Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
#1
Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Hello
Next week I am considering a trip to Seattle from Vancouver.
Never having crossed by land before, is there a consensus out there on the experience?
Bad times to go re. a queue? (We are planning early Sat am)
Papers - do they still need the visa waiver & if so how long has it taken others?
We will be - British passport & visitor to Canada, plus one British passport & Canadian PR.
Thanks
Next week I am considering a trip to Seattle from Vancouver.
Never having crossed by land before, is there a consensus out there on the experience?
Bad times to go re. a queue? (We are planning early Sat am)
Papers - do they still need the visa waiver & if so how long has it taken others?
We will be - British passport & visitor to Canada, plus one British passport & Canadian PR.
Thanks
#2
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Hello
Next week I am considering a trip to Seattle from Vancouver.
Never having crossed by land before, is there a consensus out there on the experience?
Bad times to go re. a queue? (We are planning early Sat am)
Papers - do they still need the visa waiver & if so how long has it taken others?
We will be - British passport & visitor to Canada, plus one British passport & Canadian PR.
Thanks
Next week I am considering a trip to Seattle from Vancouver.
Never having crossed by land before, is there a consensus out there on the experience?
Bad times to go re. a queue? (We are planning early Sat am)
Papers - do they still need the visa waiver & if so how long has it taken others?
We will be - British passport & visitor to Canada, plus one British passport & Canadian PR.
Thanks
If going by car, wait until the border officer asks your visitor to go into immigration, tell them not to jump out of the car and run toward the immigration office (my bro did this recently). You cannot imagine all the mayhem that will rain down on you!
#3
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Waiting time will depending in which crossing you are using. Huntingdon is usually the quickest and Peace Arch & Pac Highway the longest. PR will require proof of PR, such as PR card, always best to take a passport along for back up. Visitor will be asked to go into immigration, pay the fee and get an entry card.
If going by car, wait until the border officer asks your visitor to go into immigration, tell them not to jump out of the car and run toward the immigration office (my bro did this recently). You cannot imagine all the mayhem that will rain down on you!
If going by car, wait until the border officer asks your visitor to go into immigration, tell them not to jump out of the car and run toward the immigration office (my bro did this recently). You cannot imagine all the mayhem that will rain down on you!
#5
Account Closed
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,284
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Waiting time will depending in which crossing you are using. Huntingdon is usually the quickest and Peace Arch & Pac Highway the longest. PR will require proof of PR, such as PR card, always best to take a passport along for back up. Visitor will be asked to go into immigration, pay the fee and get an entry card.
If going by car, wait until the border officer asks your visitor to go into immigration, tell them not to jump out of the car and run toward the immigration office (my bro did this recently). You cannot imagine all the mayhem that will rain down on you!
If going by car, wait until the border officer asks your visitor to go into immigration, tell them not to jump out of the car and run toward the immigration office (my bro did this recently). You cannot imagine all the mayhem that will rain down on you!
#6
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 801
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Depending what time you are going, and what for, the train is a great option for a weekend away to Seattle and MUCH easier on the whole border thing.
You sail past the traffic queue.
It's also heavily subsidised and dirt cheap. Something silly like thirty bucks return, which is a great deal for a scenic ride down the coast.
Just a thought.
Cheers, Iain
You sail past the traffic queue.
It's also heavily subsidised and dirt cheap. Something silly like thirty bucks return, which is a great deal for a scenic ride down the coast.
Just a thought.
Cheers, Iain
#7
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Depending what time you are going, and what for, the train is a great option for a weekend away to Seattle and MUCH easier on the whole border thing.
You sail past the traffic queue.
It's also heavily subsidised and dirt cheap. Something silly like thirty bucks return, which is a great deal for a scenic ride down the coast.
Just a thought.
Cheers, Iain
You sail past the traffic queue.
It's also heavily subsidised and dirt cheap. Something silly like thirty bucks return, which is a great deal for a scenic ride down the coast.
Just a thought.
Cheers, Iain
Just expect to be interrogated!
#8
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Once properly across the border the train stops for about 5 mins in Blaine for a quick inspection by yet more customs officers (presumably as they now actually have legal authority to arrest you unlike whilst in Canada.) The journey after that is pretty uneventful, but quite beautiful.
We returned to Canada via Greyhound, which was quite an experience... Seattle bus station is...not great to say the least... but the journey itself was quite nice, especially after all the Americans had left the bus after Bellingham (which included yet another visit from US CBP officers...) The border crossing back into Canada was very pleasant and quite speedy (although it was 10pm by then) and the Canadian officials were very nice (even managed to crack a small joke about our time in Seattle being quite dull..."sounds about right").
Just remembered my OH told me that the CBP officer mentioned not needing to pay the $6 if you had registered for ESTA whilst I was trying to find my dollar bill (which we had done even though the website said it was unnecessary...my OH was unaware that we had though, but surely the officer would have known this when she scanned our passports). I'm pretty sure from what I've read however that this is complete nonsense...
#9
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 801
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Yeah, it's the old central train station (now also the Greyhound terminal) near Science World; it's a grand old building (as in Seattle). As BTJ mentions the customs clearance is in the station (in both directions) as there are no stops on the Canadian side before the border.
