Canada
How to get to Canada is one of the easier questions in non-rev travel — the harder question is which city, and which of Canada’s many airports to target. Toronto Pearson (YYZ) is Air Canada’s main hub and one of the most connected airports in the Western Hemisphere, with nonstop service from more than 35 US cities across all three global alliances. Vancouver (YVR) is Canada’s Pacific gateway with its own deep US network, strong Asia connections, and nonstop service from multiple US carriers. Montréal (YUL) and Calgary (YYC) both carry full international schedules. Every major Canadian city has Air Canada service — and Air Canada is Star Alliance, meaning most non-revs have a clear path in. The caveat: WestJet, Porter, Flair, and Air Transat all operate significant routes but none are in a global alliance — verify interline access before listing on any of them. US citizens enter Canada visa-free with a valid passport. No advance authorization is required. The Canadian dollar (CAD) trades at roughly 1.35–1.40 CAD per USD, making Canada an affordable destination by most traveler standards.
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Tourism Board
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Why Go
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Key Carriers
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Canada’s Major Airports
| City | Airport | Code | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Pearson International | YYZ | Air Canada’s main hub. 35+ US nonstops, all three alliances. Primary gateway. |
| Vancouver | Vancouver International | YVR | Pacific gateway. Strong US, Asia, and transpacific network. |
| Montréal | Montréal-Trudeau International | YUL | Primary Quebec gateway. French-language hub. Full international schedule. |
| Calgary | Calgary International | YYC | Rockies gateway. WestJet hub. American, Delta, United nonstops. |
| Edmonton | Edmonton International | YEG | Northern Alberta gateway. United and Alaska nonstops from US. |
| Ottawa | Macdonald-Cartier International | YOW | Capital city airport. Air Canada LHR, Air France CDG, United ORD/EWR/IAD. |
| Winnipeg | James Armstrong Richardson International | YWG | Prairie hub. Delta MSP, United ORD/DEN nonstops. |
| Halifax | Stanfield International | YHZ | Maritime gateway. American, Delta, United, Air Canada nonstops from US. |
| Québec City | Jean Lesage International | YQB | American (CLT/ORD/DFW/JFK/PHL) and United (ORD/EWR) nonstops from US. |
| St. John’s | St. John’s International | YYT | Newfoundland gateway. Air Canada via YYZ and YUL. |
| Toronto | Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport | YTZ | Downtown island airport. Porter hub. Free ferry and pedestrian tunnel to mainland. |
| Victoria | Victoria International | YYJ | Vancouver Island. Alaska Airlines SEA nonstop. See Harbour Air for downtown seaplane option. |
| Yellowknife | Yellowknife Airport | YZF | Northwest Territories gateway. Air Canada from YYZ, YVR, YEG. |
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How to Get to Canada From the US
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Star Alliance — Air Canada (AC) + United (UA) | ||
| Atlanta | ATL | Air Canada |
| Boston | BOS | Air Canada |
| Chicago | ORD | Air Canada, United |
| Denver | DEN | Air Canada, United |
| Fort Lauderdale | FLL | Air Canada |
| Houston | IAH | Air Canada, United |
| Las Vegas | LAS | Air Canada |
| Los Angeles | LAX | Air Canada, United |
| Miami | MIA | Air Canada |
| Minneapolis | MSP | Air Canada |
| Newark | EWR | Air Canada, United |
| Orlando | MCO | Air Canada |
| Phoenix | PHX | Air Canada |
| San Francisco | SFO | Air Canada, United |
| Seattle | SEA | Air Canada |
| Washington Dulles | IAD | Air Canada, United |
| Washington DCA | DCA | Air Canada |
| …plus Austin, Charleston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Nashville, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Sarasota, St. Louis, Tampa, West Palm Beach | ||
| Oneworld — American Airlines (AA) | ||
| Charlotte | CLT | American Airlines |
| Chicago | ORD | American Airlines |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | DFW | American Airlines |
| Los Angeles | LAX | American Airlines |
| Miami | MIA | American Airlines |
| New York JFK | JFK | American Airlines |
| New York LaGuardia | LGA | American Airlines |
| Philadelphia | PHL | American Airlines |
| Washington DCA | DCA | American Airlines |
| SkyTeam — Delta Air Lines (DL) | ||
| Atlanta | ATL | Delta Air Lines |
| Detroit | DTW | Delta Air Lines |
| Minneapolis | MSP | Delta Air Lines |
| New York JFK & LaGuardia | JFK/LGA | Delta Air Lines |
| Salt Lake City | SLC | Delta Air Lines |
| Star Alliance — Air Canada + United | ||
| Chicago · Denver · Houston · Los Angeles · Miami | ORD/DEN/IAH/LAX/MIA | Air Canada, United (select routes) |
| Newark · San Francisco · Seattle · Washington (IAD) | EWR/SFO/SEA/IAD | Air Canada, United (select routes) |
| Also: AUS, HNL, LAS, OGG, SNA, PHX, PDX, RDU, SMF, SAN | ||
| Oneworld — American + Alaska Airlines | ||
| Charlotte · Chicago · Dallas · Los Angeles | CLT/ORD/DFW/LAX | American Airlines |
| Portland · Seattle | PDX/SEA | Alaska Airlines |
| SkyTeam — Delta Air Lines | ||
| Atlanta · Los Angeles · Minneapolis · Salt Lake City · Seattle | ATL/LAX/MSP/SLC/SEA | Delta Air Lines |
| Star Alliance — Air Canada + United | ||
| Atlanta · Boston · Chicago · Denver · Houston | ATL/BOS/ORD/DEN/IAH | Air Canada, United (ORD/EWR/SFO/IAD) |
| New York (LGA) · Newark · Philadelphia · San Francisco · Washington (DCA/IAD) | LGA/EWR/PHL/SFO/DCA/IAD | Air Canada, United (EWR/SFO/IAD) |
| Oneworld — American Airlines | ||
| Charlotte · Chicago · Dallas · Miami · New York (JFK/LGA) · Philadelphia | CLT/ORD/DFW/MIA/JFK/LGA/PHL | American Airlines |
| SkyTeam — Delta Air Lines | ||
| Atlanta · Detroit · Minneapolis · New York LaGuardia | ATL/DTW/MSP/LGA | Delta Air Lines |
| Star Alliance — Air Canada + United | ||
| Chicago · Denver · Houston · San Francisco · Washington (IAD) | ORD/DEN/IAH/SFO/IAD | United Airlines |
| Newark | EWR | Air Canada |
| Oneworld — American Airlines | ||
| Charlotte · Chicago · Dallas · New York (JFK/LGA) | CLT/ORD/DFW/JFK/LGA | American Airlines |
| SkyTeam — Delta Air Lines | ||
| Minneapolis · Salt Lake City | MSP/SLC | Delta Air Lines |
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Getting Around Canada
VIA Rail is Canada’s national passenger rail service, connecting major cities across the country. For non-revs with flexible time, VIA Rail complements the air network particularly well in the Quebec–Ontario corridor. Schedules, routes, and reservations at viarail.ca.
