mireaux7

youll probably asking, why isnt this listed in the canada threads. its because i am wanting to solicit input from an american perspective, not canadian.

so what do you feel is the best canadian town to visit, within say a 50 mile radius or so from the american border.

i have wanted to visit vancouver, but i read into it a bit, and learned that many of the residents there can be quite arrogant and snobby. in addition, i heard that some areas adjacent to chinatown are quite crime-ridden and delapitated.

ive also considered visiting toronto, it doesnt look likes it too far from buffalo, ny. ive always wanted to see the cn tower.

aside from border towns, i wouldnt mind venturing in further into canada as well. ive heard that banff national park is quite splendid.

Myer

Something you may not know. Approximately 80% of Canadians live within 50 miles of the US border.

So the answer may not be a town.

Montreal is probably less than 40 miles from the border. Vancouver and Victoria are much less than that and in fact are the border.

Wednesday

Wow, in my opinion, your information on Vancouver is way off, I found it to be the opposite. You are missing out if you don't visit there. If you are hesitant about the "area around" Chinatown, just avoid it, it's a beautiful city filled with amazing architecture, food, and sights. It's one of those places you have to experience yourself to really know what it's like.

kodi

Are you afraid to 'venture in further'?
You are making it sounds as though you want to just stick your toe across the border to see what it feels like, before going further.

You won't find Canada much different than being in the US.

You are also talking about a huge border, with lots of possibilities. Depending on where you are, you might be travelling a long way to just venture in 50 miles or so.

cd

We loved Vancouver and Victoria! We loved Quebec, Toronto and Niagara Falls, Ontario,& Niagara on the Lake. We have enjoyed every place we have traveled to. IMO, cannot go wrong with any of them.

hop_along

Anyone inclined to believe such ridiculous generalizations about people would probably do better just to stay home.

Myer

I've heard that Parisians are arrogant.

Maybe. What's arrogant? Friendly? Oh.

You mean you won't learn how to say Hello, Good-bye, Thank You and Your welcome in the local language (wherever it might be)?

olive_oil

I loved, loved, loved Montreal and Quebec City on a recent trip. Would not have changed a thing! Magnificent cities.

I also enjoyed Ontario very much. Very interesting. This was a business trip. Not sure of these distances from the border--we flew.

nanabee

It really depends on what kind of city or location you are looking for. Vancouver and Toronto are very different.

I have been to Toronto many times and find it a vibrant, multi-cultural, cosmopolitan city. There is much to do and see, with wonderful restaurants.

I would recommend not going in the winter!

happytrailstoyou

Mireaux7,

You have been using unreliable sources for information about Canada. Please do your own research by following through on your original impulse to visit Vancouver and the majestic Canadian Rockies (Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, etc.).

HTTY

hugglynn

We've been to a lot of locations in Canada--Toronto, Vancouver, Waterton, Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Calgary, Quebec and Montreal.

As nanabee posted, you need to decide on where to go depending on what it is you want to experience. If you want the big city experience in Canada, go to Vancouver. If you want a larger/small city experience, then Toronto or Calgary. If you want to experience French Canada, Quebec or Montreal. And of course, if it is nature or scenery, the Canadian Rockies towns.

Between the cities, we preferred Toronto to Vancouver and Quebec to Montreal. If I had my choice on those cities, I would return to the former ones and not the latter. That is mostly because we prefer the smaller large town city feel as opposed to the very large city atmosphere.

The scenic towns (Waterton, Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise) were all equally wonderful.

hugglynn

Oh, I forgot to add we also spent some time in Victoria--aah, it is a great place for a romantic quiet getaway...again, preferred over some of the larger cities. We simply loved it there!

bardo1

I found the people of Vancouver to be the most laid-back, unassuming, and freindly of any city in North America. It does have a few "iffy" blocks that make up maybe 1 percent of the city. Every city has it "areas". What were you reading?!?

Vancouver, Montreal, or Toronto (in that order) would be my top picks for a week-long trip. Halifax or Quebec City would be great for a shorter "getaway" trip.

Bobmrg

Osoyoos. Beautiful location, nice people, nice town.

nytraveler

"i have wanted to visit vancouver, but i read into it a bit, and learned that many of the residents there can be quite arrogant and snobby"

Don;t know who told you that. Have been there several times and have never noticed any such thing. Is it possible the people who gave you that info are boors?

"in addition, i heard that some areas adjacent to chinatown are quite crime-ridden and delapitated"

every city in the workd has areas that are crime ridden and dilapidated. Generally they're not places tourists need to hang out.

I wonder how out northern cousins would see - what city is it you come from?

Pegontheroad

If you're in the west, Victoria is lovely, and further inland, Nelson, B. C., is really nice. It's kind of artsy. I like it a lot.

rkkwan

How in the world does that "50 mile" thing comes into play?

Will you only drive into Canada? You're not going to be flying?

What if I say it's Thunder Bay? Are you going to fly to Duluth and drive up?

Lee_Bowman1

I have traveled numerous times to Canada and love it. The cities and towns are clean, the people are friendly and take pride in their environment. The people are more open-minded and tolerant than in the US, not so hung up on religion or sexual taboos, though the country has its right wing as well. More cosmopolitan yet more laid back at the same time.

Ditto all that's been said about Vancouver, Victoria, Nelson BC, Osoyoos, Banff, Toronto etc. Hope BC is a neat town and for a larger city, Nanaimo BC on Vancouver Island is great and so is Kelowna in inland BC. In the East, London Ont is a big but very livable city. Did you know they even grow tobacco is southern Ontario?

Canada does have winter! The only mild winter is in the extreme SW.

Cyanna

Mireaux7, please check back and tell us what you chose to do and how you liked it.

I'm always sorry to see people choosing destinations based on ANY generalization about "what the people are like." Far better to think about what you want to see, climate, etc., and then find out for yourself that some of the people are very cool/warm, although you didn't like some of the other people maybe ....

I would leap at the chance to visit gorgeous Vancouver again. I would leap at the chance to visit cosmopolitan Toronto again. I would leap at the chance to visit cosmopolitan-French Montreal again. I would leap at the chance to visit quaint-historic-French Quebec again.

Have never been to Calgary or Banff, but would leap at the chance to see them, too.

Canada - from Victoria Island to the Maritimes - is a GORGEOUS country (although I'd probably sleep through the plains areas, I admit).

sunbum1944

bobmrg- some of my Canadian friends winter in Osoyoos because it is so mild there- they love it- its Canadian wine country.