Hellos again dear Canada forum VJers

Im happy today as I got my visa in hand!(woohoo)... but feeling very stressed as Im still trying to figure out the customs form for Upack + making sure I close all my accounts/cancel all my utilities, insurance, blah blah... all the while working my last week of work LOL I don't hate myself I promise

So another question that's been going through my mind... which point of entry would be best to activate my visa ? Or is there even a difference ? We were originally planning to leave Monday morning(25th), but since the Upack terminal is closed Sunday and we can't load the van then, we have to go Monday morning... meaning, hopefully we can leave Montreal at around 12:00pm.... doing so, we'd get to Toronto between 4-5... depending on traffic of course... which we are hoping to avoid by stopping before/after or in Toronto to have dinner with a couple of our friends that live there. After that we would go another 4-5 hours to hit Detroit or Sarnia... So between 10pm-12am is when I would estimate our crossing of the border.

I know some people have had trouble in small towns because of people not knowing about visas and their activations upon crossing the border... so I'd assume they'd know what to do at a town like Detroit... but then again, even if it's late, there might be a lot of activity there and it could take longer than say going through Sarnia..

Thoughts ? Experience ?

Detroit. If you were going through Quebec then Beecher Falls would be the answer. Port Huron is a b*tch, especially at night. Congrats again and safe driving. Toronto traffic is murder until about 10 PM depending on construction and accidents.

Thanks for the advice.

Yeah we're hoping to maybe go around Toronto... who knows... maybe our friend has some trick being from the city itself

No problem. If your friend has a trick, please let the rest of us in the Greater Toronto Area know. If you took the QEW to Lewiston/Niagara Falls/Buffalo, then you'd end up on the NYS thruway ($$$). You're better off going down the 401 to Windsor.

Both are perfectly fine. I crossed at Sarnia/Port Huron and had no trouble - they were very familiar with the process. The issue that might make sense though is to see where you are going. You generally have to head south from Port Huron to reach the Interstates heading west and south so you may find it just as easy to cross at Windsor/Detroit to begin with. The only real problem you can expect at both of those crossings is high transport traffic. Waiting behind a line of transport trucks until the car lane is available may cause some waiting at either Sarnia or Windsor. Where is your final destination?

final destination is near Denver, CO

You'll find that Detroit probably saves you a few hours of travel then. Good luck and safe travels.

I did the Detroit BRIDGE!

(was turned around before at the tunnel!)

The guy I had was training another guy and still I was in and out within 10 mins. Friendly and professional, no hassels.
Take the bridge is what I would recommend

We crossed at the Buffalo Peace Bridge. The NY State Thruway toll will only be $2.85 from the Peace Bridge to the PA state line. I have an E-ZPass, so it's a little cheaper. Gas is a little cheaper in the US, so that may be a consideration for you. Also, I find that LOOOOOOOOOONG drive down the 401 to Windsor painfully boring. Driving on the American side is much more scenic.

Toll and Distance Calculator
Tolls from Exit 9 (I-190) - Peace Bridge - Canada
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Tolls for a Class 2L VehicleInterchanges
Cash Tolls
E-ZPass Tolls Lackawanna Toll Barrier to Ripley Toll Barrier (a ticket will be issued)
$2.85 ($2.34 E-ZPass) customers will save $0.51
Approximate Distance: 76.5 miles
Estimated Travel Time: 1 hour, 12 minutes.

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Along your trip, you will pass the following Travel Plazas
Travel Plaza Milepost Parking Area Milepost 443Angola Travel PlazaMilepost 447

My wife and I crossed at the Ambassador Bridge and it went about as well as possible. We even crossed around 11pm and they were very courteous, but the only problem is the people tend to get crankier as it gets colder out. Good luck and congratulations!!

Seems easy enough! We`ll go through Detroit!

I'd done research on importing my car months and months ago and thought that all I needed was a compliance letter from my manufacturer(Kia in this case). I have gotten that letter.

