3 commonly asked questions about crossing the border

/ TallPat Tours/

I get asked a lot about what is to be expected heading into the United States on a bus trip from Toronto and back. People mostly want to know what kind of ID is needed, how much money can I spend shopping and how much alcohol am I aloud to bring back. So let’s get right to it…

U.S. Border Patrol waiting for the Greyhound bus to disembark

What type of ID do I need to cross the border?

Easy answer is a valid passport, enhanced drivers licence and a Nexxus card are also accepted. For the purpose of this question we are going to stick with only a passport as your guaranteed way of crossing as long as everything else checks out. Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers, the border tightened up security so all passengers must disembark from the bus and have their passports scanned. They also randomly check luggage, bring a sniffer dog and run baggage through scanners but not always.

Cartoon image of ladies dressed up holding shopping bags

How much money can I spend shopping?

  • 24+ hrs - $200

  • 48+ hrs - $400

  • 7 days+ - $750

Everything you buy is included in your above totals except for money spent on food, drink, lodging and recreational activities. Your final total needs to be converted into Canadian dollars when declaring your amount to the border agent.

Fort Erie Canadian Border Crossing

How much alcohol can I bring back?

One liter bottle of alcohol OR one 750 ml bottle of wine OR one case of beer AND one carton of cigarettes. You have to be of drinking age to claim alcohol, going into the United States 21 years old and coming back to Canada 19 years old. Now going into the United States you can take as much alcohol as you please. Just make sure when coming home that you are only bringing back your allowed amount. Now you can certainly bring back more if you like, just be prepared to pay duty but no worries as the duty still has the bottle cheaper than the Liquor Store.

Hopefully these tips helped to clear up some of your common questions. These tips also apply to cars, trucks and basically any vehicle arriving to the border by land. If you liked this post then be sure to sign up for our mailing list to receive alerts about future blog posts and upcoming trips.

All information provided in this post is based on my over 20 yrs experience as a bus driver, however, please contact your respective border agencies for up to date and factual information.

A recap of the past 7 days posts

/ TallPat Tours/

If you were binge watching Netflix, battling friends or foe online or taking in some extra beauty sleep. You may have missed my first 7 blog posts ever! So here is your chance to catch up on any posts that you have missed and you may just witness some writing improvement along the way, but don’t hold your breath…;-)

Posing under the welcome to florida sign.

My 1st post ever was about where I was and what I was doing during the breaking news of the corona virus outbreak. Follow our adventure both leaving and returning to the country, it was quite the ride.

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whiteboard

My 2nd post is about how to stay on task during the pandemic. It can be so easy to lose time being lazy and doing nothing productive. These are just a few tips for keeping a little work ethic going while you work at home.

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picture of just the airplane tail wing flying in the clouds at sunset

My 3rd post is just some tips about how to save money to be able to travel. This post is for those who think they cannot travel because of money constraints, have a read as you never know what idea could be sparked as a result.

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I love ny logo

My 4th post contains tips for enjoying a weekend in New York City. It is a fast paced city with plenty of opportunities good and bad. Have a quick read if you want to avoid some of the pit falls of one of the most exciting cities in the world.

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man and woman doing 1 arm push ups

My 5th post is about exercise ideas you can do at home during the pandemic. These tips will help to keep your mind and body in tune with each other while we are cooped up indoors all day long.

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Denzel washington on the cover with ethan hawke in the background.

My 6th post is my top 3 Movies and TV shows of all time. What is your top 3?

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a grey motor coach bus with a picture of a lion on the side

My 7th post is filled with tips on how to survive a long bus trip. There are some great tips that people overlook, so have a look and see what tips you can benefit from. Pssst…they work for long car rides too!

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So if you missed any of the past 7 postings then be sure to catch up here and if you would like to be added to our mailing list to be informed when our services start up again then be sure to sign up to our mailing list in the column above and to the right.