How to get to Edmonton from the United Kingdom? What do you need to know about traveling to Canada? What about tipping in restaurants? And do they drive on the left or the right? On this page you will find all the practical tips for your vacation to Edmonton and Jasper.
KLM will fly you from Amsterdam to Edmonton International Airport in 8.5 hours. You can fly to Amsterdam from several airports in the UK. This is the shortest flight to Western Canada. Arriving at the airport, your adventure in the Canadian Rockies can begin This is the shortest flight to Western Canada. Once you arrive at the airport, your adventure in the Canadian Rockies can begin! When you book with Edmonton-Jasper.co.uk, the flight is always included in the price, and you can also bring your own skis at no extra cost.
↠ Book your trip including flight here
The easiest way to travel in Canada is with SunDog Transportation and Tours’ transfer services or a rental car. Learn more on the Transportation and Touring Canada page. There you will also find information on traffic regulations.
For travel to Canada, you must have a passport that is still valid for at least 1 day after leaving Canada. Children also need their own passport and it is no longer allowed to be credited in the parents’ passport. An id card or driver’s license is not a valid travel document. For travel to Canada, it is mandatory to apply for an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). Although you can receive your visa in your e-mail within minutes, we recommend applying for it no later than a week before departure. An eTA costs $7 / £3.76.
↠ Learn more about and apply for an eTA
The local currency is the Canadian Dollar ($). £1 gets you about C$1.86 and for C$1 you get about £0.54.f ATMs can be found in many places in Canada, and paying with a credit card is no problem here.
It is customary in Canada to tip in restaurants. Usually, the percentage for tipping is around 15-20%. If the service is less, the percentage you tip is lower. It is not customary in Canada not to tip at all.
Canada is bilingual, English and French, but in the province of Alberta – which includes Edmonton and Jasper National Park – English is the spoken language. If you want to address people in “Canadian slang,” or local street slang, the following words are handy to have on hand. From left to right: British English – Canadian
WC – washroom
1 Dollar – Loonie
2 Dollar – Toonie
Hat – tuque
A Canadian – A Canuck
Napkin – serviette
Faucet – tap
If you really want to appear Canadian, say ‘eh’ at the end of your sentence every so often.
The power grid in Canada operates at 110 volts. This means you need plugs with flat poles to use it.
Canada has national holidays in addition to general holidays, such as New Year’s Eve and Christmas – as well. The main national holidays in Canada are:
20 May 2026 – Victoria Day
1 July 2026 – Canada Day
30 September 2026 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
12 October 2026 – Thanksgiving
11 November 2026 – Remembrance Day
In addition to these official holidays, there are also many fun winter festivals in Edmonton. These are definitely worth visiting as well.
Geographic location
Alberta is a province in southwestern Canada and lies between provinces of British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and the U.S. state of Montana. The capital is Edmonton, which is centrally located in the province. Jasper National Park is a 4-hour drive from the city, in far western Alberta. The province has an area of 660,000 km2.
The climate in Alberta Canada
Alberta has two types of climate: a mountain climate and a continental climate. Because of the continental climate, winters are very cold and summers are warm. The mountain climate means that temperatures depend on elevation: the higher you go, the lower the temperature. January is the coldest month, with daytime temperatures often not rising above -8℃ is. Het grootste voordeel is dat er in de Rockies een hele droge luchtaanvoer is en er weinig wind staat. The Canadian cold is an experience in itself, and with good clothes and with preparation, the cold is perfectly manageable. On average, 5 feet of snow falls in the Rocky Mountains every year between November and April. The summer months are warmer. Then the temperature can reach 22 ℃.
Time difference
The time difference from the Netherlands depends on where you are in Canada. In Alberta, it is 8 hours earlier than in the Netherlands. Daylight saving time starts on the first Sunday of April and lasts until the last Sunday of October.