Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
kids. Children often stay free in major hotels, and in the case of some major chains—such
as Holiday Inn—eat free also. Generally, bed-and-breakfasts aren't suitable for children
and in some cases don't accept kids at all. Ask ahead.
As a general rule when it comes to traveling with children, let them help you plan the
trip, looking at websites and reading up on the province together. To make your vacation
more enjoyable if you'll be spending a lot of time on the road, rent a minivan (all major
rental agencies have a supply). Don't forget to bring along favorite toys and games from
home—whatever you think will keep your kids entertained when the joys of sightseeing
wear off.
The websites of
Tourism British Columbia
(
www.hellobc.com
) and
Tourism Van-
couver
(
www.tourismvancouver.com
)
have sections devoted to children's activities.
Another useful online tool is
Traveling
Internationally
with
Your
Kids
Liquor Laws
Liquor laws in Canada are enacted on a provincial level. The minimum age for alcohol
consumption in British Columbia is 19. As in the rest of North America, driving in Van-
couver and Victoria under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a criminal offense. Those
convicted of driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08 face big fines and an
automatic one-year license suspension. Second convictions (even if the first was out of
province) lead to a three-year suspension. Note that in British Columbia drivers below
the limit can be charged with impaired driving. It is also illegal to have open alcohol in a
vehicle or in public places.
Smoking
Smoking is banned in virtually all public places across Canada. Most provinces have en-
acted province-wide bans on smoking in public places, including British Columbia, where
a blanket law went into effect in 2001 that includes all restaurants and bars.
Tipping
Gratuities are not usually added to the bill. In restaurants and bars, around 15 percent of
the total amount is expected. But you should tip according to how good (or bad) the ser-
vice was, as low as 10 percent or up to and over 20 percent for exceptional service. The
exception to this rule is for groups of eight or more, when it is standard for restaurants to
