dthk@mhuxd.UUCP (10/14/83)
Re: Canada Scott Pector mentions that the US dollar is strong now in Canada. True, but be advised that some necessities (i.e. food and gas) are MUCH more expensive there than in the U.S. For example, gas is about 52 cents/ liter, which equates to over $2.00(US)/US gallon. Food in restaurants tends to be much more than here, and the tax on restaurant meals and lodgings is 10% which wipes out half of your dollar exchange. Don Hawkins mhuxd!dthk AT&T-Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill NJ
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer) (10/14/83)
Yes, you know, I had always believed that the US dollar went farther in Canada, and in fact had taken several vacations there in the past 10 years without any evidence to convince me otherwise. But, this year, at the Toronto USENIX meeting, it hit me how much more expensive everything is! Those itty-bitty soda cans! $0.75! I left with the impression that the current exchange rate and cost of living reflect the true purchasing power of the Canadian dollar, and not just arbitrary economic forces. Not an economist myself, just a poor consumer, /Steve Dyer decvax!genrad!wjh12!bbncca!sdyer
pector@ihuxw.UUCP (10/14/83)
I've been to Canada three summers in a row now. The first time included southern Quebec (Quebec City and Montreal) and south eastern Ontario (Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara, and Windsor). The second time included southern British Columbia and Alberta. The third time was in southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Canadian Rockies, and Waterton Glacier Park. In all three vacations, my overall expenses were less than those for comparable vacations (including comparable restaurants, hotels, etc.) in the U.S. I will point out that gas is more expensive in Canada than the U.S. except for the province of Alberta (I think). I know that gas prices are always much lower than the rest of Canada. This comes about from the fact that Albertans got mad at the Canadian Government over some issue and took revenge by selling their oil at a higher price to the rest of the provinces (this was in the Wall Street Journal two years ago). I believe that acceptable hotels are cheaper in Canada than in the U.S. I also think that meals are cheaper. Some of my memories about prices may be mistaken, but when I checked my trip logs I found that I and my wife spent 10-20% less in U.S. dollars per day in Canada than in the U.S. If you go there, make sure you exchange currency at banks or else you may save nothing overall. Scott W. Pector
jj@rabbit.UUCP (10/14/83)
"not an economist myself, just a *poor* consumer" Do you mean that you consume poorly, that you are poor at being a consumer, or that you are an *UNFORTUNATE* consumer? Sorry, but I couldn't help it. What's this doing in net.travel anyhow? -- O o From the pyrolagnic keyboard of ~ rabbit!jj -v-v- \^_^/
ntt@dciem.UUCP (Mark Brader) (10/19/83)
"The tax on restaurant meals and lodgings is 10% which wipes out half your dollar exchange." Specify your province! In Ontario, restaurant meals are taxed at 7% (used to be 10% over $6, 0 under). In Alberta there is no sales tax at all (and cheap gas too). On the other hand, I hear liquor is taxed extremely hard here (Ontario); I'm glad I don't use it. I don't think observations about costs in one part of Canada are applicable to another any more than they would be in the U.S. -- it's a LARGE country, you know. My limited experience suggests that major Canadian cities are probably comparable in price to major U.S. ones, or a bit higher. Last summer I travelled around British Columbia, and found prices there for lodging much lower than I expected, as long as I avoided Vancouver and Victoria, but then I went into Washington (state, of course) and found them even lower there. Mark Brader
thomas@allegra.UUCP (David Thomas) (07/16/85)
Following are some corrections to my summary of info about Canada and NE US: David Thomas From ihnp4!utzoo!lsuc!msb Tue Jul 16 05:38:48 1985 > (2) Ontario Cottage Country > between Ottawa and Peterborough (on the way to Toronto) highly > recommended Well, that's a matter of opinion. Anyway, don't try to drive from cottage country to Toronto on a Sunday night -- or worse, a holiday Monday night. > (3) Toronto > Try the down-town area, Ontario Science Centre ("Cinesphere" travel > movies highly recommended), Ontario Place, 1400ft CN tower, Harbour > Front, Toronto has more restaurants/cinemas per capita etc. than > anywhere else in the world and is one of the cleanest, modern cities in > North America. Cinesphere is at Ontario Place (2 miles W of downtown) not Ontario Science Centre (6 miles NE). They sometimes show IMAX films at Cinesphere by the way. CN Tower is 1815 feet, tallest free-standing structure in the world. 