# Border Crossing



## silentg (Jul 17, 2012)

Hi Tuggers,
I am concerned about the border crossings into Canada. I have heard there was a bomb scare in Michigan boarder area.  We are traveling up thru New York, Buffalo area this weekend and want to know if there are any problems, delays in that area.  Thanks for any info.  This will be our first trip to Canada.
TerryC


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## BevL (Jul 17, 2012)

I live in B.C. so can't speak directly to the border crossings you want to use.  However, if you google border crossings there are a ton of websites that will provide camera shots and info about border crossings.

Frankly, the lines coming into Canada never seem as congested as the ones leaving.  Weekends are obviously the worst.  Earlier you can cross the better.  But thousands of cars drive across the border every day.  Other than a wait and a cranky border guard, it's usually pretty painless.


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## tashamen (Jul 17, 2012)

BevL said:


> Frankly, the lines coming into Canada never seem as congested as the ones leaving.  Weekends are obviously the worst.  Earlier you can cross the better.  But thousands of cars drive across the border every day.  Other than a wait and a cranky border guard, it's usually pretty painless.



I agree- it's usually pretty easy, but like everything else, it depends...

I drove to Quebec on Canada Day, and waited about 2 minutes to cross the border in Vermont where only 1 lane was open.  On the way back alter in the week I came back through NY state, and though there were tons more cars they also had about 6 lanes open, so the wait was maybe 5 to 10 minutes.

But then a few years back we drove to Ontario and crossed somewhere in NY, and were selected for a random screening where we were pulled into a building and they searched absolutely everything in the car and questioned us for quite some time.


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## Maple_Leaf (Jul 17, 2012)

*Buffalo Crossings*

You have three possibilities for crossing at Buffalo:
1.  Peace Bridge
2.  Rainbow Bridge
3.  Queenston-Lewiston Bridge

You can see wait times for these bridges at this site.

There are advantages/disadvantages to each crossing.  If you want to go to Niagara Falls, the Rainbow bridge is right at the falls.  If you want to bypass Niagara Falls crowds you can use the Peace Bridge or Q-L.  Also, remember the Rainbow Bridge does NOT allow commercial truck traffic, which is nice for cars.  I crossed at Q-L last Saturday at 7pm, it took about 20 minutes.

Wait times at 11:30 today are:
Peace Bridge = 14 min
Rainbow Bridge = 15 min
Q-L = 26 min


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## Maple_Leaf (Jul 17, 2012)

*New York State Thruway*



silentg said:


> We are traveling up thru New York, Buffalo area this weekend and want to know if there are any problems, delays in that area.



There was construction on the New York State Thruway west of Buffalo last weekend.  They had narrow lanes with barrels set up and a reduced speed limit.


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## AKE (Jul 18, 2012)

tashamen said:


> But then a few years back we drove to Ontario and crossed somewhere in NY, and were selected for a random screening where we were pulled into a building and they searched absolutely everything in the car and questioned us for quite some time.



This works both ways - we have been pulled aside twice for a random screening in 4 years going INTO the states. The first time they did a thorough search, questioning etc... the second time I mentioned that we had already been pulled aside for an additional screening 4 years ago and the agent just did a lot of paperwork, no questioning or search of the car.


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## BevL (Jul 18, 2012)

Yep, sometimes your number comes up.  

But for us, any wait under half an hour is considered no wait at all if we're going at peak times.  

At times the wait at our small border crossing a few minutes from home can be up to three or four hours to get into the US.  Those are the days we just keep checking the cameras and jump in the car when the line looks bearable.


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## PStreet1 (Jul 18, 2012)

If by any chance you have a Sentri card (trusted traveler for the southern border) or a trusted traveler status for air-travel (or, of course, a Nexus card), wait times are insignificant.  I know that Sentri can now be used on the northern border and Nexus can now be used on the southern border, and I was told the trusted traveler for air travel can be used at both borders--but I don't know that from anyone who has done it.  Anyway, the cost is relatively minor if you cross often.


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## Maple_Leaf (Jul 18, 2012)

*Nexus*

If you have the Nexus card, you can use a fourth bridge in the Buffalo area, the Whirlpool Bridge.  It is Nexus only.


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## silentg (Jul 19, 2012)

Thanks for the info, since this is our first time going to Canada we do not have a Nextus card or any frequent traveler cards.  We should be traveling on Sunday into Canada and back in US on a weekday. I will post a review on my return.   
TerryC


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jul 19, 2012)

BevL said:


> Yep, sometimes your number comes up.
> 
> But for us, any wait under half an hour is considered no wait at all if we're going at peak times.
> 
> At times the wait at our small border crossing a few minutes from home can be up to three or four hours to get into the US.  Those are the days we just keep checking the cameras and jump in the car when the line looks bearable.



Coming through Alderwood back in early November we left Harrison Hot Springs about 8:30 am, in what we thought would be plenty of time for the person I was riding with to make a 5 pm flight from SeaTac.  We hit the backup on Hwy 13 about 10 am, and finally made it into the US at a little after 2 pm.


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## csxjohn (Jul 19, 2012)

silentg said:


> Thanks for the info, since this is our first time going to Canada we do not have a Nextus card or any frequent traveler cards.  We should be traveling on Sunday into Canada and back in US on a weekday. I will post a review on my return.
> TerryC



You do have passports though, right?


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