Canadian Customs

We'll be driving to Quebec for our upcoming cruise and would like to know if anyone has any idea about how long it usually takes to clear Canadian customs. I know that it can vary, but a general "guesstimate" would still be helpful.

We'll be driving to Quebec for our upcoming cruise and would like to know if anyone has any idea about how long it usually takes to clear Canadian customs. I know that it can vary, but a general "guesstimate" would still be helpful.

The amount of time varies significantly depending upon time of day, day of week and the specific port of entry. I've cleared through in less than two minutes and over two hours, depending on the circumstances.

Can you give us some idea of what route you were thinking of taking and when you anticipate making your entry? That would help giving you a better estimate.

The amount of time varies significantly depending upon time of day, day of week and the specific port of entry. I've cleared through in less than two minutes and over two hours, depending on the circumstances.

 

Can you give us some idea of what route you were thinking of taking and when you anticipate making your entry? That would help giving you a better estimate.

We will be driving north from the Albany, NY area on US I-87, which looks like it goes through Champlain, NY, and becomes Route 15 once it crosses into Canada. Looking at my map, I can't discern the town we will be entering Canada through.

I'm guessing we'll be arriving there around 2 or 3 PM on a Thursday afternoon.

We will be driving north from the Albany, NY area on US I-87, which looks like it goes through Champlain, NY, and becomes Route 15 once it crosses into Canada. Looking at my map, I can't discern the town we will be entering Canada through.

 

I'm guessing we'll be arriving there around 2 or 3 PM on a Thursday afternoon.

Ouch. The Lacolle Inspection station is a busy one, and you should plan on spending about an hour and a half there at that time. The current wait time (12:55 this afternoon) is 1 hour 15 minutes.

ezbordercrossing.com describes it as follows:

The border crossing between Champlain, New York and St. Bernard de Lacolle, Quebec in the town of Blackpool is one of the top 10 busiest crossings between the two countries. It processes over two million travellers each year, with an average of 525,000 travellers in July and August alone. Traffic congestion has therefore been predictably bad at peak periods with numerous accidents and even deaths over the past decade. Autoroute 15 to Montreal is listed in some surveys as one of the 10 most congested roadways in North America. Construction of significant infrastructure upgrades for this port began in 2003, and further improvements are under study...

 

Some travelers recommend that you avoid this port completely by crossing at the Overton Corners / Lacolle port on QC-221 / NY-276 E. This is about a 20km detour but it avoids the potential backups in Champlain.

My choice would probably be to head east out of Albany then up the I91. The crossing at Derby Line can be busy but is far less congested - currently 0 minute wait time - and the drive far prettier. While google predicts the drive as taking an hour more than the route you have planned on, that doesn't take into consideration the wait time, so heading up I91 would actually be faster as well as being a nicer drive.

Of course, if you were planning on staying in Montreal for a night or two, that won't work for you.

Here's a link that will let you explore the many options:

http://www.ezbordercrossing.com/list-of-border-crossings/new-york/#.VZbNInh7tnY

Enjoy your drive and your cruise!

Fouremco:

Thank you so much for this information. We were basing our route on AAA directions, not knowing anything about border crossing options.

We are not spending any time in Montreal, so the alternate route you suggest sounds like a good option. Timing will be an issue for us because we need to return a rental car by no later than 6 PM in downtown Quebec, and I was concerned about the wait time at the border.

I will definitely check the link that you provided. Your help is very much appreciated!

My pleasure. Just another thing to bear in mind, should the dates be applicable, is the two week holiday for all construction workers in the Province of Quebec. Starting on July 19 this year, it just adds a bit more traffic to the roads.