Canada
Endless wilderness, turquoise mountain lakes, and buzzing cities — everything you need to plan your trip to Canada.
Where is Canada located?
Canada is a country in North America. It has only one neighboring country: the USA. To the north, the country stretches all the way to the Arctic Ocean.
Canada is the second-largest country on Earth, after Russia. At around 9,984,670 square kilometers, it’s almost as large as all of Europe combined — seriously hard to wrap your head around.
The country spans more than 5,500 kilometers from east to west and up to 4,600 kilometers from north to south.
Despite its enormous size, only about 38 million people live here — which explains why so much of Canada is pure, untouched wilderness.
Our Guide to Canada
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Flair
Vast, welcoming, and a paradise for outdoor lovers.
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Best Time to Visit
June through September for summer adventures, or winter if you're after skiing.
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Duration
Budget at least two to three weeks — whether you're exploring Eastern or Western Canada.
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Currency
Canadian Dollar. Card payment is accepted pretty much everywhere.
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Tipping
15–20% at restaurants is completely standard — it's not optional here.
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Getting Around
Rent a car or camper for the national parks — public transport simply won't cut it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the capital of Canada?
Canada’s capital is Ottawa. The city sits in eastern Canada, in the province of Ontario. Despite being the capital, it’s only the fourth-largest city in Canada with just under 990,000 residents.
The largest city is Toronto, with a population of 2.9 million, followed by Montreal at 1.7 million and Calgary at 1.3 million.
What languages are spoken in Canada?
Canada’s official languages are English and French, and English will get you through pretty much the entire country without any issues.
The one exception is the province of Quebec — home to Montreal — where French is the sole official language. You’ll find some locals there who speak little to no English. That said, in tourist areas and city centers you can generally manage fine with English.
How many time zones does Canada have?
More than you’d expect! Because Canada is so vast, the country spans 6 time zones in total — so the answer really depends on where you’re headed.
British Columbia (Vancouver) is on Pacific Time — that’s UTC−8 in winter and UTC−7 in summer. Alberta (Calgary, Banff, Jasper) is one hour ahead of that on Mountain Time. Move east to Ontario and Quebec, and Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa run on Eastern Time — UTC−5 in winter and UTC−4 in summer.
What currency does Canada use?
Canada’s currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). One euro gets you roughly 1.40 CAD, though exchange rates fluctuate, so it’s worth checking before you go.
