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rola

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Hi,

I am a canadian permanent resident and I wish to go from canada to usa for shopping and tourism. I am thinking about Amtrak. Do I need americain visa prior to traveling???

What is the shortest path by Amtrak???
 
You should check with the US Department of State to determine visa requirements: http://travel.state.gov/visa/

As for "shortest path by Amtrak," that really depends on where you're coming from and going to. Canada is a very large country (and, for that matter, the US isn't very small either), so without knowing what cities you're talking about, nobody can really answer that question.

Amtrak has three routes that serve Canada: The Cascades, which has two trains per day from Vancouver to Seattle, the Maple Leaf, which operates once daily from Toronto to New York, and the Adirondack, which operates once daily from Montreal to New York.
 
Thank you so much for your reply. What us the shortest between the

options you mentioned?
 
Canadians and US citizens show their passports at the border. Not sure how it works if you travel on a passport from another country.
 
Being a Canadian permanent resident and being a Canadian citizen can be different with regards to the requirements for a US Visa. IF you carry a Canadian passport, you should be allowed in the US for up to 90 days without any sort of visa, but don't rely on us. From the website Trogdor mentioned,

Permanent residents (landed immigrants) of Canada must have a nonimmigrant visa unless the permanent resident is a national of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), meets the VWP requirements, and is seeking to enter the United States for 90 days or less under that program.
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If your nationality is one of the following, you don't need a Visa under 90 days if you're a tourist:

  • Andorra
    Australia
    Austria
    Belgium
    Brunei
    Czech Republic
    Denmark
    Estonia
    Finland
    France
    Germany
    Greece
    Hungary
    Iceland
    Ireland
    Italy
    Japan
    Latvia
    Liechtenstein
    Lithuania
    Luxembourg
    Malta
    Monaco
    the Netherlands
    New Zealand
    Norway
    Portugal
    San Marino
    Singapore
    Slovakia
    Slovenia
    South Korea
    Spain
    Sweden
    Switzerland
    United Kingdom

If you are not a citizen of one of those countries, then you need to start planning on needing a visa.
 
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rola said:
Thank you so much for your reply. What us the shortest between the

options you mentioned?
Click to expand...
Depends on where you are starting from in Canada and where you are going to in the US. For example if you are traveling from Montreal to new York then the Adirondack would be the shortest. OTOH if you are traveling from Vancouver to Seattle or even San Francisco then the Cascade from Vancouver to Seattle would be your choice.
 
rola said:
1339779481[/url]' post='373926']Thank you so much for your reply. What us the shortest between the

options you mentioned?
Click to expand...
Again, it depends on where in Canada you are located. For instance, the distance between Vancouver and Montreal is about (I think) 3,000 miles or 5,000 kilometers!
ohmy.gif
So we need to know where you are located before we can tell you which is closest!
 
Rola, you should really tell us which city you live in, or at least which you are starting from and where you want to go as well, adding to what others have said. If you do not want to tell us then please say so. The shortest route cannot be determined if we do not know where you start and where you end!

edit: spelling error
 
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VentureForth said:
If your nationality is one of the following, you don't need a Visa under 90 days if you're a tourist.
Click to expand...
That's how things used to work in the past. Today the VWP has been modified to include all sorts of deny-on-exception protocols for variables such as lack of biometric tagging and machine readable monitoring. Even if you don't require a formal visa you may still have to pay substantial entry fees anyway. Same thing for those folks who have zero interest in visiting the US but who must transit through the security area of a US hub due to lack alternative routing.
 
There we go! Here is more information about your train, including route guide and schedules: http://www.amtrak.co...d=1241245664917

This train costs $63 to ride from Montreal to New York. Children half-off. Coach Class only. Seats are reserved but not assigned. This train uses Amfleet I and Amfleet II railcars. You will probably ride in an Amfleet II if you are crossing the border. NO SMOKING!
 
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FYI, the fares vary depending on the bucket. Check Amtrak's website for correct applicable fares.
 
Rola,

If you click HERE, you will download a pdf file which is the route guide to the Adirondack train which travels from Montreal to New York City. On page 4, the same brochure is available in French. There is actually a stop in St. Lambert if you are closer to that city.

The first passenger stop in the US is Rouses Point, New York. It is about an hour and a half from Montreal. One way cost is only about $16 (subject to change based on demand). However, this is a very small town, and there may not be any shopping available. With only one train per day, you can't get off the train and wait for the next one to take you deeper into New York. It is good to plan ahead.

Plattsburgh, about 3 hours from Montreal and the 2nd stop in the US, has a lot of shopping geared towards Canadian tourists seeking to spend their strong Canadian dollar. One such shopping centre is The Champlain Centre. It doesn't appear to be a far taxi ride from the train station. You should arrive around 12:30 PM. The return to Montreal leaves the station at 3 PM. This doesn't leave much time for shopping after taking into consideration delays and transportation in town, so I would recommend staying the night. There should be plenty of lodging available.

Of course, if you choose to spend the night, then that opens up the whole state of New York. I recommend looking at the guide that I linked to at the top of this message and researching the various cities along the route to make the best choice for your needs.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your experience.
 
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