Canada's Wonderland and crossing the Border

I went to Montreal a few years ago for New Year's. I had a trip planned for March of the following year to go to the British Isles. So I just got the passport a few months early and used it to cross into CA.

It was not that hard to do. I just went to CVS, got my picture taken and took it to the post office. They have you fill out a form that only takes about five minutes. Then I just handed in the form and paid whatever it cost at the time.

The lady at the post office said I would get it in the mail in 4-6 weeks. It arrived 2 weeks later. So really all in all, not that bad.

We crossed over using I-89 from our side trip of skiing in Vermont and the border patrol were friendly. It was pretty painless. A lot less painless than going through customs at Heathrow.

I think the biggest issue for Americans is just the (perceived?) hassle and expense of getting one...

I mean, many Americans don't even want to renew their driver's license or license plate when it expires, so just imagine trying to add a Passport to that list.

While you should check your local listings, I know the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Indiana is more efficient than it's ever been with better operations, more effective personnel, being able to make appointments, doing more things online or at kiosks, etc. So I know people in Indiana are slowly changing their perception about the DMV.

On a larger scale, I think the gov't should do likewise with the Passports. However, since the Post Office itself is still meh, I imagine it's still no picnic. But improved awareness is at least a start towards more Americans warming to the idea of getting a Passport.

I think the bigger issue is why many American do not want to see the world. I may sound like a snob here, but do you not want to visit another country, and learn a culture?

^^Again...you're making it sound too simple.

Expense and travel distance are big factors for us Yanks!!

If New Zealand or the UK cost the same amount of time and money as a Florida or Cali trip does, you might see more of that traveling!

In addition, obviously foreign sentiment for Americans isn't the best either, plus Americans have issues with language barriers...

They do have the "passport card" which is good for surface travel, and slightly cheaper.

I don't have any issue with getting one, aside from the annoyance of the turn-around time.

You can get it expedited... for an additional fee, of course.

El Gato Coastro said:
I think the bigger issue is why many American do not want to see the world. I may sound like a snob here, but do you not want to visit another country, and learn a culture?

LOL! You do have a good point but I am reminded of one of my co-workers. She is 37 years old, lived near Cleveland, Ohio all her life, and has been to ONE other state, West Virginia. When she takes vacation time they go nowhere. No trips, nothing. Heck, she has lived in Aurora for 15 years, her house is within walking distance (i.e. 1/2 mile) from the gates of the former Geauga Lake and NEVER went there with her 3 boys and husband. Different strokes for different folks I guess, it still boggles my mind though.

Tom

KnoebelsGrandCarousel said:
I went to Montreal a few years ago for New Year's. I had a trip planned for March of the following year to go to the British Isles. So I just got the passport a few months early and used it to cross into CA.

It was not that hard to do. I just went to CVS, got my picture taken and took it to the post office. They have you fill out a form that only takes about five minutes. Then I just handed in the form and paid whatever it cost at the time.

The lady at the post office said I would get it in the mail in 4-6 weeks. It arrived 2 weeks later. So really all in all, not that bad.

We crossed over using I-89 from our side trip of skiing in Vermont and the border patrol were friendly. It was pretty painless. A lot less painless than going through customs at Heathrow.

I had to get one last January for a couple of trips to Germany for work and my experience was very similar to yours. The only difference was I was able to get my picture taken at the post office when I completed the paperwork.

I was also told it would take 4 -6 weeks and received it in 2 weeks. I had been a little daunted at the idea of having to physically part with my official birth certificate with the paperwork, but it was returned without a problem. I figure it's one of the more important documents you can apply to receive, so the extra processing time and official nature of verifying identity/citizenship makes perfect sense.

I also had no problem with either the German or US customs processes. An identity check, a stamp, and I was good to go.

I think this is just a cultural difference. I used to work at a hotel and I'll never forget when an elderly couple from Virginia stayed one night on their way back from vacationing in Niagara Falls on the CA side. The husband said to me "My wife wanted to go to Niagara Falls but I really didn't want to because I haven't even seen the entire US yet." He then went on to say that he really enjoyed it and had a great time but for whatever reason, a lot of Americans, especially older Americans, think this way. "See all of the US first, then go to other countries."

