for it?

We are of course.

 

[Guinness Boy]

We're going build a wall. Who is going to pay for it?

We are of course.

I'm just trying to think of a good name for it...........

 

[LamieRobertson]

I'm just trying to think of a good name for it...........

People from Hove would probably call it Hadrian actually….further north just Adrian

 

[Springal]

Same here though. We’ve let the Yanks in as tourists for months now, but you still can’t travel to the US on an ESTA until ‘next month’ (date still unknown)

Is Mexico not open? I thought one way was in to the US was 10 days in Mexico to avoid the EU ban? I know Caribbean was one but thought Mexico was another route in as well

 

[el punal]

We're going build a wall. Who is going to pay for it?

We are of course.

Isn’t there one already there? It’s just taking a bloody long time to finish it.

 

[Marty McFly]

Long johns? You wimp Marty!

According to Google, your location is 285km south west of me. Pretty much the tropics!

Do you folks even know what winter is!?? ??

(Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadian based posters btw. 8 years here and still don't understand the holiday. But I do like a turkey dinner!)

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Isn’t there one already there? It’s just taking a bloody long time to finish it.

The bit that was built is falling down due to strong winds.

 

[zefarelly]

We're going build a wall. Who is going to pay for it?

We are of course.

My mate Hadrian says those northern brickies aren't good enough to build a Shithouse.

 

[StonehamPark]

Happy Thanksgiving. Had our big dinner last night (broke traditions and had some duck instead).

Do any of you Canadian based lot head to the mountains for skiing in the winter?

 

[Marty McFly]

Happy Thanksgiving. Had our big dinner last night (broke traditions and had some duck instead).

Do any of you Canadian based lot head to the mountains for skiing in the winter?

Are you in/near the mountains, Stoneham? BC is beautiful!

My preferred skiing is the skinny kind - And I am fortunate to have trails on my doorstep - So no need. I have told myself that I should try a local hill this winter though. We're fortunate to have some beginner friendly hills around half hour away in a couple of directions.

Nut loaf for our Thanksgiving dinner tonight!

 

[StonehamPark]

Are you in/near the mountains, Stoneham? BC is beautiful!

My preferred skiing is the skinny kind - And I am fortunate to have trails on my doorstep - So no need. I have told myself that I should try a local hill this winter though. We're fortunate to have some beginner friendly hills around half hour away in a couple of directions.

Nut loaf for our Thanksgiving dinner tonight!

Sounds very nice. I'm quite envious of the access to cross country skiing over your way and further east.
I'm in Kelowna, a few hours east of Vancouver and we've got a few big ski hills over this way.

Big White is my local hill, about a 45 min drive. It's very dry in the area so we don't see too much snow until we head out to the mountains.

 

[Marty McFly]

Sounds very nice. I'm quite envious of the access to cross country skiing over your way and further east.
I'm in Kelowna, a few hours east of Vancouver and we've got a few big ski hills over this way.

Big White is my local hill, about a 45 min drive. It's very dry in the area so we don't see too much snow until we head out to the mountains.

I had a great fortnight in Kelowna a few years back for a wedding. Beauty spot with some great hikes! The drive from Calgary to Kelowna was insane!

 

[Juan Albion]

According to Google, your location is 285km south west of me. Pretty much the tropics!

Do you folks even know what winter is!?? ??

(Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadian based posters btw. 8 years here and still don't understand the holiday. But I do like a turkey dinner!)

If I was ten km to the south or north, your point would be valid, but Pontypool is in its own snowbelt, on the top of the Oak Ridges moraine. We get winter when no-one else around here does.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. US border opening to Canadians in early November apparently.