Travel/Travel Documents needed for Border to Canada and U.S.A.

There is much consternation about getting across the border to Canada these days. I've printed the latest information here and will update it as it comes to me.
You CAN get across the border by car with very little hassle with nothing more than a drivers' licence and a birth certificate. You don't need a passport yet. See below:

TRAVEL DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS - JUNE 18, 2007

1) LAND BORDER: TRAVELER IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR
2007 LAND BORDER CROSSINGS

a) U.S. Visitors to Canada/Canadian Visitors to U.S.:

Be prepared to verify your CITIZENSHIP (place of birth) and IDENTITY (photo I.D.) with such
documents as a Birth Certificate, Passport, Drivers Licence, NEXUS/FAST card, Naturalization
Certificate, Visa or Green Card, Baptismal Certificate, Citizenship Card, Records of Landing, or
Permanent Resident Card.

If you are traveling with children, you should carry identification for each child. Divorced parents,
who share custody, should carry copies of the legal custody documents.

Travelers under the age of 18 and unaccompanied by a parent need a letter of permission from a
parent or guardian.

b) Citizens of other Countries:

Must have a valid Passport (and may also require a Visitor's Visa).

2) AIR TRAVEL: NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR AIR TRAVEL BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
Effective January 23, 2007, all Canadian and U.S. citizens traveling by air between Canada and the United States are required to have a valid passport or NEXUS card (at designated NEXUS sites) to enter the United States.
Effective June 8, 2007, U.S. Citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007. Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child's proof of application. U.S. citizens with pending passport applications can obtain proof of application at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html
3) MARINE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATERS:
When entering Canada:
When a private pleasure boat enters Canada, the boat master must report to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) by telephone. Private boaters must dock at an approved marine telephone reporting site in Canada and call the telephone reporting centre (TRC) immediately on arrival at 1-888-226-7277. For full rules & regulations, visit: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel/canpass/privateboat-e.html

When entering the U.S.:
Pursuant to 19 CFR 4.2, operators of small pleasure vessels, arriving in the United States from a foreign port or place to include any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside the territorial sea, are required to report their arrival to CBP immediately (see 19 U.S.C. 1433). For full rules & regulations, visit: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/pleasure_boats/boats/pleasure_boat_overview.xml

For additional information on exceptions to the standard requirements as well as duty-free limits, please refer to:

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) www.cbsa.gc.ca

Or

U.S. Department of State www.travel.state.gov

Getting to this picturesque and history-laden part of Canada is as easy as choosing your mode of transportation. If it is by air there are four international airports within an hour's drive of Niagara. In Canada, Toronto International Airport, whose correct title is Lester B. Pearson International Airport, is a little over an hour's drive north of Niagara; Hamilton International Airport is located approximately 30 minutes north of Niagara. In the U.S. there is the Greater Buffalo International Airport, a half hour drive south of Niagara but that is not allowing for time spent crossing the border; and the Niagara Falls International Airport in Niagara Falls, N.Y., which is only approximately 15 minutes south of Niagara Falls, Canada, again not allowing for border crossing. Also there is the Niagara District Airport in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada, which handles commercial, charter, private and corporate aircraft.

Each airport has its own regulations regarding persons with disabilities, their luggage, their mobility devices and how they should be transported, stored, etc. and each airline also has its own policies. It is best that you contact the airline you intend to fly and make sure they can accommodate your needs. Most travel agencies do not know the policies of various airlines regarding people with disabilities, their equipment and various needs such as oxygen. It is wise to speak to the airline you are going to use directly. Surprises of this nature aren't fun. Things go a lot more smoothly when the airlines know what you need, what you expect and what is desired of them.

If you prefer to travel by train, VIA Rail Canada provides passenger transportation across Canada with connections to the United States. You'll have to explain to the representative of the rail line you are using what you need and expect. Some rail lines will not let you take your wheelchair onto the train. It must be stored in the baggage car. This means that a lot of us cannot travel by train as we have no access to washrooms, dining car or sleeping quarters once we are carried onto the train. Make sure you have the entire trip planned out before you buy your train tickets. You don't want any surprises and must know about transfers, car changes, anything that will put a barrier before you.

The same criteria goes for the bus lines: the major ones being Greyhound and Trentway. Explain to the representative of the bus line what you need when you travel and make sure they can accommodate your wheelchair, your scooter or any other aids you may be travelling with such as portable oxygen. Some bus lines cannot take persons who wish to stay in their wheelchairs. The chair must be stored under the bus and you must walk on. That could require your being lifted and carried and not all of us are comforable with that. Some bus lines also require up to a week's notice if you are going to need a kneeling bus to allow access for a wheelchair or electric scooter.

For those who like to be behind the wheel and travel by road there are four international bridges spanning the Niagara River and linking Canada and the U.S. The main route serving the Niagara Peninsula is the Queen Elizabeth Highway (commonly known as the QEW) which runs through the peninsula from Hamilton to the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie linking Canada and the U.S. The QEW actually goes all the way to Toronto and links up with the 400 series of highways. Highway signs in Canada are posted in kilometres with 100 km/h (60 mph) being the speed limit on major highways. The next major highway through the peninsula is Highway 406, which exits off the QEW and takes you to St. Catharines, Welland and Port Colborne, crossing Niagara from north to south. For those of you who cannot get out of your car or van to use gas pumps or are not strong enough to service your own vehicle, there are full-service gas stations everywhere in Niagara and your hotel concierge should be able to direct you to the one nearest your hotel.

Major gateway area complexes such as those just off the QEW at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Grimsby have designated parking, automatic doors and fully accessible washrooms. There are restaurants in these gateway areas that are easy to use and tourist information is available there as well. Most of it unfortunately doesn't address accessibility for people with disabilities.

If you need transport when you get to Niagara please see Services and Troubleshooting