1400 ft may be the height of the upper observation deck, also highest in the world. I think the Tower is looking rather tacky after 9 years of existence, but it sure gives an impressive view when the air is clear. Since I like Toronto (I live here) I'll give you some more information... First, the public transit system is a good one, featuring two subway lines (one V-shaped with its downtown segments on Yonge and University, the other east-west along Bloor street). Cash fare 95 cents, but buy 8 tokens for $5.90 at any subway station. (Or tickets for the same price at convenience stores displaying the TTC Exact Fare sign, but then you can't use the automatic secondary entrances at some stations.) The excellent system map called the "Ride Guide" is also the best SMALL general map of Toronto that you'll find. (It shows all the streets but only labels main ones.) There are several streetcar lines and, connecting with the east end of the subway, a modernistic light rail line to Scarborough Town Centre. Most of the transit system, including the subway, starts up at 6-7 am (9 am Sunday) and runs until after 1 am. A few routes run all night. All the main downtown routes have pretty frequent service well into the evening. Some notable new-type buildings - Roy Thomson Hall where symphonies are played, a unique circular glass building; Royal Bank Centre, two triangular towers with shopping underneath, and a magnificent open space in the center where the bank itself, and the exterior GOLD-PLATED (looks coppery); Eaton Centre, another grand enclosed space consisting principally of 3 shopping levels, and 2 subway stops long; Metro Toronto (main) library; City Hall. This is just a selection of my favorites; all are downtown. Some notable old-type buildings - Provincial gov't at Queen's Park; Union Station; Old City Hall; old Bank of Commerce building now called Commerce Court North (during banking hours try taking the escalator in from the underground shopping concourse; only the one area that you thus reach is open to the public); Casa Loma (there was this rich eccentric, and he decided to build himself a castle; now you take guided tours). Oh, and walk around the University of Toronto. All these places are downtown or near downtown. By the way, the parking garage under City Hall, the Sheraton Centre hotel, First Canadian Place (tallest office building in Canada, 72 storeys), Toronto-Dominion (Bank) Centre, Royal Bank Centre, Commerce Court, the Royal York Hotel (some would call this a notable old building also), and Union Station are all connected underground. You see more above ground, of course, but if the weather is bad... Delta's Chelsea Inn is said to be the best accommodation value among the major hotels in downtown Toronto. I have no personal evidence. > (4) Elora Gorge - nice little Toronto->Niagara-on-the-lake stop NO. N-o-t-L is about 90 miles from Toronto by road going SW then SE around the curve of the lake. Elora and the Gorge are about 60 miles W., not at all on the way. On the other hand, if you're going to Stratford (100 miles W, where they have a major Shakespearian festival May-Oct(?), THEN Elora is on your way, more or less. I wouldn't make a special trip there, personally. > (7) Niagara falls - grossly overcommercialized (but probably > mandatory), cheap accommodation. The Canadian side of the falls (the > Horseshoe Falls) is the better tourist attraction. Try to see the > falls from Goat Island in the middle of the river at the top of the > falls. There are also (boat) tours that go up to the falls on both US & > Canadian sides. There is even a tour of the caves under the base of > the falls if you feel brave. It's tunnels, actually, though they call it caves. What I think is a "must see" is the Great Gorge Trip, which takes you down to the fastest part of the rapids of all, about a mile downstream from the falls on the Canadian side. This is where Lois Lane decided to fall into the river in Superman II ... pure suicide if she hadn't guessed right! The geographic sequence from north to south and curving around to the west in a J-shape is: City of Niagara Falls, NY; American Falls, Luna Island (small), Bridal Veil Falls (small), Goat Island (fairly big), Horseshoe Fall (biggest, crosses border); City of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Visit both sides to see all the views. You can go up near both edges of all the falls. From watmath!electro!carlo Tue Jul 16 05:33:31 1985 In your summary of travel spots in the NE part of North America, you mention that someone said that Niagara Falls has cheap accommodation. Watch out! The cheap accommodation is only off-season! From Sept. to Apr., you can get nice motel rooms for $15-$20(Cdn.). My fiancee and I got a room on a weekend in April at the rate of four nights for the (reduced) price of three. However, from about May or June to the end of August, the prices double and triple so that the average cost of a night is about $55. The best way to find out about this (and the rest of Ontario) is to go into an AAA office and pick up their Ontario guide book for about $5. It's well worth it! -Carlo Sgro