SPring Break in Canada: Passport? Also drinking

El Whito

So, a few friends and I have decided we want to go to Canada for spring break, mostly because we all either snowboard or ski, and it's close, since I live in Michigan. So, I have two questions regarding the trip:

1) Do I need a passport to get from the US into Canada and back? I'm not sure if it's required yet, and since I have a little over a month before the trip, I need to know.

2) We're all 18. AFAIK, the drinking age in Quebec is 18, and that's where we want to go. If we have American ID's, will the Canuck bars sell us alcohol? This is imperative, and may well have more bearing than the first question.

Thanks for any help.

supertall

As long as you're over the legal age, they'll serve you. Where you're from has no bearing.

ihmmy

what supertail said. Us Canadians welcome american's drinking I mean, um. Anywho, I'm pretty sure you do need a passport if your'e going by plane, but by car you should be ok... it'd still be better to just go and get it so that you have it when you need it in the future and to avoid complications though

El Whito

Alright, thanks for the quick response guys. Looks like we'll be going to Canada then, and we'll be driving. I mean, it's only like 10 hours to Quebec from central Michigan, heh. And if you've got any other northern wisdom to bestow on us naive Americans, feel free.

Gdiguy

They are going to require a passport for land crossing at some point in the near future (it was originally supposed to be in 2008, but I believe it's delayed 'til at least '09 due to the passport backlog), but for now you should be fine with a drivers license/photo id

jotate

Gdiguy wrote: »

They are going to require a passport for land crossing at some point in the near future (it was originally supposed to be in 2008, but I believe it's delayed 'til at least '09 due to the passport backlog), but for now you should be fine with a drivers license/photo id

Though the passport requirement may in fact be delayed, I'm pretty sure a state issued drivers' license isn't good enough for proof of citizenship. You're going to need your original (as in not a copy) birth certificate.

Soggychicken

I have seen bars serve kids clearly under 18.

I have also been carded the first time at a grocery yesterday. I am 23.

Yeah, your experience may vary, but it should be fine as long as you have ID with you.

vonPoonBurGer

If you're traveling by air, it looks like you'll need a passport. If you're driving, though, a driver's license and the original of your birth certificate will suffice. The closest place for age 18 drinking would be Hull, QC, across the river from Ottawa, ON. It'd only take you an extra hour to get to Montreal, however, which I think would be a much more exciting destination. Note that I'm more than a little biased when I say that. ;-)