| Montréal → Toronto | ~5h | Multiple departures daily through the Windsor–Québec City Corridor. Union Station in both cities. Good option when YYZ–YUL flight loads are heavy. |
| Montréal → Québec City | ~3h | Regular Corridor service along the St. Lawrence River. Arrives at Gare du Palais, walking distance to Old Quebec. |
| Toronto → Ottawa | ~4h | Multiple daily departures. Ottawa’s train station is a short taxi or bus ride to Parliament Hill and downtown. |
| Toronto → Vancouver (The Canadian) | ~4 days | VIA Rail’s transcontinental journey through Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Kamloops. One of the great train journeys in the world — not a transit option but an experience in itself. See viarail.ca for schedules. |
The Union Pearson Express (UP Express) is a dedicated rail link connecting Toronto Union Station directly to Terminal 1 at Pearson Airport (YYZ). Trains depart every 15 minutes daily, with the journey taking approximately 25 minutes. Union Station is also the hub for VIA Rail, GO Transit regional trains, and the Toronto subway — making it the most practical airport transfer in Canada. Tickets available at stations or via the Presto card. See torontopearson.com for current fares.
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) sits on the Toronto Islands, separated from downtown by just 120 metres of the Western Channel. Access is via two options: a free passenger ferry that runs 24 hours (approximately 2 minutes), or a 168-metre pedestrian tunnel with a moving walkway. Both depart from a terminal at the foot of Bathurst Street, a short walk from the Bathurst subway station and downtown hotels. Porter Airlines uses YTZ as its main Toronto hub — flights to US destinations from YTZ are often less crowded than Pearson and the airport experience is significantly more relaxed. See billybishopairport.com for current access and schedules.
Harbour Air operates the world’s largest all-seaplane airline, connecting downtown Vancouver (Coal Harbour terminal, code CXH) to downtown Victoria’s Inner Harbour (YWH) in approximately 35 minutes — a flight that is genuinely one of the most scenic short hops in North America, low over the Salish Sea with the Olympic Mountains in view. The terminal at Coal Harbour is walking distance from Canada Place and the major downtown hotels. Victoria’s Inner Harbour terminal lands directly in front of the BC Legislature. Harbour Air also serves YVR (Vancouver International) and various coastal BC destinations. Schedules and booking at harbourair.com. Note: Harbour Air is a small independent carrier with no global alliance affiliation — verify any interline arrangements through your airline.
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Common Questions
Do US citizens need a visa or eTA to fly to Canada?
US citizens do not need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada by air, sea, or land border. A valid US passport or a NEXXUS card is required. Always verify current entry requirements at iatatravelcentre.com before travel.
Should I target YYZ or YVR?
If you’re going to Toronto or anywhere in Ontario and Quebec, YYZ is your primary target with the widest choice of US nonstops and all three alliance carriers represented. If you’re going to Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, or BC, target YVR, which has nearly as strong a US network plus better Pacific connections. For the Rockies, target YYC. For Quebec City or Montreal, YUL is the natural gateway. If YYZ load is heavy, YUL is a viable alternative for reaching the Toronto area with a short VIA Rail connection. And of course YTZ will work as an alternate to YYZ. And if you’re in a crunch SEA for YVR.
Is WestJet accessible to non-rev travelers?
Check your airline’s travel portal or employee travel department to confirm whether WestJet is listed as an accessible carrier. WestJet is not in any global alliance and does not have reciprocal non-rev agreements through alliance frameworks. Though some individual airlines have specific interline agreements with WestJet, do not assume access based on route availability alone.
What’s the best way to get between Toronto and Montréal?
Both air and rail are practical. Air Canada operates frequent YYZ–YUL service (~1h), but these loads can be competitive, especially during business travel peaks. VIA Rail’s Corridor service takes approximately 5 hours, with multiple daily departures from Union Station in both cities — a genuine alternative for non-revs who can flex on time and want to avoid the airport experience. The train arrives in both cities’ downtown train stations, eliminating the airport-to-city transfer entirely.
Tourism source: Destination Canada (canada.travel). Heritage citations: Parks Canada. Entry requirements: IATA Travel Centre (iatatravelcentre.com). Transit: VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca), Metrolinx/UP Express (torontopearson.com), PortsToronto (billybishopairport.com), Harbour Air (harbourair.com). Route data compiled from airline and airport schedules.