But now I've been having last minute doubts about it being all I need... I've done research on the forum and see some people talking about stickers under the hood, in the door... I've read threads that lead you to other websites that talk about other forms to fill out. And I've read threads about people saying they would import the car at another time(other than when crossing the border).

Do I need more than the compliance letter ? I probably have my car papers from when I purchased it, but they are in the warehouse and I'll have to figure out exactly where they are when we unpack the warehouse into the truck to then pack the Upack van the next day. Would I be safer having those documents ? Or would insurance papers(recent ones I have with me) + my immatriculation papers be enough ?

You just need your ownership and your compliance letter, Catou. Here's some additional information.

So basically, if I don`t find the original papers of my ownership of the car(Im guessing that my immatriculation papers aren`t enough), I can always say that Im importing my car at a later date when I find my original ownership paperwork that`s packed away in a box ? And I`d be good with that ?

Catou,

Your car has to be imported when you do... find the papers and get the compliance letter... it will save you a big headache.. and that's all you need... Title (registration) and compliance letter...

the sticker stuff is if you wantr to import your car to Canada... much more difficult..

Well find the papers I will then! I have to re-take everything in inventory anyways... I had done it before sending everything to the warehouse.... and then my harddrive died and I lost everything

So I suppose, Ill find it, I had marked all my boxes nicely

You have up to one year to import your belongings after entry to the US. Check this site for a port of entry near you. You don't have to return to the border to do it.

As for the car ownership issue.... since yours is packed away I'm wondering if we're talking about the same thing...... because it's a requirement for you to carry your ownership in your car. It's the small one that people usually keep in the same envelope as their proof of insurance. The one that you put the sticker on when you renew your license tags.

I travel to/fro Montreal-Detroit often! Unfortunately, there is no way "around" TO. You could hop onto the 407 in Ajax to alleviate some traffic slowdowns, but I find that once the 407 re-merges with the 401, traffic is again backed up. And the 407 is expensive.

The *best* time to leave Montreal is before 11 am. You'll get into the Ajax area (401 exit 399) before things get too slowed down and the west-bound Waterloo (~exit 333 on the 401) traffic is not-so-bad. Count on spending an hour longer than intended though! You can go through Kingston POE and travel through NY, PA and OH. It's a very nice drive through northern NY, but if your final destination is Michigan then this way will add 2.5-3 hours.

I've never gone on the 402 from Sarnia to Port Huron, but my husband has and he said that the road isn't well-maintained and so it's bumpy. May not be a good idea for a truck-load of goods! The Detroit POE is great, both the tunnel and the bridge.

I used to line in Windsor, and so lots of my friends would get the TN work status at the Detroit Border. I got mine there as well. We always went to the tunnel as many people said the bridge was a lot more stricter and many people had issues that they didn't have at the tunnel. This was over 10 years ago though, so not sure if it's changed or not.

Driving time really doesn't make much of a difference at all going through Port Huron or through Detroit, I've done them both comming back home from visiting Canada and really any distance wise difference. Though it does seem that Port Huron is a bit harder to get through...

I heard that ever since I was a kid and just about everyone I talk to agrees. I don't know how true it is but when going we always take the tunnel. I definitely agree about Port Huron.

You actually have 10 years to import all of your stuff.. but the car is kind of an exception due to DOT and EPA regulations. All Catou needs is the registration for the car and the compliance letter. CBP will take care of the rest of the paperwork.

So my car registration(immatriculation) is sufficient ? I don't actually need the whole package of papers that show that I purchased the car in 2002(or 2003 lol I don't remember ) at the dealership ?

Basically the compliance letter and the little paper that you keep on you(or in your car) for insurance purposes is good ?

Yes, your car registration is sufficient. No, you don't need the whole package of papers that show that you purchased the car in 2002 or 2003. Yes, you just need the compliance letter and the little paper that you keep on you or in your car. I think you need to join Schmelle in that gin and tonic.

lol thanks Crikey