There's still only one train a day there and back (I believe) but plans are afoot to expand the service. Or at least they keep talking about it every once in a while.
If I recall correctly the service down to Seattle is in the evening and the one back to Vancouver is early morning. We went down Friday night and came back Monday morning last time we went; you do travel through some beautiful scenery.
Cheers, Iain
There's still only one train a day there and back (I believe) but plans are afoot to expand the service. Or at least they keep talking about it every once in a while.
If I recall correctly the service down to Seattle is in the evening and the one back to Vancouver is early morning. We went down Friday night and came back Monday morning last time we went; you do travel through some beautiful scenery.
Cheers, Iain
#10
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 11,682
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
There's still only one train a day there and back (I believe) but plans are afoot to expand the service. Or at least they keep talking about it every once in a while.
If I recall correctly the service down to Seattle is in the evening and the one back to Vancouver is early morning. We went down Friday night and came back Monday morning last time we went; you do travel through some beautiful scenery.
Cheers, Iain
If I recall correctly the service down to Seattle is in the evening and the one back to Vancouver is early morning. We went down Friday night and came back Monday morning last time we went; you do travel through some beautiful scenery.
Cheers, Iain
#11
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 11,682
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
The bad time is a Saturday morning. Unless you are there very early a 2 hour wait is not at all unusual at Peace Arch or PAC Hwy. News 1130 AM gives regular updates on wait times and there are electronic signboards on Hwy 99 and Hwy 17 as you approach the border. The best time to cross southbound is a weekday evening when you can often drive right up to the booths.
As for documents the US people don't need to see your PR card. That is for getting back into Canada. If you are traveling on a British passport you will be sent into the office to pay your $6.00, get your I-94 visa waiver and possibly be photographed and fingerprinted.
CBP are very serious people if you try to mess them about but are usually fine if you do as they say and answer their questions properly. However, the odds of getting a smile about 10 to 1.
I always enjoy visiting Seattle and I hope you have a good time too.
As for documents the US people don't need to see your PR card. That is for getting back into Canada. If you are traveling on a British passport you will be sent into the office to pay your $6.00, get your I-94 visa waiver and possibly be photographed and fingerprinted.
CBP are very serious people if you try to mess them about but are usually fine if you do as they say and answer their questions properly. However, the odds of getting a smile about 10 to 1.
I always enjoy visiting Seattle and I hope you have a good time too.
#12
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Thank you all for the advice.
I will remind my sis to take her passport + PR card.
I have my ESTA & so will she but I thought the land was still on the old visa waiver form so will be ready for that too.
I considered the train, but will have more flexibility on going home (Kelowna) by car.
I'll keep looking at the times for crossing, but it will probably be very early saturday - i.e. getting up UK time, but we will check out the queues & if too bad we may just go into Vancouver instead.
I now just have to find the exact change in USD.
thanks again
I will remind my sis to take her passport + PR card.
I have my ESTA & so will she but I thought the land was still on the old visa waiver form so will be ready for that too.
I considered the train, but will have more flexibility on going home (Kelowna) by car.
I'll keep looking at the times for crossing, but it will probably be very early saturday - i.e. getting up UK time, but we will check out the queues & if too bad we may just go into Vancouver instead.
I now just have to find the exact change in USD.
thanks again
#13
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Last time I went down was about two years ago, crossing at Kingsgate near Cranbrook into Idaho on a weekday, mid morning. We only had 4 cars ahead waiting for inspection. I had a third degree grilling from the US guards as it would appear my I -94 from my last visit to to states hadn't registered in the system & I was shown as still being in the US. After around 15 minutes I was allowed on my way once they were satisfied I hadn't overstayed.
Returning to Canada via Rykerts near Creston took about ten seconds! There was no line up whatsoever & the Canadian guard never even asked for our passports although he had a quick scan of my Wal -Mart receipt.
Usually, the rural crossing are always quieter as you would expect.
Returning to Canada via Rykerts near Creston took about ten seconds! There was no line up whatsoever & the Canadian guard never even asked for our passports although he had a quick scan of my Wal -Mart receipt.
Usually, the rural crossing are always quieter as you would expect.
Last edited by castra; Jun 21st 2010 at 9:53 pm. Reason: typo
#14
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Thank you all for the advice.
I will remind my sis to take her passport + PR card.
I have my ESTA & so will she but I thought the land was still on the old visa waiver form so will be ready for that too.
I considered the train, but will have more flexibility on going home (Kelowna) by car.
I'll keep looking at the times for crossing, but it will probably be very early saturday - i.e. getting up UK time, but we will check out the queues & if too bad we may just go into Vancouver instead.
I now just have to find the exact change in USD.
thanks again
I will remind my sis to take her passport + PR card.
I have my ESTA & so will she but I thought the land was still on the old visa waiver form so will be ready for that too.
I considered the train, but will have more flexibility on going home (Kelowna) by car.
I'll keep looking at the times for crossing, but it will probably be very early saturday - i.e. getting up UK time, but we will check out the queues & if too bad we may just go into Vancouver instead.
I now just have to find the exact change in USD.
thanks again
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html
#15
Re: Crossing to US from BC - easy or hard
Check before you go
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html