Another factor is a lot of Americans do "repeat" vacations. Once they go to one place and like it, Florida or California come to mind, they go to that same place every year. Personally, I could never do this, as I LOVE to travel and go to new places every year, whether in this country or a different one.

Again, I think it's just a cultural difference.

I don't have a passport and I knew the entry/re-entry requirements were going to change in 2009 so I took my trip to Canada's Wonderland in '08. It was only my second trip ever to Canada.

I don't foresee any reason why I would want to return to Canada anytime soon. There are plenty of things to do right here in the good ole USA that don't require the extra expense of a passport.

El Gato Coastro said:
I think the bigger issue is why many American do not want to see the world. I may sound like a snob here, but do you not want to visit another country, and learn a culture?

I want to see the world but do not have the $$ sitting around to do so. I can only afford to stay in the USA and Canada to vacation. There are many if not most Americans in the same situation as me!

James Whitmore said:

There are plenty of things to do right here in the good ole USA that don't require the extra expense of a passport.

Thank you for proving my point! And in record time! :)

El Gato Coastro said:
I think the bigger issue is why many American do not want to see the world. I may sound like a snob here, but do you not want to visit another country, and learn a culture?

Unlike many other countries, America has the world here-- or at least people from all over the world. We can experience the culture of many nations without leaving the country (and I don't mean going to Epcot).

Eh, I'm not sure I agree with that. Most things in America are well, American-ized. I think there are a lot of aspects of foreign culture you can't really get without being there and experiencing it firsthand.

Besides, I think it does wonders to be in another country where you realize that the "rules" you grew up with don't apply. You know how we so casually say things like "Want to be in America? Then learn English!"? Well, whether other countries adopt English as a fluent second language or not, it is really something when you realize that you are in fact the one who can't read the signs or speak to people in the native language.

It just does a lot for one's perspective.

when you realize that you are in fact the one who can't read the signs or speak to people in the native language.

And that's just in England! :)

DaveStroem said:
...We want to do a weekend trip up here, but now will have to push it back so we can get the kids passports.

To clarify, the current WHTI (in effect as of June 1) doesn't require passports for children 15 and under (traveling by land/sea). "Groups of children" (18 and under) can also cross (by land/sea) with birth certificates or other recognized IDs. If you're flying, everyone now needs a passport.

The way the WHTI is written can be confusing. It makes it sound as though everyone needs a passport, but digging deeper you find that children are a special group with notable documentation exceptions. This Dept of State link should be helpful:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
(see "LAND AND SEA TRAVEL -> LATER -> CHILDREN:)

People's responses to this topic really makes me grateful that my parents made sure I was appreciative of other cultures and world travel at a young age. I cannot imagine what my perspective of the world would be like had I not traveled overseas. I find it disheartening that so many Americans have such an aversion to travel outside of the country.

America does have a plethora of amazing places to see and visit, but it is naive to think that just because our country is large in size that it is equitable to traveling around Europe or Asia. I do believe that the different regions in America have their own sense of culture, but it's still one country with the same national government, currency and basic traditions.

The excuse that obtaining a passport is a hassle is also pretty weak. I applied for my passport during the first "rush" when the new rules for re-entry from Canada were originally going to be instated. It took all of two weeks for my passport to reach my mailbox and I even applied for it while out of state.

While the expenses of passports and world travel for families can be very expensive, it is possible to travel outside our borders on a budget. My family is by no means wealthy, but by carefully planning our trips and meticulously searching for the best deals we made it work. I understand that there are families and people who cannot afford such trips, but using bureaucracy red-tape and America's size as excuses not to travel to other countries is just plain lazy.

WOW, thanks. Yes the WHTI is extremely confusing and poorly laid out. The wife says she even knows where the kids birth certificates are at. Behemoth here we come.

What cracks me up is that we have people who want to build walls around our borders and people who don't want to buy a passport required to get back into the country.

My desire to see other countries could best be described as "meh". I've got nothing against other cultures or anything, I just don't have an interest in traveling overseas. Throw in the insane costs associated with it, and it's even less desirable. My problem with needing a passport for Canada (or at least to come back from Canada) is that I see Canada just as an extension of the US. There's no border situation like with Mexico where controlling guns and drugs is serious business. While I'm sure some "bad stuff" comes across that border, I don't think it really warrants hassling people with a passport requirement.