About Canada
Canada is a country that is in North America. It is made up of three territories and ten provinces. Canada is quite large, in fact, it is the second largest country by total area in the world at 6.2 million miles in total. It is also the world’s 4th largest country by land area. Canada has a population of just over 35 million people and about 4/5 of the population lives within 93 miles of the US border.
Canada’s head of state is Queen Elizabeth II and it is a federal parliamentary democracy. It is known as one of the of the most multi-cultural and ethnically diverse countries in the world, resulting from the large-scale immigration from countries all over the world. It also has one of the largest advanced economies in the world. It relies mainly on the abundant natural resources and highly developed trade network found in the country.
Family Activities in Canada
Similar to the US, there are tons of fun things to do with your family while vacationing in Canada.
- Ontario
The province of Ontario is a great place to visit, with plenty of fun, kid-friendly things to do within a small area. In Toronto, the CN Tower is a fantastic attraction for kids. There is a Glass Floor section on an observation deck so kids can see 148 stories down. Another thrill there is the Himalamazon motion theatre ride. The Toronto Islands with the Centreville Amusement Park Summer offers fun that includes over 30 rides and games plus wading pools, bike rentals, and supervised beaches. Ontario Place is an unique amusement park open only during the summer including a giant soft climbing structure, foam ball play area, a drop tower and super slide just to name a few.
- Quebec
Quebec offers beautiful views from all over the province. Montreal has many fun things for families to do throughout the year. For instance, for the Hallowe’en season, visit the Botancial Gardens for two special activities: The Great Pumpkin Ball and the Magic of Lanterns. Old Montreal is another spot to check out – there is always something happening there, especially in the summer.
- Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island has plenty of attractions, especially around Charlottetown. Some attractions include the Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place, Jurassic Bart’s Dinosaur Museum and Petting Farm, Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Odditorium, The Made Dr’s Spooky Haunted Mansion. Take a tour around the town on the Hippopotabus – an open bus tour.
Family Vacation Packages in Canada
There are many different ways to see the country of Canada while having fun with your family. Just a note, if you are looking to camp or take a road trip, it might be advisable to do so in the summer months. The winters can be harsh but they also provide some unique experiences, especially if you are from the southern part of the US and haven’t experienced a Canadian winter.
One road trip that might be fun is driving across the country, visiting some of the major cities in Canada. If done during the warmer months, camping might be a great way to experience the Canadian nature. It might take some extra planning, but it can be a fun road trip.
Via Rail offers some vacation packages so visitors can experience Canada by rail. Packages to see all of Canada from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean start in New York. They also offer hotel and rail packages for short getaways from 4 days or less or 5 days and longer.
There are also little getaway packages in places like Niagara Falls. Great Wolf Lodge is a popular place for a family getaway. This waterpark has activities for kids of every age with its square feet of water-packed fun. This resort includes massive slides for thrill seekers or even zero-depth entries for little kids.
How much will Canada cost?
In Canada, vacation packages are more costly than a lot of other international destinations. Your accommodations will likely be the biggest expense, followed closely by transportation costs. The most expensive provinces are British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta and the 3 territories will be even more expensive. The cheaper places to visit are the the Prairie and Atlantic provinces. A decent vacation including meals out and a car rental will be about $175-200 a day, whereas these costs can be decreased to about $90 a day by camping, self-catering and taking public transportation. Thankfully, discounts can be widely found for students, children as well as seniors which can help to reduce some of the costs. Also, a lot of the attractions offer family admission prices, which can also save families quite a bit of money.